Can Stephen Reid do it one more time?
The Governor Livingston junior designated hitter has hit home runs in seven consecutive games for the Highlanders, helping GL win all of those contests.
Reid has slugged a team-high 10 round-trippers and has homered in nine of his last 10 games.
GL’s next game is Tuesday, May 8 at home against Westfield in Union County Conference-Watchung Division play up on the hill in Berkeley Heights.
While I have no idea what the New Jersey high school record – or even Union County – record is for most consecutive games with a home run, I do know the Major League Baseball record is eight. Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the first to do it in 1956, Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees was the second in 1987 and Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Seattle Mariners was the third and last in 1993.
Long, Mattingly and Griffey, Jr. all batted from the left side. Long and Mattingly were first basemen and Griffey, Jr. an outfielder. All three also made the All-Star team the year they accomplished the feat. For Mattingly 1987 was the only year he was voted by the fans as the American League’s starting first baseman.
Reid, in his second season at GL, bats from the right side. The junior has already given a verbal commitment to continue playing in college in the Atlantic Coast Conference at Georgia Tech. He might also be a high candidate to be selected in next June’s 2019 MLB Draft.
All of Reid’s home runs have been hit over a fence.
Reid has hit 10 of GL’s 33 home runs in the team’s first 18 (15-2-1) games.
The rest include Drew Compton (8), Danny Serretti (6), DJ Gonnelli (2), Jack Pedini (2), Andy Serretti (2), Will Jennings (2) and Tyler McCulloch (1).
Reid’s streak of hitting home runs in nine of his last 10 games started with GL’s 8-1 win at then-No. 2-in-the-state Delbarton. In that April 18 game in Morristown Reid crushed a solo shot that traveled over the center field fence for his second round-tripper of the season. Compton hit a solo home run right before his at-bat – the two junior Georgia Tech commits going back-to-back.
In GL’s next game at home against South Brunswick – a 4-3 Highlander victory – Reid hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth for the game-winning hit, bringing GL back from a 3-2 deficit.
Reid did not hit a home run in GL’s next game, which was a 13-8 win over Edison on April 21 in the 11th Annual Autism Awareness Challenge at North Brunswick’s Community Park. That was the last game Reid did not hit a home run.
Reid has also homered in GL’s last seven home games.
The Highlanders begin the second week in May with a 15-2-1 overall record.
GL has won 12 straight and is 13-0-1 in its last 14.
The defending champion Highlanders are also in second place in Union County Conference’s Watchung Division with a record of 5-2-1. Scotch Plains is in first at 6-2 and Westfield in third at 5-3.
GL’s final two scheduled Watchung Division games are at home against Westfield May 8 and at Cranford May 17.
GL and Cranford played to a 4-4, 10-inning tie at GL on April 12, which was also GL’s home-opener and the first time the Highlanders were on their home field this season.
GL’s last loss was at Westfield 8-7 back on April 10. Westfield jumped out to a 7-0 lead, GL came back to tie the game at 7-7 and then Westfield scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
GL’s only other loss was at Scotch Plains 6-5 on April 5, its second game of the season. The Highlanders had a lead in that game.
Other Reid numbers through GL’s 15-2-1 start:
.386 batting average, .476 on-base percentage,
10 home runs, 29 RBI, 24 runs, 1.478 ops, 15 extra-base hits
GL THIS WEEK:
Tuesday, May 8: Westfield, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
Wednesday, May 9: at Roxbury, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 10: Linden, 4 p.m. – UCC-crossover
Saturday, May 12: vs. Elizabeth, 1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. – UCT semifinal at Kean
The 65th annual UCT final is scheduled to be played at Kean University
on Sunday, May 13 – first-pitch time still to be determined.
GOV. LIVINGSTON JUNIOR DH STEPHEN REID
HAS HIT HOME RUNS IN 7 STRAIGHT GAMES:
Here is a game-to-game look at Stephen Reid’s
streak of hitting home runs in each of GL’s last 7 games:
April 24: Gov. Livingston 10, Union 1 – at GL
Reid hit a two-run shot after leadoff batter Danny Serretti homered
and No. 2 batter Drew Compton singled.
April 26: Gov. Livingston 13, Scotch Plains 3 – at GL
Reid slugged a two-run homer.
April 28: Gov. Livingston 15, Linden 1 – UCT first round at GL
In his last at-bat, Reid hit a two-run homer.
April 30: Gov. Livingston 13, Union 0 – at Union
Reid hit a two-run homer over the right field fence.
May 1: Gov. Livingston 14, Lyndhurst 2 – at GL
Reid blasted a two-run homer in the first.
May 3: Gov. Livingston 18, Elizabeth 1 – at GL
Reid slugged another first inning, two-run homer.
May 5: Gov. Livingston 11, Johnson 5 – at UCT quarterfinal at GL
Reid blasted a three-run shot over the fence in right-center.
Reid hit two-run shots in the first six games of the streak
and a three-run blast in the seventh.