Groome strikes out 14 in fund-raising event

CAMDEN, N.J. — This wasn’t a typical high school game, by any stretch of the imagination. Then again, this wasn’t the typical high school pitching showcase on Monday night, with Barnegat High phenom Jason Groome, ranked No. 1 on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 100 Draft prospects facing fellow New Jersey prep standout Tyler Mondile, who has top five round potential himself.

Then add in the fact that the two Jersey aces turned this marquee matchup into a fund-raising event, with all proceeds from the $5 tickets being split between a pair of charities of the pitchers’ choosing. The game was originally scheduled for April 10, but was moved to a later date and a larger venue, Campbell’s Field, the one-time home of the now defunct independent league team, the Camden Riversharks, and it’s a good thing. More than 6,000 people poured into the stadium for a good cause and to hopefully to see some good baseball.

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Groome and Mondile didn’t disappoint. It was Mondile who got the win, a 1-0 shutout with 10 strikeouts. The lone run in Groome’s column was unearned and the big lefty finished the game with 14 strikeouts in six innings.

“I have to give all props to Mondile,” Groome said. “He pitched a great game and they came out on top with a couple of errors. Other than that, I’m happy we had such a great turnout. It was sold out. It was great.”

With scores of scouts on hand to watch both pitchers, the pair put up zeroes until Barnegat allowed a run on an …

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