By George O'Gorman
Special to The Post

EWING — To make the Mercer County American Legion League playoffs this summer, you have to survive the toughest schedule in league history — 22 games in six weeks.

That means you better have pitching, pitching, and more pitching.

First-year manager Jon Conant thinks he has plenty of pitching on his Ewing Post 314 team. Brian Witkowski plans on being part of that pitching depth.

Slated to be one of four starters on the Ewing staff, Witkowski made his season debut one to remember as he threw six innings of two-hit shutout ball to help start Post 314 on the way to a 6-2 win over Robbinsville Post 530 June 8 at Fred Walters Field in Moody Park.

Witkowski, making his first appearance on the mound since he started Notre Dame High’s season finale on May 27, needed just 67 pitches to get the win, striking out six and retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced.

“It’s definitely the best I’ve pitched this year. The Hightstown game (May 11) was the only thing close to this,” said Witkowski, who got through three innings allowing nine pitches or less, including just four in his last inning.

“My arm angle was off in the first inning and I was leaving the ball up, but I felt good after that,” added Witkowski, who credits extra work in the bullpen with helping him add a change-up and cutter to his repertoire. “I used them sparingly and they seemed to work well.”

That’s good news for Conant, who has lefties Jon Holmes and Matt Ianni joining Steve Arnold and Witkowski as the projected starters, with Mark Metcalfe, Kevin and Keith Dearden, Carl Delmonico, Bill North and Steve Tobin able to fill many roles.

“I’ve got a lot of pitching, and I’m happy with it,” said Conant. “I was happy with him (Witkowski) and felt this was a good chance to get Metcalfe some work because he’s our closer. Witty (Witkowski) hadn’t thrown much lately and I’m surprised he threw that well tonight.”

Ewing’s hitters gave Witkowski plenty of support when Asa Rodriguez opened the second with a single and eventually got home on Keith Dearden’s double, before Nick Cifelli smacked an RBI single in the third and quickly scored on Delmonico’s 2-run double.

Witkowski would walk to open the fifth and quickly get home on two wild pitches before a walk to Cullers was followed by a second Cifelli RBI basehit for the 6-0 lead.

R’ville had three hits in the seventh as Metcalfe struggled with his control, hitting two straight batters at one point to force in a run after Cory Karogozi’s RBI single saved Post 530 from a shutout loss, but not its third consecutive defeat.