DENVER, N.C. – A year ago, East Rutherford baseball was on the doorstep of a state championship appearance.

With just over a week until the playoffs begin, the Cavaliers are playing at a strong enough level to kick down that door come late May.

Home runs from Colby Condrey and Elliott Tisdale, paired with a two-hit shutout from Malachi Dato, secured a 4-0 victory over East Lincoln.

East Rutherford is now 19-0 overall.

A lead-off single, two hit batsmen, and a bases-loaded walk helped the Cavaliers instantly grab a 1-0 lead in the first.

That would be all Dato needed on the bump. As the game wore on, the junior reached back for his best stuff.

He went pitch-for-pitch in a duel with East Lincoln lefties Barrett Erwin and Tayden Dockens.

Through the first four innings, the two sides had combined for only one hit each.

In the fifth and sixth innings, East Rutherford would make the most of their second and third hits of the night.

Condrey’s blast was a solo shot over the wall in left center, while Tisdale roped a ball down the line in the sixth that left the yard.

The Cavaliers added another insurance run in the seventh when Condrey went the other way to plate Preston Henson.

Dato, who fielded his position well with some phenomenal plays down the stretch, leaned on the leather of first baseman Caleb Bennett to help record the game’s final two outs.

East Rutherford (19-0, 9-0) closes out the regular season with a home conference game against Hendersonville on Friday and a two-game series with Polk County next week.

East Lincoln (14-6, 7-3) still has four conference games ahead of it, including a Friday matchup at West Iredell, and games against Statesville and St. Stephens next week.

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