Donaghue wins 100th game as coach, but it’s the Knights’ GMC title that’s the sweetest

Stick around long enough, and a coach will have several milestone victories.

Win number 100 is the first real big milestone along any skipper’s path.

But that one got overshadowed Saturday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, where the Old Bridge baseball team held off a scrappy South Plainfield nine to win the program’s third Greater Milddlesex Conference title, and second in the last five tournaments.

It was coach Matt Donaghue’s 100th career win, but it wasn’t something he was thinking about before the game, or even after the game, to be honest, until we mentioned it to him.

He sure wasn’t thinking about it in the top of the first, when Old Bridge scored four times off South Plainfield starter Kevin Penny.

Nor was he thinking about it as the Tigers roared back to life and scored three runs in the second, and answered the Knghts after they’d put up a two-spot in the fifth.

Oh, he knew it. He knew it for sure. It just wasn’t a priority for him.

The priority was winning this game. Especially after South Plainfield had swept Old Bridge two games in the next -to-last week before the seeding meeting to claim first place in the GMC Red as well.

Donaghue said during the week his team had a chip on his shoulder all tournament long. They were determined to say their peace.

And say it they did.

Old Bridge was one of the favorites to win the division before the season, and even Monroe. Both had a bevy of arms returning.

Few gave South Plainfield a shot. Yet here they were, fighting even with two outs in the seventh inning, getting two on with two out before Justin Hascup could close it out to get the save-in relief to win it for the Knights.

Win Number 100 was not something Donaghue was thinking about, but it won’t be one he’ll forget about anytime soon either.