Old Bridge is knocked out of state playoffs in 5-2 loss at Marlboro, but Donaghue is excited for the future

Two good sectional playoff runs collided in Monmouth County on Tuesday, with Marlboro moving on, and Old Bridge’s season coming to an end.

The 12th-seeded Knights finished their season at 9-18, but were one of the last two GMC teams standing in the state tournament heading into yesterday’s road game against the Mustangs in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals.

But Old Bridge lost the game 5-2, following a nearly two-hour lightning delay. Marlboro – which knocked off top-seed Manalapan in the quarterfinals – moves on to the championship game against either 3rd-seed Middletown South or 2nd-seed Hunterdon Central.

Their game was rained out yesterday and will be made up at 2 pm Wednesday.

Starter Justin Herbstman pitched two full innings and had started the bottom of the third – walking the leadoff man and throwing one pitch to the next batter – when play was halted. He didn’t return, as Christian Krause started a string of three other pitchers to finish the game.

Marlboro nickled-and-dimed Old Bridge for a run in the first and another in the fourth before scoring three in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead they would never relinquish.

In the top of the 6th, Old Bridge would score twice, the second run helped by an error, to cut the deficit to 5-2.

After holding the Mustangs scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, Old Bridge would threaten, getting runners at the corners with two outs via a walk and a single before Marlboro picked up a K to end the game.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the CJ4 semifinal loss, the 2021 season, and look ahead to 2022:

Leave a Reply