Immaculata players pose with their Non-Public North B Championship trophy at Diamond Nation in Flemington on June 10, 2022. (Photo submitted by Tom Gambino)
Starter Mike Warzeniak went down to an early injury, the bullpen was struggling to hold it together, and Immaculata was getting no-hit into the fifth.
In short, things looked pretty bleak for the 5th-seeded Spartans in the Non-Public North B title game, and 6th-seed Gill St. Bernard’s looked well on its way to winning its first-sever sectional title.
But the bullpen eventually settled, Aidan Rumain shutting out Gill in the top of the sixth, and that’s when the tide turned.
Immaculata got three runs in the bottom of the sixth, two off a homer down the left field line from freshman Jayden Capindica, but had still only cut a 7-0 deficit to 7-3.
Then, after another scoreless inning from Zimmerman, and two more runs in to get it to 7-5, Capindica came up again, with the bases loaded, two out, and a 1-2 count.
Down the line, opposite field to left, bases clear, ‘Lata walks off with an 8-7 win, and the Non-Public Group B title.
It’s the Spartans’ fifth sectional championship, and their first since 2010, when they won the Group A championship.
Now, they get to take on South B champion Ranney, the top-seed in that section, which beat two-seed Gloucester Catholic 8-7 Friday afternoon in Tinton Falls. That title game will be at either 4 or 7 pm at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will have the game for you live.
Click below for interviews with head coach Kevin Cust, and freshman Jason Capindica:
Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to say Adam Rumain pitched the last two innings for Immaculata, not Greg Zimmerman.