DelVecchio homer, Mulvaney complete game give St. Joseph record-tying 8th GMC Tournament title

For a long while, it was Edison atop the pile in the annals of GMC baseball with eight seemingly untouchable tournament titles.

It took 22 years, but as of 2:41 pm Sunday, the Eagles now have some company.

Third-seed St. Joseph of Metuchen got a solo home run from Tyler Delvecchio in the fourth inning, and a complete game shutout from starter Jimmy Mulvaney, to beat top-seed and defending champion North Brunswick 2-0 in the GMC Tournament championship game, heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, driven by Auto Lounge of Edison.

The win puts St. Joe’s aside with Edison, each of which now have eight GMC Tournament crowns to their credit.

It was a matchup of the very, very good senior sidearming Mulvaney against one of the most dominant pitchers ever in the GMC, the Raiders’ Zack Konstantinovsky.

And through the first three innings, it was every bit the pitchers’ duel. Each team got their leadoff man on in the game, but both were erased on double-play balls, and the game was scoreless heading into the fourth.

With one out in the top of the inning, DelVecchio – also a senior – cranked a 380-foot home run to left-center field to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead, and Mulvaney a bit of a cushion.

And still no one got across again until the seventh, when Joe’s added some insurance.

Joseph Zammitti knocked a one-out single, and a bunt by Bobby Christensen that Konstantinovsky couldn’t field coming off the mound to his right – away from his momentum – put runners at first and second. After a flyout to center by Christian Azcona – too shallow to move pinch runner Jaden Jamison over to third, Will Ramsay ripped one down the right field line. Jamison scored easily, but Christensen was cut down by a hair at the plate on a perfect relay from Chris Rosario in right to first baseman Frankie Garbolino to catcher Omar Carreras.

The Falcons also had Ramsey thrown at the plate to end the fifth after a leadoff double.

The win puts St. Joe’s at 19-8 heading into the state tournament later this week, while North Brunswick dropped to 18-6. The Raiders host 15th-seed Long Branch Monday in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group 4 sectionals.

It was a rematch of last year’s final, when St. Joseph was the No. 1 seed and defending champ, getting upset by 6th-seed North Brunswick. This year, with the situations reversed, The Falcons turned the tables, and claimed their second title in the last three years, in their third straight GMCT finals appearance.

Mulvaney got the win, going the distance, while Konstantinovsky did the same – striking out ten – in taking the loss.