Spotswood’s Stephen Henits hits a fly ball to right to score a run against South Brunswick on April 21, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Let it be clear: Carter Cumsikey is the No. 1 starter for the Spotswood baseball team.
But ask him to take the ball any time, any day, and he’ll gladly do it, as he did on in the sixth inning Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge against South Brunswick. And, boy, is Charger coach Glenny Fredricks happy he did.
Cumiskey held down the fort on the mound by pitching a perfect final two innings, while his Chargers scored in the top of the seventh to break a 7-7 tie and beat South Brunswick 8-7 at North Brunswick Community Park, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Spotswood got what turned out to be the winning run in the top of the seventh. With one out, Stephen Henits hit a hard ground ball to third that took a bad hop over Danny Kirk’s glove. He stole second, then came home on a single by Shawn Lennan to make it 8-7, though the Chargers would threaten for more but fail to cash in.
The win makes Spotswood 9-0-1 on the season, the first time in program history they’ve been unbeaten through their first ten games. It didn’t even happen in the magical 2007 season that saw the Chargers win the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament and the state Group 2 title.
Spotswood came out attacking from the start. Their first three hittters – Breckyn DeAngelis, Cumiskey, and Will Buchan – began the game with three first-pitch singles. Mason Bitalla drove in DeAngelis with a ground ball to third, with Colin Perna’s throw to the plate for a force play sailing over his catcher. Brandon Rivera knocked in Cumsikey with a single, and Buchan scored on a 6-4 fielder’s choice put into play by Ryan Orth, and Spotswood had a 3-0 lead after a half inning of play.
They added another run in the top of the third when Rivera and Orth worked out back-to-back walks, John Lubin got plunked in the thigh, and Stephen Henits hit a sac fly to right, making it 4-0.
But South Brunswick would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Will Haman and Brian Culhane drew back-to-back walks, then advanced to second and third with a double steal. Kirk singled to drive in the first tun, then Colin Perna walked to load the bases. Jake Graci flew out to center, and the two lead runners tagged. Culhane came in to score, but Spotswood appealed that Kirk left too soon from second. He was ruled out, but it was after Culhane crossed the plate, so the Vikings’ had cut the deficit to 4-2.
Spotswood grabbed two more runs in the top of the fourth. Cumiskey led with a single, followed by walks to Will Buchan and Mason Bitalla, loading the bases. Rivera skied a ball to right, scoring Cumiskey, and while courtesy runner Mateo Rivera for Bitalla got caught in a rundown, Buchan also came around to score, making it 6-2 Spotswood.
In the bottom of the fourth, South Brunswick tied it up with a blast from a big bat. With DeAngelis now pitching in relief of starter Jack Bicsko, the Vikings loaded the bases on a fielder’s choice by Jack Leach, single by pinch-hitter Jose Sanchez, and a bad throw to first on a comebacker by Will Sassman. Back to the top of the order, leadoff hitter Will Haman clubber a 330-foot grand slam down the left field line to make it 6-6. Though South Brunswick would get two more runners on, they’d fail to score again that inning.
Each team got a run in the fifth. With two outs, Spotswood got a single from Lennan and an infield hit from DeAngelis. With Cumiskey at the plate, consecutive balk calls on Colin Perna advanced the runners to second and third, then scored Lennan to make it 7-6. But South Brunswick answered when Haman picked up his fifth RBI of the day, knocking in Aaron Perna, who’d reached on an error on Lennan.
After a scoreless top of the sixth, that’s when Fredericks placed the game in the hands of his offense, figuring Cumiskey would shut the door on the mound. He got a strikeout and two groundouts to set the Vikings aside 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth. The Chargers picked up the run in the seventh, and Cumiskey got a groundout and two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh.
Click below for postgame reaction from Spotswood junior Carter Cumiskey and head coach Glenny Fredricks:
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.