Top Knights! Old Bridge knocks off South Plainfield 6-5 to win GMC Tournament title

It got tense. Both in the first inning and the seventh.

Third-seed Old Bridge scored four times in the top of the first inning against South Plainfield starter Kevin Penny, with each run digging a deeper hole.

And by the seventh, the Tigers had gotten within a run, and had two on, two out, but were one miracle comeback short.

In the end, the 3rd-seeded Knights, who’d been swept by South Plainfield two weeks before the GMC seeding meeting, exacted revenge, beating the No. 1 seeded Tigers 6-5 to win their third GMC Tournament title, and their second in the last five seasons.

The win was also No. 100 for head coach Matt Donaghue, who’s now 100-70 in six seasons.

Old Bridge (18-7) got four in the first, dinking and dunking the Tigers. John Smith led off with a walk, Chris Crosta was hit by a pitch and Frank Papeo singled to load the bases. Justin Hascup drove him in with a single to right, and an Akhil Penkala walk brought in a second run. MJ Altman reached on a 4-6 fielder’s choice to make it 3-0, and Evan Smith’s single made it 4-0.

But South Plainfield starter Kevin Penny stayed in the game and settled down for a bit, while his team mounted a comeback.

The Tigers got three in the second. Jayden Alvarez led off with a single, followed by Nick Irizzarry, and Brandon Bickunas drove in Alvarez with a single. After a groundout by Aiden McCarthy, Ryan Balent grounded to short to drive in the second run, Stephen Studlack singled, and Dom Massaro drove in the third run with a single to bring South Plainfield within one.

It would stay that way into the fifth, when old Bridge expanded its lead. Penkala led off with a single, and after MJ Altman was hit by Penny, he was taken out for Mike Castagna. He got a K, then hit Noah Balbeuna. Meyer grounded out to third to drive in a run, and a wild pitch to the next batter brought in another to make it 6-3 Old Bridge.

But South answered in the bottom of the inning. Massaro reached on a ground ball to short when the throw pulled Bickunas off the bag. Kapsch walked and Donahue pulled Papeo for JT Meyer, who gave up a two-RBI single to Zack Robinson. But Meyer would get the next three hitters to end the inning.

Chase Donovan pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh for South Plainfield to give them one last shot.

In the bottom of the seventh, Kapsch led off with a single, but Zack Robinson grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, and the Tigers were down to their final out. But Jayden Alvarez laced a double down the right field line, chasing Meyer from the game.

Donaghue brought in Hascup, but he gave up a single to Irizzarry. With first and third and two down, Bickunas knubbed a 1-1 pitch back to the mound. Taking no chances, Hascup ran all but the last ten feet to first before he flipped to Papeo – now playing in the field – for the final out.

The win went to JT Meyer in relief; he’s now 6-1 on the year. The loss went to Kevin Penny (2-1) as South Plainfield falls to 19-5-1.