Matt Cichocki of Bridgewater-Raritan hits a ground rule double in the fifth inning of a 4-2 win over Watchung Hills in the Somerset County Tournament on May 20, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The kids these days have a saying. And to paraphrase, it’s this: “Mess around and find out.”
Well, Bridgewater-Raritan coach Max Newill wasn’t messing around. With his top-seeded Panthers locked in a 2-2 tie with Watchung Hills in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, Newill pulled starter Kellen Komline with the bases loaded and one out.
All Rible did was get two strikeouts to strand three, then strike out the side in the fifth. He threw a 1-2-3 sixth. And in the seventh, got a strikeout, allowed a single, then got Ethan Byrd to ground into a game-ending double play to send the Panthers to the SCT title game for the first time since 2012, with a 4-2 win as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater.
They will meet third-seed Ridge, which won its semifinal earlier in the day over Immaculata, 15-3, to make its fourth straight county final.
The title game will be on Friday at 6 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, with two public schools in it, and the state tournament starting on Thursday, in which both Ridge and B-R will be playing.
Each team scored their first runs in the second. Jason Wu knocked in Landon Pudlak – who’d reached on a single – to make it 1-0 Warriors in the top of the inning. In the bottom, Michael Taylor got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in Jack Lanum, the courtesy runner for starting pitcher Kellen Komline.
Watchung Hills took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on a bases loaded, one-out single by Brody Griffith. That’s when Rible came in, and Watchung Hills would only get two more hits the rest of the game, none resulting in a run.
The Panthers went ahead with two runs in the fifth. Matt Fattore led of with a solo home run to make it 3-2, his first of the year. They got an insurance run later when a Matt Cichocki ground rule double to left brought in JR Rosado.
Bridgewater improves to 22-3 with the win, and Cory Rible got the victory in relief to improve to 3-0. He has appeared in 13 games in relief, and the Panthers have won all of them. Watchung Hills drops to 14-14, as starter Max Payne took the loss.
Click below for postgame reaction from Dom Savino, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.