Spotswood senior Will Buchan throws against South River in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals on May 15, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Whenever Julius Rosado is on the mound for South River, they have a chance to beat just about anyone. Just like they did in Monday’s first-round, where they knocked off top-seed Woodbridge.
And he was sharp Thursday afternoon against 8th-seed Spotswood in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament quarterfinals, but the defense was another story, with four errors proving costly for the 16th-seeded Rams.
The result was a 4-0 Charger win that puts them in the GMCT semifinals for the first time since 2018.
Spotswood (14-8) got on the board in the top of the first. With one out, Carter Cumiskey singled, then Will Buchan doubled to left, with the ball landing in front of left fielder Brendan Lell, then bouncing over his head and going all the way to the wall, allowing Cumiskey to score.
For the next four innings, Buchan – the starting pitcher – was sharp as well, allowing just one baserunner through four – on a walk – before giving up the first hit of the game to the Rams in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, the Chargers would add another run.
Steve Henits singled but reached second after the ball was momentarily bobbled by the left fielder Lell. After a sac bunt turned into an infield hit for Steve Henits, Cumiskey drove him in with a sac fly to left.
Spotswood head coach Glenny Fredricks brought in sophomore Leo Carone for the fifth, and he promptly got in trouble. He walked Sebastian Deerson, Jimmy Sanchez and Rosado to load the bases. But even quicker than he got into trouble, he got out of it. James Zsorey grounded to first, but Cumiskey came home and got the force out there, though catcher Brandon Rivera tagged Deerson, thinking Cumiskey might have stepped on first and tried to turn two.
The next batter – Hunter Krainski – grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to rescue Carone.
Spotswood got two more insurance runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-0. With one out, John Lubin reached on an infield hit. Gavin Romeo tried to advance him with a bunt, but also reached on a base hit, when the third baseman Lell had to avoid Rosado – who also tried to field the ball off the mound – before he could throw to first.
Seb Saracino then hit a ball to short, and while Zsorey tried to turn two, the throw went into center field, scoring Lubin. Then a bloop hit by Henits brought in Romeo.
In the seventh, Saracino came on to pitch, and almost got into the same trouble Carone did in the sixth. He walked the first two batters, but then got Lell to hit into a 5-3 double-play. And after another walk to Travis Maloney, Deerson struck out to end the ball game.
Spotswood will face the winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal between 5-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen and 13-seed Metuchen in one of Saturday’s semifinals at East Brunswick Magnet School, both of which can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
South River falls to 14-6 with the loss, which went to Rosado. Buchan improved to 4-0 with the win.
Click below for postgame reaction from Spotswood starting pitcher Will Buchan and head coach glenny Fredricks, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
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