Tag: Brendan Callanan

by Mike Pavlichko

Callanan’s strong 6 innings, 6-run outburst propel Ridge into SCT finals with 6-2 win over Pingry

When Brendan Callanan struck out five six of the first seven batters he faced, retiring the first seven he faced, one could be forgiven if they thought: “Could it happen again?”

No, Callanan didn’t throw a perfect game like Connor Byrne did Tuesday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals against Bernards, but he pitched a pretty good game himself. He gave pitched five shutout innings, scattering three hits and struck out eleven, as second-seed Ridge (10-2) beat Pingry (6-4) in the first of two SCT semifinal games at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater Thursday afternoon, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Zoned Sports Academy.

Callanan took a 1-0 lead into the second after catcher Nick Rossi blasted a one-out solo homer to left in the bottom of the first. It was the first homer of his scholastic career.

For a while, that looked like it was all Ridge would need, until Pingry got two runs in the seventh on a two-RBI single by Nick Lorenzo.

Ridge got three runs in the third, on an RBI single by Julian Kielb, and a two-RBI single by Connor Byrne, which chased Pingry starter Alex Payne.

The Red Devils added two more in the fourth on a two-RBI single by Callanan, helping his cause.

Ridge moves on to play either top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan or 12th-seed Rutgers Prep, which played in the later semifinal at 4 pm.

It will be the third straight trip to the finals for defending champion Ridge, which made it in 2019 (there was no tournament in 2020 or 2021) and won it last season.

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Click below for postgame reaction from Ridge, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Ridge pitcher Brendan Callanan
Ridge catcher Nick Rossi
Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell
by Mike Pavlichko

Top-ranked Ridge wins pitchers’ duel on Opening Day, drops Immaculata 2-0

What did we learn from Opening Day?

Well, Ridge learned it can put the bat on the ball, and that it can rely on its top to pitchers, Brendan Callanan and Connor Byrne.

But we also learned Immaculata has pitching, too.

No. 1 Ridge eked out a 2-0 win on Opening Day over No. 9 Immaculata at Diamond Nation in Flemington, behind seven scoreless innings from the two pitchers head coach Tom Blackwell used.

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Callanan started the game, and threw five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and five baserunners. One was caught stealing, one was picked off, one was erased on a fielder’s choice to end the third, and the other two were left on.

When Byrne came in to start the sixth, he one-upped his teammate. He retired all six batters to face him, striking out two, avoiding any chance of a comeback by the Spartans.

The Red Devils themselves didn’t get on the board until the sixth. At that point, they had already stranded eight runners, and ended up leaving on 11 in the game.

Catcher Nick Rossi drew a one-out walk, then after a Steven Dressner fly-out, Zack Kucerka – pinch-hitting for Adam Meiner – was hit by a pitch, leaving runners on first and second with two out for leadoff man Nick Selitti, who singled to drive in Josh LaTourette, the courtesy runner for Rossi, the catcher. But Matt Shawah struck out to strand two.

In the top of the seventh, Ridge pushed an insurance run across. Callanan – still in the game at second base – singled, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch, then scored when Jonathan Kielb hit a sharp grounder to short that rocketed up in the air off Troy Rabosky’s glove, and was scored a bit.

For the Spartans, despite the loss, their pitchers did pretty well, and once the bats come around, could be a force to be reckoned with.

To wit, starter Josh Thompson pitched five-and-a-third solid innings, allowing just one run and four hits, striking out two, and hitting two batters. On any other day at the plate that would be enough for the win.

And after Greg Zimmerman got in trouble in the top of the seventh, Nick Bozzo retired all three batters he faced to keep Ridge from picking up any extra insurance runs.

Ridge senior starting pitcher Brendan Callanan
Ridge senior Brendan Callanan (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell
by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 Ridge explodes in a 7-run fourth, hands No. 10 Pingry its first loss of season

Both teams put up crooked numbers in the first inning, but 2nd-ranked Ridge exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning, coming back from a 4-3 deficit to beat No. 10 Pingry 10-4 at home, in a Skyland Conference crossover game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio Friday afternoon in Basking Ridge.

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The win was the Big Blue’s first of the season, as they fall to 9-1. Ridge is now 12-1, and has won eleven straight since a loss to Hunterdon Central in its second game of the season.

Shortstop Brendan Callanan knocked in four runs in the game, the first two with a triple in the first inning, the other two with a single in the decisive fourth inning. Third baseman Luke Somelofske came in to pitch to start the top of the fourth, and got the win, retiring 12 of the 14 batters he faced in four full innings of work, allowing only two hits: a single in the fifth and a two out double in the seventh.

That double came off the bat of Liam Royster, who started the game for Pingry, and took the loss.

Pingry was playing its third game in four days after wins over Belvidere and Del Val Wednesday and Thurday. They visit Somerville tomorrow in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. Ridge hosts Gill St. Bernards in another quarterfinal game.

Click below for postgame reaction from shortstop Brendan Callanan and third baseman/pitcher Luke Somelofske: