Jake Dolan – Central Jersey Sports Radio

Trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, top-seed Ridge tied the North 2, Group 4 title game at two, then scored the go-ahead run on an error in the bottom of the sixth to beat third-seed Watchung Hills 3-1, claiming the Red Devil program’s tenth state sectional championship, and second in the last six years.

Ridge will move on to play at North 1, Group 4 winner Ridgewood in the state Group 4 semifinals Monday at 4 pm. The third-seeded Maroons knocked off top-seed Passaic Tech Friday afternoon in the title game, 10-8.

With a packed crowd that was five or more deep along the fences past the dugouts – and another long stretch of students hanging over the edge of the right field wall, the celebration was a wild one, especially since Ridge had made the finals in this section last year, but lost to Westfield.

In a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, the deciding run came in the bottom of the sixth with the score tied 2-2. Dimitri Romer walked to lead off the inning, then DH Matt Pypczynske was hit by a pitch. Toby Nicholson came up next, but Ridge saw Romer picked off at third when Hills catcher Jacob Jaconski throw down to the shortstop, who had Romer hung up and threw to third, where Brady Simo applied the tag for the first out.

But Nicholson singled to put two on again. That’s when Colin Newcomb hit a hard but playable shot to short that Stef DiGeronimo booted, making it 3-2 Ridge, the first lead of the game for the Red Devils. And that was all they would get, as Kieran Callanan hit a liner to short, that DiGeronimo snared; he then got Nicholson off second to end the inning with a 6-4 double play.

Jake Dolan had come in from centerfield in the top of the sixth to replace starter Dimitri Romer with one out, and now came out to finish it off against the middle of the Warriors’ order. He got Rob Centamore to ground out to third, Max Payne to fly out to center, and Landon Pudlak to fly out to right to end it, as the Ridge players streamed out of the dugout, caps and empty water bottles flying.

*Ridge players celebrate with their fans along the right field wall after a 3-1 win over Watchung Hills in the North 2, Group 4 final in Basking Ridge on June 5, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Dolan got the win in relief for Ridge (18-10), while Lucas Sheehan took the loss for Watchung Hills (18-9).

Watchung Hills scored a run in the third, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Rob Centamore then got another in the top of the fifth. Then, they made it 2-0 in the top of the fifth on a Brady Simo walk with the bases loaded.

But Ridge set themselves up with two in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Newcomb singles, and Callanan hit a ball to second, reaching when Landon Pudlal bobbled it. Grob singled to load the bases, and Jake Dolan hit a sac fly to right to cut the deficit in half. Casey Kucerka then followed with a single to tie it at 2-2, but Sawyer Paul grounded into a fielder’s choice to end it.

Click here for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with Watchung Hills’ senior Jake Dolan and head coach Tom Blackwell, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

The runs came in waves for the Red Devils.

After a run in the first, top-seeded Ridge put together a five-run second, fueled by a three-run homer by Jake Dolan, his third of the year. Then it was a five-run fifth, capped by a two-run homer by pinch-hitter Bode Ganny – his first – that ended the game, giving the Red Devils an 11-0 win heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater.

That puts Ridge back in the Somerset County finals for the fifth straight season, where they will meet Immaculata Wednesday night at six back at TD Bank Park. Immaculata was a 1-0 winner over 11-seed Franklin in the day’s first semifinal, behind a no-hitter from Ryan Auten.

The Spartans are in the finals for the first time since 2019, when they won the second of back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. They beat Ridge that year, and this will be their sixth all-time meeting in the finals.

Ridge got on the board in the first, when Ryan Luo led off with a double. He went to second on a wild pitch and came in on a sac fly by Quinn Dashefsky.

In the second, after a leadoff strikeout of Sawyer Paul, Nicholson doubled, but was caught stealing third. Dan Rafanello singled, and Matt Bober walked. Then Luo popped one up in the infield that was dropped, scoring a run, and Dolan hit a three-run shot to left field to make it 5-0. After Kieran Callanan was hit by a pitch, and a stolen base, a single by Dashefsky made it 6-0.

Ridge starter Aidan Stieglitz was cruising, and Rutgers Prep starter Peter Wheeler started to settle in, throwing scoreless frames in the third and fourth.

But the wheels came off in the fifth. Callanan walked to lead off the inning. Dashefsky singled and reached second when Callanan beat a throw home to make it 7-0. That was the end of Wheeler’s day, byt Ryan Takacs didn’t fare much better. He was greeted by two-run homer by Kucerka to make it 9-0, and after Sawyer Paul reached on an E6, Ganny’s two-run blast to left ended it.

Aidan Steiglitz went four innings, allowing juts two hits, striking out six; he got the win to improve to 7-2 for Ridge. The loss went to Prep’s Wheeler, who’s now 4-2.

Click below for postgame reaction with Aidan Steiglitz, Jake Dolan and Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: