Tag: Ryan Basham

by Mike Pavlichko

After 1,448 days, East Brunswick regains possession of Commander’s Cup with 4-2 victory over Spotswood

The East Brunswick baseball team is coming off a pair of back-to-back wins in the GMC Tournament, and has Senior Night Friday, followed by a GMC semifinal date with North Brunswick Saturday. To say it’s a big week would be an understatement.

But the Bears responded in their big rivalry game with Spotswood on Thursday afternoon, beating the Chargers 4-2 at home, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, to take the Commander’s Cup trophy for the first time since they surrendered it to Spotswood on May 31, 2017.

Three down, two to go.

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The win gave East Brunswick a 9-7-1 advantage in the series, which is named after American Legion Post 25, whose team Spotswood coach Glenny Fredricks leads, and has players from Spotswood and East Brunswick, as well as Milltown.

READ MORE: The history of the Commander’s Cup:

Needing to get the most out of its pitching with five games in five days, the Bears got a five-hit, five-stirkeout, two-run performance from starter Ryan Basham, who pitched 5 and 2/3 innings to get the win, while Aaron Warner got the save, throwing an inning and a third in relief. Jeffrey Osborne went the distance for Spotswood – six innings – allowing six hits and four runs in taking the loss.

Ryan Basham of East Brunswick throws in the 4th inning against Spotswood on May 19, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Basham also helped his cause at the plate, with a two-run RBI single in a three-run fourth; it turned out to be the game-winning RBI.

The victory snapped a four-game win streak by Spotswood, which had won in 2017, 2018, 2019, and – with no game due to the 2020 season being cancelled – in 2021. And it gave EB two straight wins over the Chargers, who they beat Tuesday in the opening round of the GMC Tournament, 11-1.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the third on Dylan Lugo’s two-out single, scoring Romeo Diaz, who walked to lead off the inning.

Spotswood took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Breckln DeAngelis scored on a one-out double by Casey Cumiskey, who scored on a ground ball to second by his brother Carter Cumiskey that should have ended the inning, but the throw by Bears’ second baseman Christian Bermudez took first baseman Romeo Diaz off the bag.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from the Bears on their 4-2 win over Spotswood:

East Brunswick pitcher Ryan Basham
East Brunswick head coach Chris Kenney
East Brunswick’s Vincent LaRocca rides on the shoulders of Michael Lozzi as he holds the Commander’s Cup trophy high above his head after winning the 2022 edition of the game. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

All-Time Commander’s Cup Trophy Results
East Brunswick leads 9-7-1

5/19/22 – East Brunswick 4, Spotswood 2 (at EB)
5/19/21 – Spotswood 6, East Brunswick 5 (8 inn.) (at SHS)
5/8/19 – Spotswood 3, East Brunswick 0 (at EB)
5/17/18 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 3 (8 inn.) (at EB)
5/31/17 – Spotswood 6, East Brunswick 0 (at EB)
5/7/16 – East Brunswick 6, Spotswood 1 (at EB)
5/2/15 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 4 (at SHS)
5/3/14 – East Brunswick 13, Spotswood 7 (at EB)
5/4/13 – East Brunswick 4, Spotswood 2 (8 inn.) (at EB)
5/18/12 – East Brunswick 4, Spotswood 2 (at Michelin Field)
5/9/11 – East Brunswick 16, Spotswood 9 (at EB)
5/19/10 – East Brunswick 5, Spotswood 4 (at EB)
4/26/09 – East Brunswick 13, Spotswood 3 (at Trenton)
4/27/08 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 4 (9 inn.) (at Trenton)
4/21/07 – Spotswood 6, East Brunswick 0 (at Trenton)
4/30/06 – (TIE) Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 5 (8 inn.) (at Trenton)
5/9/05 – East Brunswick 5, Spotswood 4 (at EB)