Top-seed Ridge walked off fourth-seed Rutgers Prep in a ten-run rule win, 11-1, fueled by three home runs – by Jake Dolan, Casey Kucerka and Bode Ganny – in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, clinching its fifth straight berth in the title game.
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 19, 2025:
Junior Ryan Auten struck out 13 hitters en route to a no-hitter, helping second-seed Immaculata get past 11th-seed Franklin, 1-0, to get to its first Somerset County Tournament final since 2019, when it won the second of back-to-back championships, and its record 14th SCT title overall.
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 19, 2025:
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:
For the first time since before COVID – and back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019 – Immaculata is going back to the Somerset County Tournament semifinals.
And a big reason why is Ryan Auten, a much-ballyhooed transfer in from Delaware Valley, who threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out 13 in a 1-0 victory for the second-seeded Spartans over upset-minded 11-seed Franklin, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
The Warriors (10-8) actually got eight baserunners against ‘Lata, but a few were errors, a couple fielders choices, and a couple of walks. But they could get nothing across.
Immaculata (13-7) got its only run in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Luca Catanzarite singled, then Jayden Capindica hit a ball of starting pitcher Dylan Shah’s glove, that was picked cleanly in front of second base by the shortstop, Mike Schiermayer. Capindica beat the throw, but it was in the dirt and got up the line, allowing Catanzarite to score.
But that was all they’d get, thanks to good Franklin defense. After a pop up out, Owen Schilling reached on a fielder’s choice to third, where Stanley Madera made a great throw to the plate, and backup catcher Jacob Gordon applied the tag to Capindica for the second out.
Auten struck out 13 in the no-hitter, and improved to 5-1. Dylan Shah took the loss to fall to 1-4.
Immaculata will face top-seed Ridge – the team they shared the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with – in Wednesday night’s 6 pm final at TD Bank Park, which you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Red Devils beat fourth-seed Rutgers Prep 11-0 in five innings in Monday’s second semifinal.
Click below for postgame reaction with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust and pitcher Ryan Auten, presented by Sportsple at Metuchen.
Are Rutgers Prep and Ridge rivals?
The Red Devils may get the best of the Argonauts more often than not, but Rutgers Prep head coach Larry Santowasso likes to think so. If that’s what helps his team get up for this one, so be it.
Of course, Ridge has had immense success the last several years, and any team should jump at the chance to play them for a trip to the county final.
That’s exactly what will happen Monday afternoon, when the two teams will square off in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, with first pitch set for 4 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater. You can hear the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio, following the first semifinal at 1:00 between second-seed Immaculata and 11-seed Franklin.
Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen. You’ll also be able to watch the game with our play-by-play on our YouTube channel:
Here’s a closer look at the first semifinal game of the day:
(1) Ridge (15-4) vs. (4) Rutgers Prep (11-8)
4 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio (LISTEN LIVE) (Watch on YouTube)
PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Ridge : Aiden Stieglitz (6-2, 1.42 ERA)
Rutgers Prep: Peter Wheeler (4-1, 2.28 ERA)
PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Ridge: The Red Devils cruised past eight-seed Bernards 7-1 in the quarterfinals, thanks to two big innings. Sawyer Paul had a big day, going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in. Aiden Stieglitz started this one, too, and scattered three hits over six innings, striking out 12.
Rutgers Prep: Against a game fifth-seed Somerville, Rutgers Prep had its hands full, but came out with a 6-4 victory down along Easton Avenue. Starter Li Perez struck out ten, but also walked nine in the win. At the plate, he was 2-for-3, with a couple of singles and two RBIs.
TOP HITTERS:
Ridge: Jake Dolan has absolutely been tearing the cover off the ball for the Red Devils. The junior is hitting .476 – best of any hitter in the quarterfinals – with a team best 12 extra base hits, including eight doubles, two triples, and a pair of home runs. He also leads the club in runs scored with 23. But he’s not the only one who can hit. Sawyer Paul is at .371, and Quinn Dashefsky has knocked in a team-best 19 runs on the season.
Rutgers Prep: Batting .319 as a team, they have two layers hitting better than .400, yet there’s incredible balance through the lineup. Cody Rullo is hitting .455 and leads the team with 25 hits, while Maddox Chu is hitting .423, and leads the Argonauts in RBIs with 20. They haven’t hit much for power, but they’ve drawn 87 walks on the season, and stolen 112 bases, more than double the Red Devils’ total of 45. Matt Bilmes leads the club with 22 swipes.
LAST FINALS BERTH:
Ridge has made the last four finals, dating back to 2019. (There was no SCT due to COVID in 2021 and 2022.) They’re 1-3 in that run, falling to Immaculata – a potential finals matchup this year – in a 12-inning game, 6-5, in 2019. They were the top-seed in 2022, and beat 6-seed Rutgers Prep 6-0, but the Argonauts got the better of them the next year, 1-0. Last season, they made it to the finals as the three-seed, but lost to top-seed and eventual Group 4 state champion Bridgewater-Raritan in a slugfest, 10-7. Ridge is 7-10 all-time in the finals, second only to Immaculata in county championships.
Rutgers Prep last made it in 2023, as a 12-seed, and won the whole thing – all five games – taking out second-seed Ridge in the title game, 1-0. That followed a 6-0 loss to the top-seeded Red Devils the year prior. Prep is 2-1 all-time in the finals, winning in their only other appearance, in 2017.
PAST COVERAGE:
Somerset County Tournament Coverage
Ridge and Rutgers Prep
It’s a story of two teams with vastly different histories in the Somerset County Tournament.
One of them has won 14 times in 22 trips to the finals. Those are the Immaculata Spartans.
The other has been just once – in 1980. Those are the Franklin Warriors.
But just ask the 2023 edition of the Rutgers Prep baseball team how much that really matters? Four games below .500 at the time of the seeding meeting – which, to be fair, was just two weeks into the season – the Argonauts upset everyone in their path, and knocked off Ridge to win it all as the 12 seed.
So why can’t 11th seed Franklin get there?
To do it, they’ll have to stop second-seed Immaculata, which shared the Skyland Conference Delaware Division with top-seed Ridge.
Monday afternoon, Franklin and Immaculata will go at it at 1 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, followed by the other semifinal at 4:00 between Ridge and fourth-seed Rutgers Prep.
Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen. You’ll also be able to watch the game with our play-by-play on our YouTube channel.
Here’s a closer look at the first semifinal game of the day:
(2) Immaculata (12-7) vs. (11) Franklin (10-7)
1 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio (LISTEN LIVE) (Watch on YouTube)
PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Immaculata: Ryan Auten (4-1, 4.00 ERA)
Franklin: Dylan Shah (1-3, 3.00 ERA)
PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Immaculata: The Spartans had a bye to the second round as one of the top four seeds, and had to rally from three runs down in the seventh to beat seven-seed Hillsborough, 10-9 back on Thursday at Diamond Nation. And they did it all without the benefit of a hit, with a combination of walks, batters hit by a pitch, and a passed ball.
Franklin: After winning its opening round game, 16-1, over 14-seed Bound Brook in five innings, the Warriors pulled off two upsets to get here. First, they beat six-seed and defending champion Bridgewater-Raritan, 4-3 on Monday. Then, it was a dramatic, 12-10 victory over third-seed Watchung Hills that took eight innings, and three hours and 40 minutes, according to Franklin head coach Derrick Castillo.
TOP HITTERS:
Immaculata: As a team, the Spartans are hitting .287, with five regulars over .300, led by Owen Schilling at .365 with 23 runs batted in. But a number of other players also lead in key statistical categories. Justin Labrador (.344) leads the team with four doubles. Schilling and Connor Quinn each have three home runs, And senior Colin Kassai, batting .271, leads the team in walks with 12. Immaculata also is known for the timely hit – or even walk – so they can take advantage in a big situation,
Franklin: The Warriors are hitting just a bit better – .295 – than the Spartans, and they have even more guys hitting better than .300, showing a balanced lineup from top to bottom. Mike Schiermayer is the top-hitting regular at .385, with a team best 20. Izaiah Robinson – Castillo calls him “perhaps the most impressive player we have” – leads the team with two home runs and 23 stolen bases. Stanley Madera and Rodrick Ray each are tops with 15 runs batted in.
LAST FINALS BERTH:
Immaculata hasn’t been to the finals since before COVID – in 2019, when they won the second of back-to-back titles, but they’ve won the most SCT titles in the event’s history, with 14 in 22 appearances. They won ten of 12 in a stretch from 1997 to 2008, the most dominant run of any program in Somerset County.
Franklin has only made it once, in 1980, falling to Ridge, 7-1.
PAST COVERAGE:
Somerset County Tournament Coverage
Immaculata
Franklin
The semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament are set, as three of the top four seeds won their quarterfinal games on Wednesday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, with 11-seed Franklin knocking off third-seed Watchung Hills in extra innings..
Due to the rain, all games were moved out to Hunterdon County, and somehow, they managed to get them in between the raindrops.
It sets up Monday’s semifinals at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, where second-seed Immaculata and 11th-seed Watchung Hills will meet in the 1 pm opener, while top-seed Ridge will battle fourth-seed Rutgers Prep in the 4 pm game. Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live coverage with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen, presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater.
The finals will be at 6 pm next Wednesday at TD Bank Park, and can be heard live on CJSR as well.
Read on for a recap of Wednesday’s quarterfinal action.
(1) Ridge 7, (8) Bernards 1: Seemingly every time Aiden Stieglitz takes the mound, it’s a stellar performance, and Wednesday was no different. The Red Devils’ senior scattered three hits and allowed one run in six innings of work, striking out 12, to improve to 6-2 on the year. The Red Devils scored in the bottom of the first on a bases loaded walk by Sawyer Paul. Bernards tied it in the top of the second when Casey Hoeckele came home from third on a daring double steal with two outs. But from there, the rest of the night belonged to Ridge. As Stieglitz mowed down the Mountaineers, Ridge (15-4) got two more in the bottom of the third, another in the fourth, and three more insurance runs for good measure in the sixth. Paul ended up with a 2-for-3 day with three runs batted in, a walk and a stolen base. Bernards falls to 9-10 with the loss.
(2) Immaculata 10, (7) Hillsborough 9: In one of the wildest finishes of the day, the Spartans (12-6) trailed 9-6 heading into the seventh inning, and rallied for four runs to walk it off in a gut-punch to the Raiders (8-10), all without the benefit of a hit, and without making a single out. Owen Schilling got hit by a pitch from Samuel Malone to lead it off, then Jayson Labrador walked, and his brother Justin got plunked as well. That brought in Shane Borer for ‘Boro, who walked Collin Kassai to make it 9-7. With Aidan English at the plate, a passed ball allowed Dan Brea to score to cut it to 9-8. English ended up getting on via a walk to reload the bases, then Connor Quinn got hit by a pitch to tie the score. Jackson Lewis then came to the plate with a chance to win it, and that he did, working a five-pitch walk to bring in Kassai.
(4) Rutgers Prep 6, (5) Somerville 4: The Argonauts (10-7) scored five times in the third, to take a 5-1 lead over the Pioneers, then held them off for the win, avenging an 8-7 regular season home defeat just last Saturday. Somerville (10-8) got on the board first with a run in the top of the second when Ethan Flynn scored on a wild pitch. But Prep stormed back in the third with a run that came in on a walk, a two-run single by Li Perez, and RBI single by Alex Perez, and a groundout by Micah Kruger-Serrano. Somerville looked to rally in the fifth. They got a two-run single to left from Owen Melchione, then an Andrew Kessler single to center, all with two out, but Ethan Flynn flew out to center to end it, stranding two, leaving it 5-4 Argos, before Prep got one more insurance run for good measure in the bottom of the sixth. Starter Li Perez got the win for Rutgers Prep, striking out ten in four innings of work.
(11) Franklin 12, (3) Watchung Hills 10 (8): In a battle of Warriors, Franklin (9-7) erased an early 1-0 deficit and took a 7-0 lead that eventually evaporated, only for them to rally with three in the top of the eighth, then hold off Watchung Hills (11-8) in the bottom of the inning for the win. Hills got one back in the bottom of the fourth to cut it to 7-2, then Franklin added two in the fifth to go up 9-2. From there, Watchung Hills got two in the fifth, two more in the sixth, and tied it at 9-9 with three in the seventh on three RBI singles by Stefano DiGeronimo, Jake Kierstead and Max Eder. In the top of the eighth, though, Franklin took the lead back, and did it all with two outs. Stanley Madera singled to center to make it 10-9, then Jacob Gordon did the same to left to drive in two and make it a three-run lead. Still, Watchung Hills wasn’t done. A bases loaded walk with two outs brought up Max Payne. On a 2-2 count, Landon Pudlak scored on a passed ball, with the other runners advancing to second and third. Pudlak worked the count to 3-2 against reliever Izaiah Robinson, but Robinson got him looking to end the game. Franklin is a win away from just its second finals berth ever, and first since 1980.
MONDAY’S SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater
1 pm: (2) Immaculata (12-6) vs. (11) Franklin (9-7)
4 pm: (1) Ridge (15-4) vs. (4) Rutgers Prep (11-7)
Both games can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here.
As wild a day as the GMC had in its Championship Tournament Monday – with several upsets, five one-run games, and four that went to extra innings – things went a little more by the book in Somerset County.
Higher seeds Bernards, Somerville and Hillsborough all advanced, while 11-seed Franklin knocked off six-seed and defending champion Bridgewater-Raritan. That sets up the quarterfinals Wednesday at higher seeds – weather permitting – as the four top seeds all begin play with home games.
Here’s a recap of Monday afternoon’s Somerset County Tournament second round action.
(8) Bernards 12, (9) Gill St. Bernard’s 2 (6 inn.): The Mountaineers walked this one off in the sixth with a three-run inning that gave them a mercy-rule win. Casey Hoeckele got the win for Bernards (9-9), which got seven runs in the first inning, then added another each in the second and fifth, but also tore it up at the plate with a 3-for-4 day, knocking in five runs with two doubles and a triple. Gill falls to 9-9 with the loss. The Mountaineers will visit top-seed and Skyland Delaware Division co-champion Ridge (14-4) on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
(5) Somerville 6, (13) Pingry 4: The Pioneers scored five times in the bottom of the first to take a 5-0 lead the Big Blue would chip into, but never recover from. Andrew Kessler drove in three runs for Somerville (10-7), which got a complete game three-hitter from Michael Meyers, who allowed four unearned runs, and struck out two, walking just one. Pingry falls to 5-15 with the loss. The ‘Ville will visit fourth-seed and Skyland Valley Division champ Rutgers Prep (10-7) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
(11) Franklin 4, (6) Bridgewater-Raritan 3: A tight game throughout, all seven runs scored in this one came in different innings. Franklin (8-7) scored in the top of the first, Bridgewater (11-14) tied it in the bottom, and Franklin went ahead 2-1 in the top of the second. The Panthers tied it 2-2 in the third, then both teams scored in the fifth. The decisive blow came in the sixth, a solo home run by Elijah Zavatsky, to put the Warriors up 4-3. Then, Defraily Sosa – who came on in relief of Dylan Shah, who pitched the first four innings – pitched a 1-2-3 sixth, and closed out the seventh after back-to-back walks with a ground out and two strikeouts to pick up the win. The defending SCT champs have had some tough luck this year, losing four one-run games and two by two runs. The Warriors will play in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at third-seed Watchung Hills (11-7).
(7) Hillsborough 6, (10) Manville, 0: The Raiders (8-9) got a stellar outing from starting pitcher James Drinkwater, who threw seven innings of three-hit ball, fanning 13 and walking just two. Andrew Advani was red hot at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and three RBIs, while also picking up a walk and a stolen base, one of five for Hillsborough on the day. They picked up a run each in the first and second, then added four more insurance runs in the sixth. Manville drops to 9-9 with the loss, while the Raiders will play in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round at second-seed and Skyland Delaware co-champion Immaculata, out at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS – WEDNESDAY:
(8) Bernards (9-9) at (1) Ridge (14-4)
(5) Somerville (10-7) at (4) Rutgers Prep (10-7)
(11) Franklin (8-7) at (3) Watchung Hills (11-7)
(7) Hillsborough (8-9) at (2) Immaculata (11-6)
After Pingry and Franklin won their opening round Somerset County Tournament baseball games last week, they’ll join six other teams in the event’s second round Monday, with winners going on to play one of the top four seeds in Wednesday’s quarterfinals for a trip to the semis at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater.
Here’s a quick glance at all four of Monday afternoon’s matchups. All games start at 4 pm.
(9) Gill St. Bernard’s (9-8) at (8) Bernards (8-9): The Mountaineers swept both meetings with the Knights this year, winning a 9-7 game at home on April 8th, the returning the favor on the road, 3–0, two days later. Bernards has won six straight against Gill, sweeping the season series each of the last three years, but five of the six have been decided by three or fewer runs, one by four. So, Gill has been in them all. In the first this year, Bernards scored twice in the first to break a seven-all tie, getting the final three outs to lock down the win. The seventh was a stellar performance by Casey Hockele, who went 6 1/3 innings and allowed just two hits, striking out six. While overall pitching has been similar, Gill St. Bernard’s has a better hitting team on the whole (.309 team average, compared to .213 for Bernard’s) but when it’s mattered against each other Bernards has come out on top. Call this one a good toss-up. This will be their first meeting in the SCT since 2018, when the Knights won a second round matchup, 4-3. Gill’s last win over the Mountaineers came in 2022, when they swept the regular season series. The winner visits top-seed Ridge in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
(13) Pingry (5-14) at (5) Somerville (9-7): These two played a crossover just nine days ago, which the Pioneers won, 14-2, and they split last year, so these two have generally been competitive. In that game, CJ Banos and Andrew Kessler had monster days. Kessler hit two home runs and drove in five, as did Banos, who also had a home run, while the entire team drew a total of eleven walks. The ‘Ville has won five of its last seven, while the Big Blue are are 5-3 in their last eight after starting the season with eleven straight losses. Pingry has been better at the plate, but the Pioneers may have the pitching advantage in this one. The winner goes to Wednesday’s quarterfinals, where they’ll visit four-seed Rutgers Prep.
(11) Franklin (7-7) at (6) Bridgewater-Raritan (5-13): The defending Somerset County Tournament champions begin defense of their title on a three-game losing streak, falling to Watchung Hills, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and St. Joseph-Metuchen. But they’ve also lost some hard-luck games. They lost their opener in 13 innings on a bloop base hit, and a week later surrendered a four-nothing lead, then lost in eight at Hillsborough, 5-4. In all, they’ve lost six games by two runs or less, and four of those by a single run. Still, they’re a team most teams wouldn’t want to face. Franklin, meanwhile, has had a win-one, lose-one, win-two, lose-two type of season. They’ve never won more than two straight, but also never lost more than two-in-a-row. Bridgewater’s pitching has been there, but the bats have struggled at times to get the clutch hit. Then again, tournament situations sometimes bring the best out in teams. This winner will visit third-seed Watchung Hills in the quarters on Wednesday.
(10) Manville (9-8) at (7) Hillsborough (7-9): The Raiders’ record here could be a little misleading, considering they play in one of the toughest divisions in the state, with two of the best – Ridge and Immaculata – also in this tournament. This will be the first meeting since at least prior to 2008, the first year online records are publicly available. Both teams come in on a bit of a skid, with Hillsborough having lost seven of nine after a 5-1 start, and Manville dropping three straight, their last win coming ten days ago, 6-5 over Sussex Tech. Numbers-wise, the teams are very comparable. The Mustangs are competitive, but lack the sheer numbers of a larger school, like Montgomery, which they hung in with last Wednesday, in a 5-2 loss at TD Bank Park. The winner goes on to play at second-seed Immaculata in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.
The opening round of the 2025 Somerset County Tournament is a split, with one game Wednesday and one Thursday, since 12th-seed Montgomery already had a regular-season game scheduled the day the tournament was supposed to start.
But the Cougars will hope to bottle whatever their secret sauce was against Manville Wednesday in a 5-2 win at TD Bank Park heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio when they take on 13-seed Pingry at 4:30 Thursday afternoon out at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
(11) Franklin 11, (14) Bound Brook 1
The Warriors got out to an early lead in this one, scoring twice in the bottom of the first on a double-steal and a groundout. After Bound Brook got one in the top of the second on a double by Jon Coiro to cut the deficit in half, the Warriors plated seven in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-1 lead.
Dylan Shah drove in two, two errors by the Crusaders led to the next two runs, and a Manny Vasquez bases-clearing double drove in three.
Franklin added six more in the fourth on a sac fly by Elijah Zavatsky, two walks, two hard ground balls in the infield, and a sac fly by Stanley Madera.
Starter Shayne Rooney got the win, allowing five hits and one run in four innings of work, with a very efficient 70-pitch outing as Franklin improves to 6-7. The Warriors will play at 6-seed Bridgewater-Raritan Monday in the first round, the round of 16.
Montgomery (4-11) vs. Pingry (3-13)
Thursday, 4:30 pm at Diamond Nation, Flemington
Montgomery had about as solid a win as they had all season Wednesday in a 5-3 regular-season victory over Manville. They played great defense, executed two sac bunts including a suicide squeeze, got solid pitching and timely hitting, even caught a runner stealing who had reached on an tough error in the second. What else could you ask for?
Now, they’ll need to bottle that up against the Big Blue.
Montgomery had been hitting just a shade over .200 coming into Wednesday’s game, but they scored six runs on five hits to get the win, an efficient effort. Senior John Donahue has been their big bopper, hitting .436, but even more impressive was that the bottom third of the order went 3-for-6 against the Mustangs with two walks, three runs scored, two sac bunts, and two RBIs.
Pingry’s top hitters include sophomore Riley Wong (.469, 9 RBI) and senior Joaquin Stevenson (.432) while senior Matt Carrieri is hitting .346 with three home runs, and freshman Sam deLaurier (.342) has knocked in a team best 12 runs.
UPCOMING SCT SCHEDULE:
First Round – Monday, May 12
(9) Gill St Bernard’s at (8) Bernards, winner at (1) Ridge
(12) Montgomery/(13) Pingry at (5) Somerville, winner at (4) Rutgers Prep
(11) Franklin at (6) Bridgewater-Raritan, winner at (3) Watchung Hills
(10) Manville at (7) Hillsborough, winner at (2) Immaculata
The quarterfinals will be played Wednesday, May 14, at higher seeds.
Central Jersey Sports Radio’s live coverage – presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater – will begin on Monday, May 19 with the semifinals at 1 and 4 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater.