Tag: Tom Blackwell

by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge rallies in nightcap semifinal to beat Bridgewater-Raritan 3-1, claiming 2nd straight berth in SCT Finals

So what if they’re three years apart?

The Ridge Red Devils are back to a second straight Somerset County Tournament final, after the top-seed held off fourth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 3-1 in the nightcap of a semifinal doubleheader at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Ridge made the last SCT played – in 2019 – before the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortened season cancelled the event the next two years – and will get a chance to play for the title again in two weeks.

Ridge will be playing for its seventh SCT title, having last won it back in 2011. They’re 6-8 all-time in the finals.

Staked out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the second by Julian Kielb, starter Connor Byrne – who’d thrown more pitches than any player on the Ridge staff this year, and by a large margin – looked in mid-season form, striking out six in the first three innings, including the first four batters he faced to start the game.

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He wobbled a bit in the fourth, walking three and loading the bases, but he saved himself with a pickoff attempt before getting into a bit of trouble that he got out of.

In the sixth, though, Bridgewater-Raritan evened the score. Matthew Fattore doubled with two hours, Frankie Verano got hit by a pitch, and JR Rosado’s single scored pinch-runner Miles Misyan from second.

But in the bottom of the inning, the Red Devils pulled ahead – without the aid of a single hit.

Leadoff man Brian Leitz got plunked by Panther starter Jason Cozzi, who induced a pop up from Brendan Callanan, before he walked Mike Olivo, and was pulled from the game by coach Max Newill.

Joe Spirra came in from left field to pitch, and Matt Aber hit a ball to short, which could have been a DP, but he threw the ball over the head of the second baseman Cozzi, who moved there after coming off the mound, and Leitz scored. After Kielb grounded to third and George Busnach was hit by a pitch, Luke Somelofske hit a grounder to third that Michael Fattore fielded, but his throw pulled his brother Matthew off the bag at first, allowing the second run to score.

Shortstop Brendan Callanan started the seventh to close it out, and pitched an uneventful seventh to seal the deal.

Click below for postgame reaction down on the field from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Ridge starter Connor Bynre, who got the win
Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell

by Mike Pavlichko

The hits keep coming for top seed Ridge, heading into SCT semis

Just like the other three teams who’ll be playing in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals Monday night, none have played an SCT game at TD Bank Park. And that’s about to change.

And while Tom Blackwell’s squad usually has some kind of comfort level, with experience going deep in the county tournament and usually playing a regular season game there, none of his players have ever done that before.

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So it’ll be something new in one respect, but in a way, not so much. They got plenty of tournament experience last year, despite there not being an SCT due to the condensed season.

READ MORE: Zoned Sports Academy – training baseball and softball for 20 years!

Last year’s team won the North 2 Group 4 championship, beating Franklin in the final before falling to North 1 champ Montclair in the Group 4 semis, a win away from an appearance in the state title game.

Nonetheless, top-seeded Ridge (14-2) has played extremely well all year, with their only two losses to Hunterdon Central. They play four-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (9-8) at in the second game of the semifinal doubleheader Monday night at 7:00. The Red Devils topped the Panthers 10-2 on April 18, in a game that had to be continued due to rain and lightning.

Click below for a preview of the Ridge-Bridgewater game with Red Devils’ head coach Tom Blackwell:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big test for two teams with one loss between them: No. 1 Ridge, No. 10 Pingry

Solid pitching, good hitting. Two teams very similar in nature who are a combined 20-1 will square off in Basking Ridge Friday afternoon, as No. 1 Ridge entertains No. 10 Pingry in a Skyland Conference crossover game.

Click the logo above to learn more about baseball training and more at Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater!

Pingry is 9-0 and has given up just four earned runs all year. Half of them came in Thursday’s 6-5 win over Delaware Valley, an error-prone game uncharacteristic of the Big Blue.

In fact, after allowing a single run to Bound Brook in a 14-1 Opening Day road win, Pingry pitching went the next 40 innings without giving up a run.

The next time a runner crossed the plate on them after Opening Day was this past Wednesday, in a 25-1 road win at Belvidere.

Ridge on the other hand is 11-1, and has won ten straight since a 7-6 loss to a very good Hunterdon Central team back on April fourth. They’ve done it with solid pitching as well, and great balance at the plate, with four starters hitting over .350.

They’ve won games by the ten-run rule, but also have won tight ones, like a 2-1 victory against West Morris, a 3-1 decision over North Hunterdon, and – in their most recent game, Thursday – a 5-2 victory over Hillsborough.

You can her Friday afternoon’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with live coverage beginning at 3:45, and first pitch set for 4 pm. Mike Pavlichko will call all the play-by-play. Click here to listen live, and for free.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with both head coaches about their seasons, and Friday’s matchup:

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell
Pingry head coach Anthony Feltre