GMC Autism Awareness Challenge

Game #7 vs Westfield at North Brunswick Community Park

Written by Harry Frezza
Tigers rebound with victory over Blue Devils
NORTH BRUNSWICK — South Plainfield couldn’t complete a late-game comeback Friday afternoon against Perth Amboy. Westfield pitching allowed the Tigers to restore the momentum Saturday morning, yet for awhile head coach Anthony Guida wasn’t sure if his club would take advantage.
The Tigers (3-4) walked seven times in the bottom of the first against sophomore righty Brad DeMartino with five of the base runners coming around to score to wipe out a 2-0 deficit. Westfield rallied to tie at 5-5 in the fifth, but senior center fielder Mark Tomei’s two-run single to the bottom of the inning sparked South Plainfield’s 8-5 victory.
The game was one of eight in the annual Union/GMC Autism Awareness Challenge at Community Park in North Brunswick.
South Plainfield, limited to just one hit and trailing Perth Amboy 4-0 Friday, scored three runs in the top of the seventh to close to 4-3. But the Tigers stranded two on the corners as junior righty Fernando Rosa struck out the final two batters to cap a complete-game four hitter.
The Tigers were outhit 14-4 by Westfield, but walked 14 times and were hit twice. And the Blue Devils made three errors.
Catcher Stephen Petriello walked three times and reached base a fourth after being hit with a pitch. Tomei was also walked three times.
“We didn’t put the ball out of the infield today, the same thing we didn’t do yesterday, we got every run in the last inning and we didn’t put the ball in the outfield at all, they gave us gifts and we didn’t get the big hit, we didn’t get the big hit here until the fifth inning,” said Guida.
“They didn’t hit a ball, they didn’t hit a ball and the same kid made two outs,” said Westfield coach Bob Brewster, whose team won the North 2 IV title last year and made it to the state final. “DeMartino is going to be very, very good. He has very good stuff.”
Westfield (4-3) took a 2-0 lead in the first. It crawled back from the early ugliness to tie the score at 5-5 in the fifth on senior center fielder James O’Rourke’s two-run double, his third double of the game.
South Plainfield regained the lead in the bottom of the inning against senior Tom Malley. Pat Boyle led off with a walk and his courtesy runner Nick Graves went to third when Ryan Marcoux bunted for a hit. Malley overthrew first, attempting to nail Marcoux, allowing Marcoux and Graves to move up. Tomei then delivered for a 7-5 lead. The eighth run came when Quinn Cochrane’s groundball was booted, allowing Tomei to score.
“The whole game I was sitting on a fastball, it was an outside pitch and I went with it,’ said Tomei.
Senior righty Ryan Hughes earned the win with 21/3 innings of relief of Tommy Bowden.