2024 - Game # 15 South Plainfield 4, St. Joseph's - Metuchen 2

 

No. 2 South Plainfield clinches share of GMC Red, and likely top GMCT seed, with 4-2 road win at St. Joseph-Metuchen

South Plainfield shakes hands with St. Joseph-Metuchen after beating the Falcons 4-2 on April 30, 2024, a win that should give them the top seed in the GMC Tournament. (Screenshot: St. Joe’s Student Media)

Baseball Notebook

April 30, 2024 by Mike Pavlichko

“I wouldn’t want anything more for these guys. I think they earned it.”

Who cares if the top-seed hasn’t won the GMC baseball tournament since 2019? South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus is thrilled for his Tigers.

Second-ranked South Plainfield picked up a 4-2 road win Tuesday over St. Joseph-Metuchen, a victory that clinches at least a share of the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division, and should give them the top-seed in the upcoming tourney, which will be seeded Friday and begins with the play-in round the next day.

Mike Castagna outdeuled the Falcons’ Joseph Barca in a battle of juniors who both went the distance Tuesday, with Castagna giving up just six hits and two earned runs, while striking out four. Dan Kapsch was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and two runs batted in.

The victory keeps South Plainfield (12-3, 9-2 in the GMC Red) a game ahead of Old Bridge (11-5, 8-3) after the Knights blanked Monroe 1-0 at home Tuesday afternoon. Even if South Plainfield dropped its division finale to Joe’s Thursday and Old Bridge finished off a sweep of Monroe, both would be 9-3 in the division, tied for first.’

But the Tigers’ sweep of the Knights last week would give South Plainfield the title outright.

No. 2 South Plainfield clinches share of GMC Red, and likely top GMCT seed, with 4-2 road win at St. Joseph-Metuchen – Central Jersey Sports Radio (cjsportsradio.com)

Click below to hear South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the Tigers’ win over St. Joseph, and clinching the Red Division title:

https://cjsportsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/4-30-24-SCOTT-GLEICHENHAUS-after-STJ-win-for-web.mp3

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
South Plainfield (12-3)	0	0	1	0	1	2	0	4	7	2
St. Joseph (Met.) (3-14)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	6	2

South Plainfield Batting

	AB	R	H	RBI	1B	2B	3B	HR	BB	HBP	SB	AVG	SLG
Dom Massaro	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
Aldo Pigna	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
Dan Kapsch	3	1	2	2	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	.667	.667
Zack Robinson	4	0	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	.500
Jayden Alvarez	4	0	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	.500
Nick Irizarry	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.333	.333
Brandon Bickunas	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
Aiden McCarthy	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
Ryan Balent	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
Steve Studlack	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000

South Plainfield Pitching

	PIT	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HB	ERA
Mike Castagna (WP)	92	7	6	2	2	1	4	0	2.00
Totals:	92	7	6	2	2	1	4	0	2.00

Castagna earns complete-game win as South Plainfield baseball takes sixth straight

Updated: Apr. 30, 2024, 9:26 p.m.|
Published: Apr. 30, 2024, 9:05 p.m.

By John Lewis | For NJ Advance Media

Mike Castagna allowed six hits in a complete game, struck out six and walked three as South Plainfield defeated St. Joseph (Met.), 4-2, in Metuchen, for its sixth straight win.

Dan Kapsch had a pair of hits and drove in two runs to lead the Tigers offense. Zach Robinson and Jayden Alvarez added two hits each for South Plainfield (12-3).

Joseph Zammitti had two runs and drove in two hits for St. Joseph.

The Hawks fell to 3-14 with their fifth straight loss.

https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2024/05/castagna-earns-complete-game-win-as-south-plainfield-baseball-takes-sixth-straight.html

Grand Poobah XII

Today we Helmet a dude whose bravery cannot be questioned for he is the only one who dare feed Gibson baseballs & watches w/ joy as he carves up hitters in the cage. Today he went 7 strong & did the carving. Today we helmet Mike Castagna as the 12th Poobah.