|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
|
Old Bridge (4-3) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
|
South Plainfield (3-2) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
LP: Aiden McCarthy
South Plainfield Batting
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
1B |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
HBP |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.667 |
.667 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
.667 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
.333 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
.333 |
|
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
Totals: |
25 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.200 |
.240 |
South Plainfield Pitching
|
PIT |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
HB |
ERA |
|
|
Aiden McCarthy (LP) |
77 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Totals: |
77 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0.00 |
Old Bridge 1, South Plainfield 0: John Smith threw a five-hit shutout with five strikeouts and allowed just a walk as the Knights got a key GMC Red Division split with South Plainfield.
Smith, a senior righty, now has a 1.08 ERA in 13 innings this season with 15 strikeouts for the Knights (4-3).
Justin Hascup (single) scored in the top of the first for Old Bridge and Brody Nugent and Adrian Lutomski also had hits in the win.
Aiden McCarthy was nearly as good for South Plainfield (3-2) allowing an unearned run off of three hits with five strikeouts and he didn’t walk a batter. Dan Kapsch went 2-for-3 and Kevin Penny doubled.
NJ Baseball April roundup for GMC and area Skyland and Union teams
TAPinto South Plainfield
Old Bridge Tops South Plainfield, 1-0, on Game-Ending Play at the Plate
By Guy Kipp
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ -- In the second rematch of the week between last year's two Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament finalists, Old Bridge held on for a 1-0 baseball victory over South Plainfield when a play at the plate ended a sterling pitchers' duel.
Old Bridge pitcher John Smith spent the afternoon fielding his position like a Gold Glover, and the final play of the game came down to one more critical fielding play by the Knights' senior right-hander.
With the tying run at third base and the winning run at second for South Plainfield and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Smith's pitch to pinch-hitter Dylan Oller got away from the catcher. South Plainfield coach Scott Gleichenhaus, in the third-base coaching box, sent Kevin Penny home to attempt to score the tying run.
But the ball didn't trickle far enough away, Jannucci scrambled to recover it and Smith pounced off the mound and was there at the plate to take Penny out to end the game.
On a day when junior left-hander Aiden McCarthy threw an absolute gem for the Tigers, the other guy just happened to be just as good for Old Bridge.
McCarthy finished with a four-hitter. He needed just 77 pitches to get through seven innings. McCarthy struck out five, did not issue a walk, and the run Old Bridge scored against him in the second inning was unearned.
"Aidan was awesome. Out of the gate he was on point, making all of his pitches, getting outs," South Plainfield coach Scott Gleichenhaus said. "Everything he did today is all you can hope for in a pitcher. He brought his A game, and we just couldn't put it together, couldn't get guys on base the whole game."
Smith also pitched a four-hitter. He struck out five, walked one and threw just 90 pitches. Two days earlier, South Plainfield had beaten Old Bridge on the road, 4-3, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to beat Smith in relief. Smith walked three batters in one inning that day, but he certainly had pinpoint command in Thursday's rematch.
"Smith was unbelievable today, fielding his spot and making his pitches, keeping us off balance," Gleichenhaus said. "I tip my cap to him."
Old Bridge's run came after Justin Hascup led off the second inning with an infield hit on the grass in front of third base. With one out, Akhil Penkala reached base on an outfield error. With two out, Adrian Lutowski singled to right field to drive in the day's only run.
McCarthy retired the last six batters he faced after the top of the fifth inning ended when Brady Nugent was caught in a rundown between first and second and South Plainfield retired him on a play started by catcher Steve Studlack.
But South Plainfield wasn't doing any better at the plate against Smith than the Knights were against McCarthy. Smith set down 11 Tiger batters in a row between the third and the seventh innings. Then, with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Penny lined an opposite-field double along the left-field line and the Tigers were in business. It was the first runner South Plainfield had in scoring position since the first inning.
Ryan Balent looped a single to shallow right field, but Penny was held at third. The next batter hit a chopper back to the box that Smith fielded and, with Penny holding third, threw to first as Balent moved up to second. It was Smith's fifth assist of the game from the mound -- including a couple of high-difficulty chances -- and he also had two putouts, including the game-decider.
The next batter was the pinch-hitter, Oller, who never did get to complete his at-bat, as Penny dashed toward the plate after the passed ball, only to have a perfectly executed recovery peg him as Smith applied the tag.
"At the end there, we had an opportunity. An aggressive play just bit us," Gleichenhaus said. "I thought it was a gamble, and I know you've just got to take shots in this game sometimes. With Kevin's speed, that ball kicked away, I honestly thought we were gonna get it. In retrospect, we should have held him. That's my bad. That's on me. They had to make a perfect play. You just try to make things happen sometimes, to get that one run across that we needed desperately, and it just didn't work out for us. In retrospect, you wish we would have made a different decision. It's easy to say when it doesn't go your way."
This was McCarthy's first start on the mound this season after he had posted a 2.56 earned-run average as a sophomore in 13 2/3 innings. His best outing last year was 4 2/3 shutout innings of two-hit ball against Old Bridge on April 25, a game the Tigers won, 6-3.
Smith had only pitched 5 1/3 varsity innings for Old Bridge prior to this season.
"Both games were close games," Gleichenhaus said of South Plainfield's split with Old Bridge this week. "and we got one on Tuesday we tacked two on in the seventh, and the table was set today. I have all the confidence in the world in our guys. This is just a tough one to lose that way, but these guys battled and I'm proud of them for it."
South Plainfield's loss dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Old Bridge, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Coincidentally, South Plainfield and Old Bridge will both be playing St. Joseph the next time they take the field. The Tigers will head out to face the Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, while the Knights will host them at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.
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