The Old Bridge High School baseball team has certainly found its groove after struggling early in the season. The Knights came back to win the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV crown and were scheduled to meet Williamstown in the overall Group IV tournament June 3 after wet conditions forced a postponement June 2.
Old Bridge has worked overtime to get there. Coach Jimmy Freel’s team had to go to extra innings to prevail in both the finals and semifinals during the sectionals.
The ninth-seeded Knights downed second seeded Hunterdon Central Regional High School (23-7-1), 5-3, in eight innings May 29 to win the title. Tyler Hopman, who has been scorching the ball of late, delivered a one-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning to put his team ahead. Hopman raised his average to .371 on the year with two home runs and 19 RBIs.
Zach Attianese had a pair of hits and two RBIs, and Rob Laconti contributed two hits and an RBI. James Gabriel earned the win with 4 2/3 innings of strong relief.
“It was a tough game, and both teams had their chances,” Freel said. “We got an opportunity in the eighth when [Hunterdon Central] made an error, and we were able to take advantage of it.”
The Knights needed 13 innings to get past fourth-seeded Jackson Memorial High School (22-7) in the semifinal, which was tied 1-1 after seven innings. Hopman (5-3) pitched into the ninth before being relieved by shortstop Luis Cruz, who had pitched only two innings this season. Cruz went the rest of way, allowing just one run.
Old Bridge took the lead in the top of the 12th on a double by Jordan Fetterman that scored Hopman, who had singled. However, the host team tied things up in the bottom of the inning. The Knights got a break in the next inning, scoring a run on a balk to win the game.
Previously, the Knights scored a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over 16th-seeded West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South (12-14), which had knocked off top-seeded Colts Neck High School. Gabriel’s single brought home Hopman, who had three hits, with the winning run in bottom of the seventh inning. Jake Kodros picked up the win in relief of Gabriel on the mound. Attianese’s first-inning triple drove home a pair of runs to give his team the early lead. In the opening round, Old Bridge bested Sayreville War Memorial High School (17- 11), the eighth seed, 6-1, with Hopman getting the win and also delivering two hits and driving in two runs. Gabriel and Vinny Donofrio had two hits each.
Gabriel has also been hot at the plate and leads the team in hitting with a .402 average to go with two homers, 11 doubles and 24 RBIs. Brian Hulaysua is not far behind at .373 with 17 RBIs. Other Knights above the .300 mark include Donofrio, who is batting .351 with 15 RBIs and 13 walks; Fetterman, who is at .337 with 22 RBIs; and Attianese, .304 with 12 RBIs.
“We’re playing our best right now,” Freel said. “Some guys have really stepped up, but everyone has been contributing.”