By Jeff Appelblatt
Sayreville War Memorial High School painted it clear for the Barrons’ baseball team. It wasn’t going to win every single game this season. In fact, it wasn’t going to even split every series.
Woodbridge High School was 13-0 when it went to Sayreville April 27.
The Bombers (4-6 at the time) got on the scoreboard in the first inning, but it was almost clear sailing from there for Woodbridge pitcher Robert Nunez. He gave up a run in the third, but Woodbridge had no problem topping two runs. Most of the runs Woodbridge scored were because of the bats of the team’s other pitchers: Harry Rutkowski went 2-for-3 and scored twice, Justin Silva went 1-for-2 and knocked in a run and Carlos Marte went 1-for-2.
Michael Medvetz had the final Woodbridge RBI.
Nunez kept letting Sayreville walk, though. He only gave up two hits in six innings, but he let five Bombers on base with a plethora of pitches outside the strike zone. When Silva took the mound in the final inning with Woodbridge leading, 3-2, he struggled with his control, too. He gave up one hit but walked three before giving away the game when he hit Sayreville’s Kyle Richards with the final throw of the contest.
Silva and the rest of the Barrons looked to bounce back a day later in the back end of the home-and-home with the Bombers.
The second game between the teams was in Woodbridge, and the win in the first game was motivation for the Bombers. Woodbridge found itself down, 6-0, in the final inning and when it finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh, it was too little, too late.
It was the team’s ace pitcher in Rutkowski that knocked in the lone Woodbridge run. He had another two hits in the game.
Rutkowski didn’t throw any pitches against Sayreville, but he set the Woodbridge record with 22-career victories April 24. He had the chance to do it when he threw 6.2 innings and struck out 13 against the local rival from John F. Kennedy Memorial High School.
He and the Barrons (13-2) faced South Plainfield High School in a home-and-home May 1 and 2. They next play Plainfield High School (5-6) May 5 at 4 p.m.