Old Bridge tops North Brunswick in GMC Red Division play

OLD BRIDGE – Runners extend from third base like bungee cords, back and forth from the pocket, going down the line and back. Drummers are patient, waiting for just the right sound.

Old Bridge’s baseball lineup keeps coming and putting pressure on opponents.

See how the Knights scored in Friday’s 6-3 win over North Brunswick. Run through the balk. A runner came home from third on the first throw. Another runner grabbed from third on a slight dribbler to the pitcher. There was a shot off the fence, a well-placed hit.

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That pressure.

“It’s part of our game,” Old Bridge coach Matt Donaghue said. “There are times when you have to play the advantage. There were some things I saw throughout the game … and the kids executed.”

Senior JT Meyer added, “We can execute in every way possible. We just do what needs to be done.”

Old Bridge got another top row start from its deep stable. Meyer scattered eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts in seven complete innings of 84 pitches.

Add it all up and the Knights (5-2) will qualify for another spring after winning the Central Group 4 title and reaching the state championship game.

That doesn’t mean, however, that things will be easy — especially in the Middlesex Conference’s Red Division.

North Brunswick (2-2) took the first game of the series with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday. The defending GMCT champions will be competitive despite the new starters. The Raiders also split with Monroe, another split with a postseason contender.

Donaghue said the Knights did nothing wrong in the loss. Simply put, they hit people in the lane and North Brunswick hitters found gaps. He noted, “it’s just part of the game. You will have games like that.”

Friday, Old Bridge got back into the winning streak and hosted an “away” game as North Brunswick’s field was unavailable after rain earlier in the day.

The Knights’ John Smith led off with a walk and cleanup hitter MJ Altman hit a double off the fence for a 1-0 lead with two outs to set the tone.

The seniors were unable to crack the varsity lineup on the team that carried last year. He just kept going, playing down his injuries and has looked good in the first two weeks.

“I knew I would get my opportunity at some point,” he said. “Making the most of it now.”

As are many of his teammates. On Friday, Justin Hascup (RBI) and Brody Nugent (2 runs) each went 2-for-3 with a double. Frank Papeo, a backup from last year, was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Additionally, John and Evan Smith each scored.

Hascup, a veteran pitcher, advanced from third base on Christian Cavanaugh’s grounder and was safe to give the Knights a 3-1 lead in the second inning.

North Brunswick’s Yomar Carreras went 2-for-3 and drove in a run and Daniel Breheney had an RBI-single and drove in a third baseman. The Raiders also scored on errors.

One thing that has helped Old Bridge was a preseason trip to Florida that included eight games. Aside from that relationship, Donaghue said it’s a good time to evaluate players and help determine roles such as honor runners, defensive backs and forwards.

Take senior Colten Benevento. He entered as the pinch runner in the fourth inning and left third on a throw to first to score and give Old Bridge a 5-1 lead. Papeo’s RBI-single made it 4-1 early.

“I have confidence in all of our guys one through nine,” Donaghue said. “And we have guys coming off the bench that I have confidence in. We have confidence that anyone in our lineup can do damage at any time. There are some guys who execute the sub game well, so we have a good mix and matchup.

“They are having fun. It’s a really close group, especially the guys that we had last year and they lost in the state championship. If they are hungry. They are hungry. They want it. Baseball is a crazy game. You have to get lucky sometimes, too, but for the most part they are locked in. They enjoy each other. They all like to be around each other, you can tell. So it’s fun.”

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