Brett Carroll
Staff Writer
Practice makes perfect.
So said the coaches and players for the Old Bridge High School baseball team.
Old Bridge coach Matt Donaghue was pleased in how his club was prepared when the Knights knocked off rival Sayreville War Memorial High School, 11-1, in the quarterfinals of the Central Jersey, Group 4 state sectional tournament at Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy on May 24.
“We had an approach at the plate,” Donaghue said. “We know they like to throw middle, away. So, we tried to hit middle, away. We got a couple of hits, but they came right at him. But, we kept swinging. And, eventually we were able to get some to drive and we started putting some things together.”
“In practice, we were focused on putting the ball in opposite field for the first couple of innings,” junior pitcher Sonny Fauci said. “We got some foul balls at first, but we then were able to start capitalizing.”
The victory improved Old Bridge’s record to 12-16 on the season.
Donaghue hoped that his team would continue their momentum and stay consistent as they moved onto the next round of the state tournament.
“In any game of baseball, it’s about being consistent,” Donaghue said. “We make plays. We have pitchers who throw strikes. If we make plays behind them, and scratch off a couple of runs here or there, we’ll be fine.”
“We just have to stay focused and come with energy every game,” Fauci added. “That’s where we lack on a little bit, but when we come out with energy, we’re unstoppable.”
The Knights were scheduled to play Hunterdon Central Regional High School in the state sectional semifinals on May 29. The state sectional final is slated for later this week.
“We’re just going to play hard,” Donaghue said. “No matter who our opponent is, we’re going to play our hardest and let the baseball cards fall into place.”
“We just need to focus and come ready to play,” Fauci added.
Donaghue was also optimistic before the game with Sayreville because his team’s offense has been heating up lately.
“Well, [junior] Matty Flores has been a great lead-off guy for us,” Donaghue said. “He sees the ball great down there. He battles and takes a lot of pitches while he’s up there. Sonny’s been heating up at the plate as well. Ryan Perez has had a couple of doubles in the last few games. We have a lot of guys that are starting to heat up at the right time.”
Sayrevile closed its season with a 14-11 record.
