Ocean City advances to South Jersey semifinals
OCEAN CITY – A pitcher’s duel Saturday afternoon kept the first four innings scoreless in the South Jersey Group III sectional semifinal between Ocean City and Absegami.
Red Raider Duke McCarron and Brave Krish Sheth, backed by outstanding infield play, didn’t let anyone get far along the base paths.
It wasn’t until the fifth inning – and only in the fifth inning – that both teams were able to get on the board.
It was beautiful, sunny and breezy as No. 8 seed Absegami tried to work the upset at the Sixth and Bay Avenue field against the Red Raiders (18-8), the top seed in the sectional tournament. Absegami did not play like a team coming in with an 11-11 record.
Vraj Sheth started out the fifth inning with a line-drive double into center field. After a teammate hit a pop-up for an out, Absegami’s Adrian Wiggins slammed another shot into the outfield, scoring Sheth. McCarron struck out the next batter for the second out, but beaned Aidan Zeck in the back, putting two potential runs on first and second and getting the Braves’ dugout excited.
McCarron, however, struck out the next batter.
Ocean City was up in the bottom of the fifth.
Red Raider Riley Gunnels got things going with a double, blasting the ball into deep right field.
Teammate Noah Herrington laid down a nice bunt. Although he got thrown out at first base, he advanced Gunnels to third.
Shawn Repetti hit up the third-base line but the ball was stopped and the Braves were able to throw home to nail Gunnels in a close play at the plate.
With two outs, Sheth brushed the back of batter Jack Hoag, sending him to first and moving Repetti to second.
Sheth then walked Dylan Oliver on four straight balls. It was enough for the Braves coach to pull him from the game after he did such an outstanding job the first four innings.
Absegami brought in Michael DeBlasio as McCarron came up to the plate.
McCarron came through with a big hit up the third-base line, scoring Repetti and Hoag and giving Ocean City the 2-1 lead that would stand for the rest of the game.
With two more runners on, DeBlasio was able to get a strikeout to limit any more damage.
“First of all, when you have horses, you ride them and we rode our horse today,” Ocean City coach Andrew Bristol said. “Duke got the big hit and he pitched a gem, like I knew he would.”
“He’s the right guy, the one I wanted up there. I said to him as they made the pitching change, ‘Duke, you’re the one I want in here in this situation. I wouldn’t ask for anybody else.’ Well, maybe Tommy, but he got the job done,” Bristol said.
“Krish has a good arm. We practice together in the winter a lot … and I knew he was going to have his stuff so I had to have mine,” McCarron said. “I tried to match him inning for inning and eventually it was going to break. They got theirs first and we scored two back.”
He confirmed what the coach told him.
“I went up there and my coach told me he wouldn’t want anyone else in this spot. I just wanted to stay calm and try to find the barrel and that’s what happened,” he said of his two-RBI hit.
Infielder Dante Edwardi acknowledged both teams did outstanding work on defense in the game but the Red Raiders “got it done.” Looking ahead, he said, “We have to keep our energy high and be confident in every game we go into.”
Bristol was impressed by the way Absegami played, but that is the nature of South Jersey baseball.
“Hat’s off to them. Junior (Mejia) has a great program. He’s a great coach. He’s got those kids playing with intensity and confidence and we knew that going in.” Bristol said. “We had to throw our best game and play our best defense to beat them. We were lucky to do that.
“It’s playoff baseball. This is what’s it’s known for down here. It’s exciting. Teams come to play.”
The coach said the Red Raiders have the background to compete in the intense games.
“We’re battle-tested as far as playoffs go. We know what it takes,” he said. “You have to emphasize your defense because it’s going to be these types of games all the way through. And then you have to get those timely hits. We were lucky to get that one today.”
Bristol said the Red Raiders will need the three key ingredients – good pitching and defense and timely hits – to get back to the South Jersey finals.
Ocean City is the defending South Jersey and state Group III champion. The Red Raiders beat rival Mainland in the South Jersey final and outlasted Pascack Valley 3-2 in a 14-inning game that stretched nearly four hours.
The sectional semifinals were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, after the Sentinel went to press.
Ocean City was hosting No. 4 Cherry Hill West (17-8), who beat No. 5 Highland 10-2 in the quarterfinals. On the other side of the bracket, No. 10 Hammonton (11-16), which upset No. 2 seed Mainland Saturday 3-0, was trying to upset No. 3 seed Delsea (21-5) Tuesday afternoon.
The finals are scheduled for Friday, June 10. If Ocean City wins Tuesday, it will host.
the South Jersey finals.
The state semifinals are June 13 with the state finals June 18 at Veterans Park in Hamilton.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
