Baseball: Bridgewater-Raritan's season ends in North 2 Group 4 final

BRIDGEWATER – Bridgewater-Raritan High School baseball team’s drive to win the program’s first section title since 2010 was ended Friday by a club that had waited longer.

Fifth-seed Bayonne won the NJSIAA North 2 Group 4 title by beating the second-seed Panthers 9-2 to capture its first section title since 2002 when it won in North 1.

The score was a bit misleading since the Panthers threatened in four of the seven innings. One or two extra hits might have at least tightened the issue.

But junior righty and U Mass-Lowell commit Nolan Geisler was steadfast in temperatures that hit 95. He pitched a complete game 10-hitter with two walks, navigating through several threats – the Panthers had at least two runners on in the first five innings. 

“I really had to fight through this one, it was hot,” said Geisler, who struck out six. “They can hit so well.”

But they couldn’t get the key one.

“We couldn’t get that big base hit,” B-R coach Max Newill said. “One hit with a couple of guys on base could have changed our team’s psyche but that’s baseball.” 

The Bees had very big hits. Seven of Bayonne’s 12 hits were for extra bases with three going over the fence.

Senior second baseman Braylin Terrero hit two home runs – a two-run shot in the fourth inning and a solo homer that led off the fifth. Senior third baseman Justin Hoffman led off the second with a homer to give the Bees a 1-0 lead.

Bridgewater-Raritan (23-7) loaded the bases in the first, fourth and in the fifth innings. The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but Geisler’s savvy and wise Bayonne defense allowed just one run.

“We hit the ball hard, we got base runners on all day long,” said Newill. “We made him work, but you tip your hat to him. He’s a good pitcher and he made the pitches when he had to get out of innings.”

What does it mean

Bayonne (25-6) will play North 1 champion Ridgewood in the state semifinal on Monday.

Bridgewater-Raritan, meanwhile, set the program single-season record for wins (23) and was the Skyland Conference co-champions with Ridge.

Big plays

The Panthers had runners on first and second in the third. Joe Letko popped up in front of the plate. Bayonne and Georgia Tech-bound catcher Aidan Parradine, with third baseman Hoffmann racing in, made a terrific catch despite colliding with Hoffmann. Paradine took several minutes before getting up.

Game ball

Senior catcher Aidan Paradine was never going to leave the game after colliding with third baseman Justin Hoffmann in the third inning with Panthers on first and second.

“We had an opportunity to do something that hadn’t been done in Bayonne in a very long time, I wasn’t coming out,” said Paradine.

He went 3-for-4 with two doubles and RBI.

B-R’s Matt Fattore went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the third.

They said it

Bayonne coach Dave Hoffmann said, “Nolan was facing one of the best public school offenses in the state. He gave up some base hits, but great pitchers know how to get out of those jams. I think he’s one of the better underclass arms in the state.”