Pitcher's Duel in SCT Quarterfinals, Ridge Loses 3-2

The Red Devils fell one-run short of Montgomery in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals today, losing in a pitcher's duel 3-2.

Ridge was the first team to put up a number on the scoreboard. Left fielder Jake Hotz legged out an infield single with one out in the first. Rob McCarthy got a hit, and Charless Dennis walked to load the bases, when a pickoff attempt from Montgomery's starting pitcher, Ryan Carmon, went awry. The ball got away from Cougars first baseman Taylor Mulligan allowing Hotz to score from third. Carmon was able to pitch his way out the inning without any further damage, getting a strikeout and Ridge first baseman Andrew Graziano to fly out at the warning track.

Rob McCarthy took the mound for Ridge as the start and had his own struggles at the outset. McCarthy walked the first runner he faced, hit the next batter, and then gave up a three-run homer to Cougars shortstop Mike Friel. Three batters into the bottom of the first, the Red Devils faced a 3-1 hole. McCarthy never gave up another run.

Hotz started another rally in the bottom of the third, getting on base and stealing second. McCarthy hit a bomb to deep center, but was robbed of a homerun by Cougars center fielder Kyle Wenicki, who snagged the fly ball as it was going over the fence. Hotz tagged up and went to third on the shot, and was later knocked in by Ridge center fielder Ben Edsall.

Ridge had a number of unlucky breaks in the game, along with Graziano and McCarthy's near home runs. Brad Halperin, pinch hitting to lead off a comeback attempt in the seventh, hit a hard ground ball that bounced off Montgomery's third baseman to the shortstop. Halperin was called out in a controversial call from the umpire.

Ridge fell to 8-10 on the season with the loss, meaning they must win four of their remaining four games to get an automatic bid to the state playoffs. The team's next game is at home vs. Gill St. Bernards on Monday, May 3 at 3:45.

"I thought we played well. We played hard all day; they just made some great plays defensively," Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell said. "We're hoping to go on a nice little run and prepare for states."