It wasn’t a typical Wednesday for Delbarton baseball.
With a state championship on the line, Delbarton arrived at Rutgers University prepared for the biggest game of their season. But unexpectedly, St. Augustine’s bus caught a flat tire on the way to the ballpark. In a great display of sportsmanship, fitting for a championship stage, Delbarton sent its own bus to pick up the Hermits.
The game was delayed by nearly 30 minutes, but once the first pitch was taken, the matchup lived up to the anticipation.
Delbarton entered fresh off an 11-1 victory over DePaul Catholic, while St. Augustine came in after a 6-0 win against Christian Brothers Academy. Both teams arrived undefeated in conference play, with Delbarton posting an 11-0 record in the NJAC and St. Augustine finishing 12-0 in the Cape Atlantic American Conference.
The Green Wave struck first in the second inning when Curt Friedrich delivered an RBI hit that brought home James Gaven from third, giving Delbarton an early 1-0 lead.
St. Augustine answered in the third, with Brady Jackson stealing second and third before eventually scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
As each inning passed, neither side could break through and the pressure kept intensifying as the game began to move into extra innings.
A major reason Delbarton stayed afloat was reliever Kyle McBride. McBride lifted his team throughout the remaining innings, dominating St. Augustine in the final frames, striking out seven batters and allowing just one hit.
His biggest moment came when St. Augustine loaded the bases in extra innings. McBride and the Delbarton defense escaped the jam without surrendering a run, keeping their championship hopes alive.
The breakthrough needed finally came in the top of the tenth, when with the bases loaded, Delbarton took the lead off a walk before Finn O’Loughlin added a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. Ted Masino also followed with a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 4-1 and providing valuable insurance for the Green Wave.
When the final out was recorded, Delbarton secured its fifth state championship in program history and its first since 2019.
St. Augustine’s starting pitcher senior Alex Weingartner also had a tremendous start in this intense matchup, allowing just one run and three hits while striking out eight in his seven-inning appearance.
The title capped a remarkable year for head coach Bruce Shatel, whose Delbarton hockey team also captured a state championship in overtime earlier this spring.
It was also a fitting ending for senior Sal Garcia. After suffering an injury just weeks ago, the second baseman and shortstop fought through the setback and did not miss a single game during Delbarton’s championship run.
After helping St. Augustine make it to the ballpark, a delayed start and 10 innings, the reward was a state title and a place in Delbarton history.
