IMAGES: Wayne Valley Upsets Crosstown Rivals in N1G3 Baseball Tournament Opener

Aidan Gustad pitched a gem to lead 13-seed Wayne Valley to a 1-0 upset of fourth-seeded Wayne Hills in the first round of the 2026 NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 Baseball Tournament.

Gustad scattered seven hits and struck out nine over a full game’s worth of work for Valley and escaped a second and third jam in the sixth inning to remain unscathed.

While the Indians could not find much of an offensive rhythm, timely hitting and walks allowed Wayne Valley to push a run across the plate in the fifth inning.  Aaron Fein, Michael Kamper, Roman Rowbotham, and Colin Van Es each recorded a hit for Valley, with Kamper also drawing two free passes.

Chris Cundari started on the mound for Hills and did everything he could to keep the Patriots in the game.  Cundari gave up only three hits and surrendered only the one fifth-inning run, but that run, along with eight walks, ended up being the difference as he took the loss for Wayne Hills.

Seven different Hills batters recorded a hit, but Cundari again led the way with the game’s lone extra base hit.

With the win, Wayne Valley advances to face fifth-seed Nutley in the 2026 NJSIAA Baseball North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 quarterfinals on Friday.  With the loss, Wayne Hills sees their season come to a close with a 17-8-1 record.