BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville High School baseball team, seeded 13th, upset No. 4 seed Union City, 11-0, in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament on Tuesday, May 27, at Union City.
Junior Sean Walsh pitched 6 ⅔ solid innings, while junior Crismel Deleon and freshman Jake Gonzalez each had two hits.
“This was a huge win for our program, as it was our first state tournament win since 2015,” said BHS head coach Joe Sorce.
The Bucs, unfortunately, were eliminated in the second round, losing at fifth-seeded Ridgewood,10-0, on Thursday, May 29
“We held them in check until the bottom of the fifth, but then they exploded for nine runs,” said Sorce.
The Bucs finished the season at 12-13 and in third place in the Super Essex Conference–Colonial Division.
“The coaching staff is very proud of the effort the players put in this season,” said Sorce. “We had some great wins and some tough losses. Every day was a battle, but our guys kept persevering, which speaks highly of their character.”
On Monday night, June 2, the following BHS players were voted by the divisional coaches into the following All–SEC–Colonial Division awards:
First Team
- Senior infielder Ayden Carrero.
- Junior infielder Sean Walsh.
- Junior outfielder Crismel Deleon.
Honorable Mention
- Senior Rafael Matos.
About the Author
