BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield High School baseball team has advanced to the Greater Newark Tournament championship game for the first time in 25 years.
The seventh-seeded Bengals defeated Barringer, 10-1, in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, May 11, at Bloomfield Middle School field. Tyler Bell, a junior, went 2-for-3 with a single, a double, and three RBIs, senior Nico Ong went 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI, sophomore Christopher Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a single and a double, and junior Michael Rosamilia went 1-for-1 with a single, a walk and two RBIs.
Brandon Piacenza, a junior right-hander, pitched a complete-game, four-hitter with six strikeouts and three walks for the win.
In the semifinals held at Verona High School’s Doc Goeltz Field, the Bengals defeated sixth-seeded Nutley, 9-0, on Saturday, May 14. Bell fired a three-hit shutout with five strikeouts and three walks..Daniel Murawinski, a junior, went 4-for-4 with three singles, a double, and two RBIs, sophomore Evan Freid went 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk, and an RBI, Sanchez went 2-for-3 with a single and a double, senior Jackson Laub was 1-for-3 with a single and two RBIs, Piacenza had a homer and two RBIs, and Bell had a single and an RBI.
The Bengals will face fourth-seeded Seton Hall Prep in the GNT final on Saturday, May 21, at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls. Seton Hall defeated top-seeded Millburn,3-1, in the other semifinals. Bloomfield is seeking its first GNT title since1996 when it beat Livingston. The following year, the Bengals reached the GNT final, losing to Seton Hall Prep.
BHS head coach Mike Policastro is excited about his team playing in the GNT final.
“I am very proud of our team for turning things around and getting hot at the right time,” he said in an email to the Independent Press. “We have played extremely well offensively and defensively in all three GNT games, scoring 29 runs. Our pitching wasn’t our best in the Glen Ridge game (10-6 win, first round, on May 9), but we battled and Logan Kot stepped in relief and pitched really well. Brandon Piacenza pitched well against Barringer and Tyler Bell came back strong against Nutley. The Nutley game was our most complete game of the season, solid pitching, perfect defense and everyone contributed on the offense. I couldn’t be happier for our team, coaches, parents and fans.”
The GNT began in 1933. Since 1973, the tournament has featured only Essex County schools. The Bengals have won four GNT titles in 1935, 1945, 1952 and 1996. They were GNT runner-up in 1937, 1944, 1972, 1973 and 1997.
The Bengals lost to SHP, 12-0, on April 18 in a Super Essex Conference–American Division game in West Orange. Bloomfield was scheduled to host SHP in a divisional game on Wednesday, May 18, after press time.
Photos Courtesy of Jerry Simon
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