NUTLEY, NJ – Josh O’Neill was masterful on the mound for the Nutley High School varsity baseball team.
The sophomore fired a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and one walk to lead the fifth-seeded Raiders to a 1-0 win over 12th-seeded West Essex in the first round of the Greater Newark Tournament on Saturday, May 6, at the Park Oval.
Sophomore Marty Higgins drove in the lone run in the bottom of the first inning.
It was the second time O’Neil baffled West Essex this season. O’Neill stuck out 11 in six innings in the 8-1 win over West Essex in the Raiders’ second game of the season on April 5 in a Super Essex Conference non-division game at West Essex in North Caldwell.
The Raiders, who moved to a 7-10 record, will visit fourth-seeded Columbia in the GNT quarterfinals on May 11. The Raiders are looking to avenge the two Super Essex Conference-American Division losses to Columbia this season. Columbia beat Nutley, 7-2, in the Raiders’ fourth game of the season on April 8 at the Park Oval. Columbia won the second meeting, 11-4, April 28 in Maplewood.
The winner of NHS-Columbia will advance to the GNT semifinals doubleheader in Belleville on May 13, against either No. 1 seed Millburn, No. 16 seed Belleville or No. 9 seed Caldwell. Millburn will host Belleville in the GNT first round on May 9. Caldwell defeated No. 8 seed East Side, 8-0, in the GNT first round.
In their previous game, the Raiders defeated Livingston, 12-8, May 3, in a SEC-American Division game.
Trailing 5-4, the Raiders exploded for eight runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Freshman Kevin Hogan went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs.Junior Pete Lopez had a double and an RBI. Higgins and senior Sean Bernardo each scored three runs for NHS, which avenged an 8-2 home loss to Livingston on April 19.
GNT first round
9-Caldwell defeated 8-East Side, 8-0
5-Nutley defeated 12-West Essex, 1-0
4-Columbia defeated 13-West Orange, 3-2
2-Seton Hall Prep defeated 15-Cedar Grove, 9-1
7-Verona defeated 10-Newark Academy, 3-2
11-Bloomfield at 6-Montclair, May 8, 3:30 p.m.
16-Belleville at 1-Millburn, May 9, 4 p.m.
14-Montclair Kimberley Academy at 3-Livingston, May 9, 4 p.m.
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