Wood-Ridge baseball rallies to win first sectional championship in 55 years
Mike Farrell, NorthJersey.com
WOOD-RIDGE – Mike Carcich will need to update the trophy case and his Christmas list this year.
Wood-Ridge finally answered his prayers on Saturday with the biggest win in decades.
Sal Catanzaro drove in the go-ahead run with a base hit and the top seed Blue Devils exorcised their demons by beating Cedar Grove, 6-3, in the North 2, Group 1 championship.
Closer Mike Marchitelli tossed his mitt in the air after giving the Blue Devils their first sectional title in 55 years.
The scene after his strikeout was the polar opposite from last year when the Blue Devils lost to Waldwick in the final. That game ended with the potential winning run at the plate.
“It definitely lit a fire,” Carcich said. “You come off the field and you see them celebrating on your field after probably one of the craziest games of my life. It definitely motivated them.”
Heart of a champion
Carcich has had a pipeline of talent in his 13 seasons with the program, but said this group will be defined by their depth, camaraderie and desire to win for each other.
Maybe no one exemplified that creed more than Marchitelli, who’s popped in and out of the lineup based on the health of his teammates.
One of the turning points of the game came in the sixth inning when the right-hander was called in from the pen. Marchitelli struck out star catcher Nicolas Russo with the bases loaded to keep the score tied at three.
“All game, Coach was telling me he’s going to mash the ball if you throw it up,” Marchitelli said. “You have to throw it low and outside. I hit him with two low and outside and that last one, I don’t know what happened. I left it up.”
The host Blue Devils opened the scoring in the first inning with RBI singles by Braden Negro and Devin Arce.
But No. 2 Cedar Grove answered with a run in the third and tied the score at three with a pair of two-out runs in the fifth.
Catanzaro gave Wood-Ridge a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a single up the middle with the bases loaded. Eric Barton followed with an RBI single of his own and a second run scored on the play on an error in center.
“I was looking for a fastball down the middle,” Catanzaro said. “My goal is to just put the ball on the ground anywhere and get it through. When it went through the middle, it felt so good.”
What it means
Wood-Ridge (21-8) will hit the road on Monday to face North 1 champion Pequannock in the state semifinals. A victory would send the Blue Devils down to Hamilton for a shot at their first state title.
Beating Cedar Grove carried a little extra weight for some Blue Devils after getting upset by the school’s football team in the sectional semis last fall. That includes the junior linebacker who threw the final pitch.
“I was excited,” Marchitelli said. “Having at least one championship feels great and taking them out feels even better.”
Carcich admits that losing a state football final in high school still stings him to this day. And after a few close calls on the diamond, the Blue Devils’ coach tried to manifest some better luck.
“Every year, I would put state championship on a Christmas list. Yes, I’m a 40-year-old and I put state championship on my Christmas list.”
“After losing that championship last year, I took it off and then we won this year.”
Naturally, the wish list will have another update this winter.
“Repeat”, Carcich said.
