Baseball: St. Joseph captures the GMCT championship in a rematch of last year's final

EAST BRUNSWICK – As the ball sailed over the left field fence, Tyler Delvecchio hustled to first like he was trying to beat out an infield single.

“I knew I got it good, but I was sprinting out of the box,” the St. Joseph first baseman said. “I wanted to get on. I was just making sure. I mean, everybody else I think knew it was out except me.”

The roar from the Falcons fans was a good tip off.

Delvecchio’s home run in the top of the fourth inning gave St. Joe’s a 1-0 lead over North Brunswick in Sunday’s Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament final.

It was more than a home run – it was a tension breaker. A sigh of relief. A momentum swing. A pick me up.

For in a tight pitching duel, one run is often the difference.

“I mean, that takes a big weight off my chest because I know I don’t have to be perfect,” St. Joseph pitcher Jimmy Mulvaney said.

Delvecchio added, “I think it broke open the game and gave us a little more confidence and gave Jimmy a little more confidence to keep throwing strikes and I think it just boosted the morale of the whole team and we capitalized on it.”

It proved to be the difference.

The third-seeded Falcons added an insurance run from a Will Ramsay RBI-single in the seventh and won 2-0 over top-seeded and defending champs North Brunswick in a rematch of last year’s final at host East Brunswick Magnet School.

What does it mean

This is St. Joseph’s eighth GMCT baseball title with the other wins coming in 2021, 2017, 2014, 2009, 2008, 2006 and 2004.

The Falcons (19-8) started the season 4-6, but went on a hot streak beginning April 25 and have gone 15-2 since.

While North Brunswick (18-6) fell short, this group of players made their mark in program history. The Raiders’ title in 2022 was the first in school history and they captured the ultra-competitive GMC Red Division pennant this season.

St. Joseph game ball

Mulvaney stepped up in the pitcher’s duel. North Brunswick ace Zack Konstantinovsky was also on, allowing the one earned run in seven innings with nine strikeouts and gave up five hits and a walk.

The side-arm throwing Mulvaney went the distance giving up five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. North Brunswick coach Mark Blevins noted, “He was locating on the outside part of the plate very well. Threw his slider with a tight break which kept us off-balanced.”

Mulvaney faced trouble in the fourth inning after Omar Carreras walked and Chris Rosario reached on an error with two outs. Mulvaney got the swinging strikeout to end the threat.

On April 17, Mulvaney gave up six runs – three earned – in a loss to North Brunswick. This time, the senior right said, “On the mound, I kind of switched some of my approach. I went in. I didn’t give them as much fastballs. I mean, I thought everything today was on.”

St. Joseph key plays

With one out in the fourth inning, Delvecchio took a fastball strike. He was ready for pitch two.

“He’s been going fastball, changeup all day and I knew I was going to get something slow after the fastball,” Delvecchio said. “He gave me a changeup up and I just capitalized on it.”

The Falcons came up with some nifty defensive plays. Third baseman Joseph Zammitti made two good back-to-back pickups and throws to first to begin the sixth inning.

North Brunswick’s Yomar Carreras had a leadoff single in the bottom of the first. Mulvaney then induced a double play from second baseman Bobby Christensen to shortstop Josiah Brown. Outfielders Robbie Carvelli and Matthew Kosuda also made good plays, among others. Mulvaney said, “These guys had my back all day.”

North Brunswick key plays

The Raiders threw out two runners at home plate. In the top of the fifth, Ramsay doubled to left center with two outs. Leadoff Mark Gialluisi followed with a single to left. North Brunswick’s left fielder Sammy Berardo fired a straight throw home to catcher Omar Carreras to get Ramsay.

In the seventh, Ramsay singled to right field for the RBI to make it 2-0 and Bobby Christensen attempted to score from first. The Raiders, though, got the relay throw for the out at home.

Right fielder Chris Rosario threw to first baseman Frankie Garbolino, who threw it to catcher Omar Carreras to end the inning.

They said it

St. Joseph coach Mike Murray Jr. said, “North Brunswick is the only team in the last three years to beat us in a series. They beat twice in a series. They beat us in the final last year, so certainly they’ve been our worthy adversary and Zack’s fantastic. If you told me in March, hey, you’re going to be in the GMC final, I would have probably picked that we would face Zack again. So, an opportunity to compete against a great team. … So very proud of our guys and happy they’re getting to celebrate with their family.”

Murray on the importance of scoring first as opposed to two previous meetings against the Raiders and Konstantinovsky, “North Brunswick put two on us in the first inning of both games, so he was always pitching with the lead. We felt like if we could just get a run to make the at-bats for them a little bit more challenging that would help us and go a long way. Ty certainly put a great swing on it and we felt like that was going to be the recipe. We had a lot of good hitters. We needed one of them to get a ball in the air like that and Ty made a great swing.”

Murray on the team’s improvement throughout the season, “When we got swept by North Brunswick (on April 17 and 18) we weren’t playing our best baseball. I overheard (catcher) Mark Gialluisi in our pregame huddle and he said we’re a different team than the team they beat a month ago and I think he was dead on.”

Mulvaney on the team’s two titles in three seasons, “Sophomore year was an incredible feeling and to get back here and do it again and to be on the mound this time, I can’t put it into words. Coach Rip (Jerry Riporti), he does everything for us. So to be able to give this back to him is awesome. That’s really what this is about.”

North Brunswick coach Mark Blevins said, “Tyler’s a tough hitter. One swing of the bat can change the entire complexion of the game and it happened for us against Monroe with Omar in the semifinal. So the home run is definitely prevalent in high school baseball now. You got to tip your cap to him on that one swing.”

Blevins on the game, “It’s a pitcher’s battle. Both guys had their best stuff, for sure. Their lineup just put the ball in play a little bit more consistently on the line and kudos to them. They came out with a great game plan, attack the outside part of the plate. We didn’t make enough adjustments as the game went on in order to win it today.”

What’s next

Next up for each team is the NJSIAA playoffs. St. Joseph is seeded No. 2 in the South Non-Public A bracket and has a bye in Tuesday’s first round. North Brunswick is No. 2 in Central Group 4 and will host 15th-seeded Long Branch in Monday’s opening round.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Baseball: St. Joseph captures the GMCT championship