Baseball – Muly’s Gem, Galvan’s RBI Single Deliver Manasquan First Sectional Title Since 1986

WEST DEPTFORD — The sirens will be blaring from the emergency vehicles lining the streets in Manasquan. Such is customary when a Warriors team wins a state championship, and on Friday, for the first time in 31 years, Manasquan’s baseball heads home with an NJSIAA state sectional title.

A two-out, RBI single by freshman Alex Galvan in the top of the seventh inning was the only run senior pitcher Connor Muly would need in a masterful performance that saw the Warriors take down defending NJSIAA Group II champions West Deptford, 1-0, to claim the South Jersey Group II title for the program’s first sectional crown since 1986.

Muly, who will pitch collegiately at Old Dominion, surrendered just three hits while striking out six and walking none in a complete-game shutout that required just 83 pitches. Second baseman Ethan Thompson caught the final out as Muly induced a pop up to end the game.

Scoreless through six innings, Manasquan’s rally to score the winning run started when senior catcher Adam Schreck bounced a two-out single up the middle on a 2-2 count in the top of the seventh inning. Senior Damaso Jaime came in as a courtesy runner and stole second on a 1-0 count. That gave Galvan, a ninth-grader who had one of the Warriors’ three hits up to that point, a chance to be the hero. Galvan worked the count to 3-1 and didn’t miss when he got a fastball to hit, lacing a single to left field that plated the speedy Jaime.

In the bottom of the seventh Muly got a pop up to second for the first out, a fly ball to center field for the second out and another pop up to end the game.

Jack Murphy was excellent on the mound, as well, for West Deptford. He allowed four hits and struck out six on 86 pitches. Manasquan senior Tommy Antonucci reached third in the first inning after being hit by a pitch, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and going to third on a groundout, but right fielder Chris Leporati made a nice catch on a hard, sinking liner by James Harmstead to end the inning.

Galvan had a one-out single in the second inning and senior Tommy Sheehan singled to lead off the fourth inning for Manasquan’s only baserunners until the seventh inning.

West Deptford put its first two hitters on base as Darren McKeown and Drew Wilden singled in the bottom of the first. Kyle Garrison hit a line drive to third that was caught by Harmstead, and he was able to double-up Wilden at first. Muly then got Ryan Baglivo to ground out to third to end the inning.

West Deptford put a runner in scoring position in the top of the fifth inning when Murphy led off with a double that dropped fair just inside the right field line. A courtesy runner entered for him and was quickly picked off on a heads up play by Schreck. He fired down to second base to start a 2-6-5-6-1-4 put out that proved to be a major defensive play in the game. Muly then struck out the next two batters to keep the game scoreless. He retired the final eight batters of the game.

Manasquan will play Governor Livingston in the Group II semifinals on Tuesday. The Highlanders won 6-5 over South Plainfield on a walk-off three-run double by Dan Baroff.

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Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.