Baseball – Rumson Rolls to First Ever Group 2 Final Appearance

Get our free mobile app

RUMSON -- Griffin Shenman entered Monday with one career home run and it came in a lopsided NJSIAA Tournament win over Carteret on June 1, 2022 -- a little more than a year ago to the day that the Bulldogs took on Seneca in the Group II semifinals at Hal Lorme Field on Rumson's campus.

On Monday, Shenman hit his another home run in a state-tournament blowout and it was his big swing in the bottom of the first inning that made the game a blowout.

Shenman capped a seven-run first inning with a grand slam and that early explosion was more than enough for Rumson's dominant pitching staff to close out a 9-0 win over Seneca that sends the Bulldogs to the Group II championship game for the first time in program history.

After senior right-hander Jackson Hinchcliffe posted a scoreless top-of-the-first inning, sophomore centerfielder Parker Shenman -- Griffin's younger brother -- singled to lead off the first. The base-hit made it five consecutive plate appearances with a hit for the younger Shenman, who was 4-for-4 in Friday's sectional-final win over Spotswood.

After moving to second on a wild pitch and third on a balk, Parker Shenman scored on an RBI single by junior Jack Riva to make it 1-0. Senior designated hitter Brayden Dill extended the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly and junior third baseman Aaron Del Tin worked a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0 and set the stage for Griffin Shenman.

Hitting in the No. 9 spot in the order, the senior second baseman blasted a shot to leftfield that cleared the fence and pumped the Rumson lead up to 7-0 before the last out of the first inning.

Parker Shenman stayed red-hot in the bottom of the third with his second hit of the game, this one knocking in Rumson's eighth run. The Bulldogs completed the scoring in the bottom of the fourth with another RBI by Dill, this one coming on a run-scoring single.

While Rumson's offense was busy building up a big cushion on the scoreboard, Hinchcliffe was pitching like it was 0-0. The University-of-Richmond-bound ace fired five four-hit, shutout innings with seven strikeouts and one walk before leaving with a 9-0 lead and turning the game over to the Bulldogs vaunted bullpen.

Rumson coach Owen Stewart only needed one of his three bullpen standouts to finish off the win, tabbing senior right-hander Cal Champeau to complete to final two innings. Champeau allowed a two-out triple to Jake Christopher in the top of the sixth, but stranded him on third and pitched a clean seventh to close it out.

After throwing only 74 low-stress pitches on Monday, Hinchcliffe figures to be plenty fresh for Saturday, when he will likely take the mound as Rumson's starter in the program's first ever NJSIAA state final. Rumson will take on Pascack Hills in the first of four public group championship games Saturday at Veterans Park in Hamilton, which the first pitch for game one scheduled for 10 a.m.

Box Score

Rumson-Fair Haven 9, Seneca 0

Pitching

Top Hitters