Grudza’s go-to pitch changes outcome, sinks OJR
BUCKTOWN >> Matt Grudza had plenty of time to think about it.
Twenty-one hours and 57 minutes to be exact.
Yet, he didn’t need all that time.
After Neshaminy’s District 1-AAAA playoff opener with Owen J. Roberts was halted with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning due to rain, Monday, Grudza took the mound Tuesday and eventually took his team to a 6-5 win.
“I was going change-up all the way,” said Grudza, who took the mound with an 0-2 count against OJR clean-up hitter Alex Condello with men on first and second and two outs. “My change-up has always been my go-to two-strike pitch, especially against a lefty.”
Throwing it down and away, Grudza needed just one pitch to get Condello to roll one to second base and end the threat unscathed with his team trailing 4-3.
The final result ends No. 15 Owen J. Roberts’ season at 14-5 overall. The Wildcats ended the season on a four-game losing streak including a 2-1 loss to Boyertown in the opening round of the PAC-10 playoffs.
On the other side, the result sends No. 18 Neshaminy to a second round matchup with No. 2 seeded Downingtown West on Wednesday.
“After all that time — an hour and a half bus-ride, you’d think I would have thought more about it,” said Grudza of his one-pitch fourth inning. “But it was change-up all the way. No doubt.”
The right-hander lasted two innings, limiting Owen J. Roberts to three hits and a walk with no runs scored. Closer Evan Matthews came on and went the rest of the way, limiting OJR to a run scored on two hits and two walks.
Grudza’s one-pitch inning was the spark Neshaminy needed. The Redskins rallied to score three runs in the top of the fifth inning, jumping all over OJR’s Nate Tomlin, who could only get two outs.
After a pair of hit batters to start the frame, Mike Burns reached first safely on a throwing error, which scored Corey Joyce to even it at 4-4.
Two batters later, designated hitter Ed Parry knocked a hard liner back up the middle to give Neshaminy the lead back. Catcher Jake Jones then reached on a fielder’s choice, which scored Burns to make it 6-4.
“It was like a shift of momentum,” said Neshaminy head coach Chris Tenaglia. “At the end Monday, (Owen J.) showed resilience coming back from down 3-0. Our guys showed that resilience today. Our guys came together right from the start.”
Over the course of the two-day tilt, Brian Nicolas and Andrew Dampman each compiled two hits apiece for Neshaminy while Jones had two RBIs. Bill Ritchey opened up the second inning with a double off OJR starter Corey Hennessey to spark the Redskins’ offense in the early going on Monday.
“Our coach told us they’d have a soft-throwing lefty on the mound,” recalled Ritchey. “He was a good pitcher and we knew we’d need to get on him early. It doesn’t matter about hits or anything like that, it’s a matter of getting on base. That’s what we were focused on both days.”
CJ Weaver finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs to go along with a beautiful bunt that put the pressure on Neshaminy closer Evan Matthews in the final inning. Riley McGinley and Brian Siket each had two hits and a run scored. Condello ripped a double in the bottom of the sixth inning to end Grudza’s day.
Dawson Stuart threw 2-1/3 innings in relief, holding Neshaminy to just one hit and striking out three.
The OJR offense didn’t go down quietly.
The Wildcats had the bases loaded with one out when Weaver delivered a sacrifice fly to right to make it a one-run game. That was all they’d get as Matthews got the final batter to pop up right in front of the plate to end it.
“You’ve got to play really well and got to be able to get a few breaks,” said Owen J. Roberts head coach Greg Gilbert on Monday.
