UC Walks It Off in Thriller Over Rutgers Prep at Autism Awareness Challenge
The Union Catholic baseball team delivered a dramatic finish on Sunday afternoon, walking it off with an 8-7 victory over Rutgers Prep in extra innings during the Autism Awareness Challenge in Scotch Plains.
With the game tied at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth, Chris Wilson stepped up and laced a single to score Josiah Sharpe, sealing the comeback win for the Vikings. Sharpe had just tied the game moments earlier with an RBI single that brought home Chris Tortorella, who led off the inning with a clutch triple.
The win pushes Union Catholic to 5-1 on the season.
The back-and-forth battle began with Rutgers Prep taking an early 1-0 lead on a steal of home by Matt Bilmes in the top of the first. Union Catholic quickly responded with Michael Pellegrino's RBI single in the bottom half. Pellegrino continued his strong day at the plate in the third inning, driving in another run, followed by a sacrifice fly from Brayden Morrison to give the Vikings a 3-1 lead.
After Rutgers Prep rallied to tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning,. the Vikings reclaimed the lead 6-5 heading to the sixth inning. Rutgers Prep answered again when Maddox Chu tied the game with an RBI single in the seventh, and Micah Krugar-Serrano doubled in a go-ahead run in the eighth to give Rutgers Prep a 7-6 lead — setting the stage for UC's late-game heroics.
Luiggi Sacca picked up the win in relief, tossing the final inning while allowing one run on one hit and striking out one. Starter Ryan Conlon went six solid innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, UC collected nine hits. Pellegrino and Tortorella each had two, while Wilson and Brian McCabe drew two walks apiece. The Vikings were aggressive on the bases, stealing eight bags — with Sacca and Sharpe swiping two each.
Union Catholic now turns its attention to Tuesday's road matchup at Governor Livingston a 4 p.m..
