Bases Loaded Drama: Ridgewood Holds Off Kingsway Comeback to Claim Group 4 State Championship
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
PISCATAWAY, NJ — In a game that quickly transformed from a projected blowout into an absolute nail-biter, the Ridgewood Maroons baseball team captured yet another NJSIAA Group IV state championship, defeating the Kingsway Dragons 7-6 at Rutgers University’s Bainton Field.
The victory adds another historic milestone for legendary head coach and future Hall of Famer Kurt Hommen and his coaching staff, fueled by early offensive fireworks and ice-cold senior leadership under pressure.
The Explosive 5-Run First Inning
Ridgewood wasted no time making their presence felt, jolting Kingsway with a massive five-run first inning. The Maroons showed excellent plate discipline early, as three of the first four batters reached base via two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
That set the stage for first baseman Hudson Feeney, who delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon. Feeney drilled a 1-1 fastball down the third-base line for a clearing three-run double.
“I got a low fastball, which is a pitch I really like, and hit it pretty hard past third,” Feeney said postgame. “That was my only hit of the game, but that opened things up in the first inning.”
The opening onslaught didn’t stop there. An RBI double by Loffredo and a clutch RBI single from Brody Perrapato capped off the explosive five-run frame.
From Mercy-Rule Territory to a Dogfight
By the top of the second inning, Ridgewood extended their lead to a commanding 7-0 courtesy of a wild pitch and an RBI single by Kotaro Kim. With momentum entirely on the Maroons’ side, spectators at Bainton Field were already whispering about a potential 10-run mercy rule.
But Kingsway refused to go down quietly.
The Dragons settled in and immediately began chipping away at the deficit, capitalizing on two wild pitches in the bottom of the second to get on the board. In the third inning, the Dragons completely flipped the script, roaring back with four runs highlighted by:
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A clutch two-run single by AJ Ward
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A sacrifice fly from Ashton Ford
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Another run scored on a wild pitch by Austin Schmidt
By the end of the third inning, a chaotic 7-6 scoreboard left fans breathless, setting the stage for a defensive masterclass in the later frames.
Brady Ross Shuts the Door
With the game hanging in the balance, senior Brady Ross took over on the mound and put on a clinic. Ross pitched four brilliant, scoreless innings of relief to completely halt Kingsway’s surging momentum.
Alongside fellow senior Ryan Nitch, the veteran leadership of this Maroons squad proved to be the ultimate deciding factor. The drama peaked in the final frame, but Ross stayed composed, securing the final out with the bases loaded to seal the 7-6 victory and ignite a wild championship celebration on the field.
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