We’ve been saying all along that this was the Bergen baseball tournament where anything could happen. Today’s St. Joseph-Don Bosco matchup (2 p.m. at Demarest High School) certainly fits that criteria.
These aren’t the star-studded teams of seasons past that more or less had an automatic pass to the final. Both teams earned this date, scratching and clawing for runs and generating some top-shelf pitching along the way. The pitching matchup will be St. Joseph senior Mike Warren against Don Boscvo junior Cullen Dana.
A quick history lesson to warm you up for today. These teams split the regular season series in Big North United Division play. Don Bosco won 8-4 on opening day in Montvale, and Joe’s returned the favor with a 2-1 win in Ramsey three weeks later. This is the third time these rivals have met in a County title game. St. Joseph beat Bosco in 1988 and Bosco won in 2008.
So who’s going to be the difference maker today? Neither team overwhelms at the plate, so you can expect a couple of strong pitching performances. Warren has sort of flown under the radar this season as sophomore Austin Bodrato and freshman Devin Ortiz have become the St. Joseph mound headliners, and he may be taking the mound with a “hey, don;t forget about me attitude.â€
I still like St. Joseph catcher Isaias Quiroz in a big game. He hit a home run Sunday to put Joe’s ahead to stay against Indian Hills, asnd his defense behind the plate could keep Bosco from being aggressive on the bases.
Expect a 2-1, 3-2 type of pitchers duel with someone from the bottom of the order on either team driving in the winning run. That’s the way things have gone for both teams, and there’s no reason to forsee a change now.