By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
On X @GDsullysays
MAYS LANDING — The Ocean City High baseball team is just three years removed from winning a Group 3 state championship, but the Red Raiders came into this year’s Cape-Atlantic League Tournament as a decided underdog, the No. 5 seed that was on the bubble with Egg Harbor Township to even make the tournament.
The boys in red are eager to show that, not only do they belong, but don’t be surprised if they win the whole dang thing.
Behind a two-hitter from junior right-hander Nolan Bouchard and an offense that cranked out eight hits and took advantage of eight walks, Ocean City cruised past No. 4 seed Oakcrest, 13-2, on Monday afternoon to set up a semifinal matchup on Wednesday with arch-rival Mainland, the top seed. In the other first-round game, No. 3 Hammonton beat No. 6 Cedar Creek, 6-2, to advance to Wednesday’s semifinal at No. 2 St. Augustine Prep.
Bouchard was dealing from the get-go and had little trouble in the five-inning, mercy rule victory. He threw less than 50 pitches through the first four innings and allowed just two singles, to Will Grayson and A.J. Capaldi. He only struck out one batter, but was never in any serious trouble as his offense spotted him an early 5-0 lead.
“I knew I just had to fill up the zone and trust my defense, and that’s all I really needed,” he said. “I know when our offense gets started there’s no stopping us, and it was great to have that kind of (early) run support.”
“He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes. He shoved. And when you get that first-pitch strike you can do whatever you want,” said Ocean City catcher Ryan Baldwin. “Like Nolan said, you can’t stop this team once we get going, so it’s just about finding a way to put teams away early.”
“Nolan is a strike thrower, and that got our attention. He’s really filled a role as a starter now. We made that decision halfway through the season, and he’s run with it,” said Ocean City coach Andrew Bristol. “This is what we talked about in practice on Saturday — we said it’s playoff baseball time and we have to do the things we’ve been doing (in the past) to be successful. Early on, when you have a good pitcher on the mound you have to try to manufacture runs and kind of get a feel for the game. I cost us a run (in the first inning) with my safety squeeze when I probably should have done something else, but we pick each other up.”
Ocean City (14-6, 7-6 Cape-Atlantic American) loaded the bases in the top of the first inning but Grayson wiggled out of the jam without allowing a run. But in the second inning the Red Raiders struck for five runs on just two hits. The Raiders loaded the bases on two hit batsman sandwiched around a single, and Evan Taylor was hit by a pitch to bring home the first run. Matt Pashley drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk and then Baldwin came up with a two-run single up the middle as the lead reached 4-0. Later in the inning, Pashley scored on a wild pitch.
Oakcrest (11-9, 9-3 CAL United) cut the deficit to 6-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, but Ocean City exploded for seven runs in the next two innings to end the game. The outburst was highlighted by a three-run home run from Jackson Gayeski, the first of his career.
“I thought we ran the bases well. If you can’t get the bunts down or it’s not that kind of game, then try to run the bases, which we did well, and we got a couple of timely hits that broke it open. That’s something we’ve been waiting for, and that’s what you need this time of year,” Bristol said. “What’s funny is — and I don’t like to compare teams — but the 2021 (state championship team), they were all new guys, too. They learned from the guys in front of them. We only have three seniors, so the experience has to come quickly and it has to come at the beginning of the year so that by the end of the year you’re a (varsity) veteran. I think they are so much more comfortable at the plate and with their approach. We’re grinding out at-bats now — something they weren’t doing at the beginning of the year.”
Ocean City, winner of three straight and five of its last six, already owns two wins this season over Mainland — 4-3 in the season opener and 10-5 in late April. Mainland should have ace Jake Lodgek available to start on Wednesday. The University of Miami commit struck out six in the season opener.
“We’re just looking to compete and have fun,” Bouchard said. “I feel like we’re the underdogs in this tournament and we have something to prove, but I think we have what it takes.”
Added Baldwin, “I love the rivalry. Hopefully we can get another win. We’re just going to compete. We’ve had a strong season. We’ve had some games we should have won but didn’t, but that’s alright, it happens. We’ve put ourselves on the map. (Our confidence) is through the roof. We want to go into every game thinking we’re the best team on the field. If you start off with your confidence high you’re going to do well.”
“I like this tournament,” coach Bristol said. “I think it’s an honor to be selected. I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it, I think it was between us and EHT. EHT is a great team, so I was honored we were selected. And this is playoff baseball. Everyone knows what our goal is, and this can only help you if you play well.”
WHAT’S NEXT: No. 5 Ocean City at No. 1 Mainland, Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the CAL Tournament semifinals. Oakcrest travels to Millville today at 4 p.m.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sullyglorydays@gmail.com
