By Rich Chrampanis
RED BANK – Red Bank Catholic and Rumson-Fair Haven both reached the state championship game in 2023 and the intensity carried over to the first game of the 2024 season. Declan Leary pitched a 3-hit gem, going the distance to lead RBC to a 7-2 win over RFH on Opening Day of the high school baseball season.
On a rainy day with less-than-ideal temperatures for baseball, it would have been understandable for both teams to feel their way into the season. Instead they brought a postseason intensity right out of the gate.
In the bottom of the first inning, RBC loaded the bases. Owen O’Toole thought he had a strikeout to get out of the jam when the Caseys’ Charlie Stumberger swung and missed a pitch. As O’Toole and the Bulldogs ran into the dugout, the umpires deliberated and ruled the pitch a foul ball. Back at the plate, Stumberger worked a bases-loaded walk to give the Caseys their first run of the season.
In the second inning, senior Alfred Delia swung at the first pitch to launch a solo home run (see the accompanying article for the special meaning behind Delia’s first home run) to make it 2-0. Max D’Antoni added an RBI double to left center field to make it a two-run frame and a 3-0 RBC lead.
Rumson got on the board in the top of the fourth when Aaron Del Tin crushed a Leary pitch to left field for a solo home run, but the Caseys’ ace settled down after that.
Leading 4-1, RBC’s biggest moment came in the top of the fifth. Rumson had runners on second and third due to a pair of errors. With two outs, Parker Shenman hit a liner to first base but Dylan Passo dived to make the catch and end the threat.
“We want to try to feed off of that at all times,” said Red Bank Catholic Coach Buddy Hausmann. “Dylan’s a leader here. He makes a play like that, he was pretty excited and those are the plays you kind of need to get a spark.”
The outstanding defensive play saved two runs and kept it 4-1. Matt Brunner added an RBI single as part of his 3-4 day at the plate and the Caseys added two more insurance runs.
Leary did not walk a batter and struck out five, including the final batter of the game.
Both teams showed they will be in the mix in May when the Shore Conference Tournament and state playoffs roll around. The Caseys have won four straight Shore titles and start off the season with a hard-fought win against a quality opponent.
“I think we did a good job. We scored seven runs,” Hausmann said. “I always tell them it’s hard to lose in high school when you score seven runs. That’s kind of our goal is one run an inning, if we get multiple, that’s a bonus.”
The article originally appeared in the April 4 – 10, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
