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O'Brien, Opportunistic Don Bosco Blank Ridgewood 3-0

April 14, 2018
TJ Hunt
Director, PBR New Jersey

RAMSEY –– Don Bosco cuised to a 3-0 victory over Ridgewood on Friday evening, led by a stellar performance by 2018 RHP and Sacred Heart recruit Billy O'Brien. O'Brien used his effective fastball at 84-85 and a swing and miss breaking ball to thwart the Ridgewood hitters for five innings of work.

O'Brien went five complete innings, allowing just one hit in the first inning and struck out nine batters. Don Bosco capitalized on a couple misplays by Ridgewood to score three runs in the bottom of the third inning. 2018 OF and UPenn recruit Tommy Courtney got the party started with a single to lead off the inning and uncommitted 2019 Anthony Petrosino followed suit with a single as well, moving Courtney from first to third. 2018 Notre Dame recruit Ryan Carr then reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Courtney from third base. With two outs, uncommited 2019 SS Danny Helfgott launched a deep fly ball to the warning track in CF at Don Bosco, that was misplayed by the outfielder that scored Carr from first base. Santino Manganella then doubled down the left field line which would bring home Helfgott.

Those three runs were all the Ironmen would need in the game, with effective relief pitching by both 2018 RHP Bobby Pigozzi (Fairleigh Dickinson recruit) and uncommitted 2019 RHP John-Biagio Modugno both posting zeros.

Modugno raised eyebrows in his inning of work, striking out two and filling the bottom half of the strike zone. His fastball was 86-87 touching 88 – throwing all fastballs to the three batters he faced. The 6-foot-6 right-hander struck out the first two batters and got the last to check-swing a ground ball to second base to end the game. 

Don Bosco (5-0) has begun to solidify itself as the top team in North Jersey, and a top five team in the state early on this season. Don Bosco will face Paramus Catholic on Saturday. Ridgewood falls to 2-1 on the year and will face Paterson-Kennedy on Saturday.

Modugno VIDEO: