The top seed in North 2 Group 4 is out of the playoffs after ace Connor Byrne throws one pitch over the five-day limit
The Ridge baseball season came to an abrupt halt after the top seed in North 2 Group 4 baseball was disqualified from the state playoffs after a pitch count violation. In a story first reported by NJ.com’s Luis Torres, Ridge senior pitcher Connor Byrne reached 82 pitches in the sixth inning of the Devils’ 8-1 win over Westfield. Combine that with his 69 pitches in an opening round 10-1 win against Piscataway and Byrne threw 151 pitches for the week, which is one over the limit. NJSIAA rules allow pitchers to throw 110 pitches in a single game and can complete the batter and go beyond 110, but when it comes to the five-day rule, you can not go past 150 pitches. Byrne’s 151 count was reported after the game went final and the decision was made on Saturday. The senior was tremendous in both games and finished his high school career with a stellar 0.72 ERA.
As a result, Westfield will move on and face Bayonne in the North 2 Group 4 semifinals on Wednesday. Ridge, who spent most of the year ranked in the top 10 of the state polls, finishes the year with a 25-4 record.
