Hoboken sophomore Kenny Roder pitched a perfect game Monday afternoon in the first round of the state tournament, as the Redwings cruised past higher-ranked University High School in Newark. Hoboken won 18-0 in five innings.
The Redwings struggled coming into the tournament. They came in with a 6-16 record, with one regular season game remaining.
But there was no sign of struggle on Monday. Coach Buddy Matthews has been saying all season that the team has skills at the plate and in the field, and will win if they can put the two together. Monday, they did just that.
Find out what's happening in Hobokenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Roder was perfect on the mound and at the plate. He struck out 11 of the 15 batters he faced. On offense, he went 2-2 with an RBI. Ryan Houghton went 3-3, with three runs scored, a double and three RBI. Abe Groomes was 4-5 with a double and four RBI.
The Redwings will now face the winner of Weehawken v. Lyndhurst in the second round, on the road on Friday.
