Ocean City High School Baseball Team Falls Short in Bid for State Title

Ocean City, NJ -- A brilliant season for the Ocean City High School baseball team came to a stunning conclusion on Saturday.
The Red Raiders fell to Northern Highlands, 7-2, in the final game of the NJSIAA State Group 3 playoffs in Toms River, according to nj.com.

Ocean City pitcher Sean Mooney finally gave up an earned run, in the first inning, when Tyler Shedler-McAvoy got on base with a double and scored on a groundout by Breylin Jones.

Northern Highlands scored one more time in the first, and four more times in the fourth en route to the program’s first state championship.

Ocean City scored in the fourth and fifth innings in its first state championship game appearance since 2010.

The loss was the first of the season for Mooney, who came into the game with a 0.00 ERA, 96 strikeouts and without giving up an earned run this season.

Ocean City came into the tournament as the South Jersey Group 3 champion, its first sectional title since 2010.

Ocean City entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and opened with a 13-5 win over No 16 Absegami.

They followed their win with a 6-0 win over No. 9 Central Regional.

In the semifinals, they defeated No. 4 Mainland, 3-2.

Ocean City then downed No. 2 Highland Regional, 5-0, in the South Jersey title match.

The Red Raiders defeated Central Jersey Group 3 champion Nottingham, 10-8, in the semifinals earlier this week.

Ocean City was 21-6 this season.