PISCATAWAY — In order to win a third straight state championship, the Governor Livingston High School Highlanders had to not only solve Ramsey High School left-hander Joe Scarnecchia, but overcome some questionable umpire calls that didn’t go their way.
Governor Livingston managed to tie the game for a second time with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, but yielded two, one of them unearned, in the top of the sixth and that turned out to be good enough for its Bergen County opponent.
North 1, Group 2 sectional state champion Ramsey scored twice in the top of the sixth to take the lead for a third time and for good en route to downing three-peat Central Jersey, Group 2 sectional state champ Governor Livingston, 4-2, in the Sunday, June 14, Group 2 state championship game played at Rutgers University’s Bainton Field.
Two of Ramsey’s four runs were unearned.
Scarnecchia tossed a three-hitter, which included two earned runs, two strikeouts, four walks and two hit batters. He gave up only one run in the bottom of the third, when Governor Livingston had the bases loaded, nobody out and the top of the order up. Zach Geertsma drove in Governor Livingston’s first run that inning with a sacrifice fly to right, which tied the game at 1-1. Geertsma also drove in Governor Livingston’s second run in the fifth that tied the game at 2-2 with a two-out, hard-hit, RBI-single to left.
Reid Bazydlo didn’t get the same defensive support Scarnecchia received, but pitched extremely well. Bazydlo gave up four runs, just two earned, on five hits while striking out seven, walking one and hitting one batter.
“Reid pitched lights out,” Governor Livingston head coach Chris Roof said..
Governor Livingston had a 17-game state tournament winning streak come to an end. The last time it lost a state game was May 22, 2023 at home to Manasquan High School, 5-2, in a Central Jersey, Group 2 first-rounder.
The Highlanders lost a game in seven innings for the first time since May 16, 2024, and were defeated by more than one run for the first time since April 26, 2024.
Governor Livingston had gone 70 straight games without losing in seven innings before facing Ramsey, which is perhaps even more remarkable than the state record it established earlier this year by producing a 40-game winning streak.
For the third straight season, Governor Livingston won 28 games, going 28-5. The Highlanders also repeated as Union County Conference–Watchung Division champions, finishing 11-1 in league play.
“This was a great experience,” said Geertsma, who is committed to playing at Mississippi State University. “We got to three of these games and put two on the wall. That’s special.”
Governor Livingston fell one game shy of setting the program record for wins in a season at 29. The 2011 team went 28-6, the 2024 squad closed at 28-5, the 2025 team was perfect at 28-0, and this year’s unit finished 28-5 for the second time in three years.
Including a 17-7 mark in 2023, the seniors were part of a four-year record of 101-17. Governor Livingston went 84-10 the past three seasons, the best stretch under Roof, who has been at the helm since 2004 and, after the game, said he will continue to guide the Highlanders next season.
Governor Livingston seniors include Geertsma, Bazydlo, Michael Basile, Michael Novotny, Aidan Feldman, Keith Mann, Michael Healy, Noah Ornstein, Dominic Labisi, Jaiden Fernandez, Ryan Pappas and Matt DiRado.
Pappas almost tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, when he flied out to deep left.
“We soaked up every single day,” Roof said. “Not only are they special players, but they are better human beings. They are great leaders and great teammates.”
2026 Group 2 State Championship at Rutgers University’s Bainton Field
N1-Ramsey (22-8) 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 – 4 5 0
CJ-Governor Livingston (28-5) 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 – 2 3 3
WP: Joe Scarnecchia, junior left-hander.
LP: Reid Bazydlo, senior right-hander.
Photos by JR Parachini
