UNION — Just two years ago, the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders went 0-12 in Watchung Division play and the Union County Conference squad from Clark managed just seven wins total.
Two years later, Arthur L. Johnson was able to capture the Mountain Division championship this season, after finishing third last year. Also, this season, Arthur L. Johnson beat one of the best teams in the state twice in two tries, which just happened to be this year’s repeat Watchung Division champion, the Governor Livingston High School Highlanders.
Then, on Monday night, May 18, the Crusaders pulled off a feat they were not able to achieve in nearly half a century.
Arthur L. Johnson captured the Union County Tournament championship for the second time total and for the first time since 1980.
A 46-year period of waiting came to a close Monday night, May 18, as fourth-seeded Arthur L. Johnson (18-4) blanked second-seeded Union Catholic High School (15-10) by the dominating, five-inning score of 11-0 in the 72nd annual baseball Union County Tournament championship game at Kean University’s Jim Hynes Class of 1963 Stadium.
Arthur L. Johnson junior right-hander Vincent Cilento tossed a five-inning no-hitter, throwing perfect innings in the first, fourth and fifth and allowed just two walks and a third baserunner on an infield error.
“Everything was working for me, my change, slider and fastball,” Cilento said.
Arthur L. Johnson took the lead for good with six runs in the top of the third and then added two more in the fourth and the final three in the fifth.
“Once I settled in and then we scored those runs in the third, it made my job a lot easier,” Cilento said.
“He had his best fastball and complete control of it,” said Arthur L. Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy, who has now won a county championship as a player and head coach. Kennedy, as a Glen Ridge High School junior right-hander in 1987, shut out Irvington High School 3-0 in that year’s Greater Newark Tournament championship game, as the Ridgers were kings of Essex County that season.
Arthur L. Johnson standout senior catcher Justin Zdeb, who ended the semifinal win against top-seeded and two-time defending champion Governor Livingston High School with a fine defensive play of getting a putout and assist on a game-ending double play, was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three singles, the game’s only extra-base hit, and four RBI. Zdeb’s bases-clearing, three-run double with two outs in the top of the fifth made the score 11-0.
“The last couple of years have been tough, but we’ve worked so hard and now we’re putting our names out there,” Zdeb said. “It’s awesome.”
Arthur L. Johnson had 12 hits total, 11 of them singles.
Zdeb led off the second with his first hit, a single to center. Arthur L. Johnson then produced six singles in the third when the Crusaders scored their first six runs.
Luiyi Martinez led off the third with a single to center. Two batters later, Raphael DaRocha produced the game-winning hit, which was an RBI-single to left to put Johnson ahead for good at 1-0. An RBI-single up the middle by Zdeb made it 2-0 and then Cilento connected on a single to center. Two batters later Vin Donofrio walked with the bases loaded to push the score to 3-0.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Anthony Minniti produced a two-run single to left-center that made it 5-0. Martinez then had his second hit of the inning, this one an RBI-single to right that increased Johnson’s advantage to 6-0.
Brody Gulbin led off the fourth with a single to center and after one out Zdeb went the other way to right field for his third single. Cilento followed with an RBI-infield single to make it 7-0. A sacrifice fly RBI to center hit by designated hitter Nick Donofrio put Arthur L. Johnson ahead 8-0.
In the fifth, three walks loaded the bases before Zdeb cleared them with his opposite field, three-run double to right- center. The game’s final hit, Arthur L. Johnson’s 11th single, was an opposite field shot to right by Donofrio.
“Not relying on one person is a big reason for our success,” Kennedy said. “We have a lot of different guys contributing.”
Cilento threw 66 pitches, striking out two and walking two. Following an inning-ending out at second base in the third when the Union Catholic runner came off the bag, Cilento retired the last six batters he faced.
“His fastball was fantastic,” Zdeb said.
Arthur L. Johnson was in the UCT final for the first time since 2019. On a Monday night in May that season at Kean, the Crusaders were blanked by Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, 4-0.
“We’ve been playing with a chip on our shoulder,” Zdeb said. “We’re giving a really good effort and showing a lot of grit.”
Cilento agreed. When asked to describe in one word the feeling of winning a county championship Monday night, May 18, Cilento said, “gritty.”
Union Catholic reached the championship game for the second straight season. The Vikings advanced to the final last year for the first time since 1984, which was the only year they won the event.
Reaching base on walks for the Vikings were Chris Tortorella in the second and Gregory Viloria in the third on a 10-pitch at bat. Union Catholic also had a batter reach base on an infield error with two outs in the second.
The closest the Vikings came to scoring was when they had runners on first and second with two outs in the second before the next batter flied out to right to end the inning. Arthur L. Johnson right fielder Martinez made a fine running catch to his right on the play.
In a UCC–crossover game at Union Catholic on Saturday, April 18, Arthur L. Johnson edged Union Catholic, 3-2. That was Kennedy’s 200th win.
Arthur L. Johnson became the first school outside of Cranford, Governor Livingston, Westfield and Scotch Plains–Fanwood to win the UCT since the last year Elizabeth High School won it in 2008.
2026 Union County Tournament Championship Game at Kean
4-Arthur L. Johnson (18-4) 0 0 6 2 3 – 11 12 1
2-Union Catholic (15-10) 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 0 3
WP: Vincent Cilento. LP: Michael Pellegrino.
72nd Annual Baseball Union County Tournament
Seeds: 1-Governor Livingston. 2-Union Catholic. 3-Scotch Plains–Fanwood. 4-Arthur L. Johnson. 5-Cranford. 6-Westfield 7-Oratory Prep. 8-New Providence. 9-Summit. 10-David Brearley. 11-Elizabeth. 12-Roselle Park. 13-Jonathan Dayton. 14-Union. 15-Plainfield. 16-Linden. 17-Rahway.
Preliminary round
Thursday, May 7
Linden 10, Rahway 1 – at Linden
First round
Saturday, May 9
Governor Livingston 21, Linden 0 – at Governor Livingston
Summit 5, New Providence 4 – at New Providence
Arthur L. Johnson 10, Jonathan Dayton 0 – at Arthur L. Johnson
Cranford 13, Roselle Park 0 – at Cranford
Union Catholic 15, Plainfield 2 – at Union Catholic
David Brearley 8, Oratory Prep 1 – at Oratory Prep
Union 6, Scotch Plains–Fanwood 5 – at Scotch Plains–Fanmwood
Westfield 8, Elizabeth 1 – at Westfield
The home team went 5-3.
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, May 13
Top side of the bracket
Governor Livingston 12, Summit 2 – at Governor Livingston
Arthur L. Johnson 11, Cranford 4 – at Arthur L. Johnson
Bottom side of the bracket
Union Catholic 9, David Brearley 3 – at Union Catholic
Westfield 9, Union 3 – at Westfield
The home team went 4-0.
Semifinals
Saturday, May 16
At Kean University
Arthur L. Johnson 3, Governor Livingston 2 (8 inn.)
Union Catholic 5, Westfield 2
Final
Monday, May 18
At Kean University
Arthur L. Johnson 11, Union Catholic 0 (5 inn.)
Photos by JR Parachini
