With only one week remaining in the regular season before the FAA Tournament begins, Brunswick School’s baseball team is in exactly the position it was hoping for when its 2025 season commenced – in first place in the league and peaking at the right time.

The Bruins have won seven consecutive games against their FAA foes and are in first place in the league with two FAA matchups remaining. Their latest FAA victories came Tuesday and Thursday when they swept rival Hamden Hall Country Day School, earning victories by scores of 4-3 and 3-0.

Brunswick sports a record of 10-2 in the FAA, good for first place. Behind the Bruins is Hamden Hall (8-4), Rye Country Day School (8-4) and St. Luke’s School (8-4). Greenwich Country Day School and Hopkins School are each 5-7 in FAA play, while Greens Farms Academy and King School are 3-9 and 1-11 respectively.

In Brunswick’s 3-0 win against Hamden Hall on Thursday (May 1), sophomore right-hander Johnny Gally pitched six shutout innings to earn the win and Tyrus Ostrowski picked up the save, throwing one scoreless inning of relief.

“The mindset was to throw strikes and get these guys out quick,” said Gally, who registered seven strikeouts, while issuing just two walks. “We had a great win on Tuesday and today (Thursday), we did great. The defense was great, the hitting was on point, we did the little things right.”

Gally allowed only four hits, one of which was a leadoff double in the top of the second inning. However, Gally retired the next three batters, the last of which he struck out, to keep the Hornets off the scoreboard. In the fourth inning, Gally struck out two hitters. The sixth inning saw the Bruins’ hurler strike out the final batter he faced.

“They have a very top-heavy lineup, they’re very good,” Gally noted. “I was trying to mix my pitches and location. I went fastball early and mixed in the slider late to try to get them to swing and miss. Our pitching coach called a great game and it was a great win for the team.”

Brunswick’s pitching coach is Sean Gilmartin, who spent six seasons in MLB, pitching for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. Brunswick head coach Connor Redahan has been highly impressed with Gally’s outings so far this spring.

“He’s been great for us all year, he went out and did the same thing he’s been doing the entire time, throwing strikes, throwing hard, mixing it up well and keeping guys off balance,” Redahan said. “I thought he did a fantastic job.”

Gally’s six-inning effort against Hamden Hall was his longest outing of the season.

“We played good defense behind him and he kept us in it the entire time,” Redahan said of Gally. “He looked great, he was fresh and we let him go. He was good throughout.”

Ostrowski, who has solidified himself as the Bruins’ closer, coming through in tough situations, picked up another save, striking out three batters in his one inning of relief, which took place in the seventh inning.

“Ty has been awesome for us all year,” Redahan said. “He’s got all the confidence in the world and he’s been coming in and shutting the door for us all year.”

Brunswick’s lineup in its home victory versus Hamden Hall on May 1 was paced by junior third baseman Jack Nardis and sophomore second baseman Jayden Montanez. Nardis was perfect at the plate against the Hornets, going 3 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored. Montanez, ‘Wick’s leadoff hitter, was 2 for 3 with one run scored and one RBI. He also stole two bases in the winning effort.

“Hamden is one of the strongest teams around here,” Nardis noted. “Credit to them, it’s always a battle with those guys going back to last year and the year before.”

The host Bruins took a 1-0 first-inning lead on the Hornets, with Montanez scoring the run. Montanez singled, stole second, then after advancing to third, scored when Ostrowski pulled the ball for a groundball out to second base, making it 1-0.

“We played extremely fundamental baseball,” Redahan said. “That first inning, we got a guy on, stole a bag, moved him over and banged him in. Timely hitting, two-out inning – the past two day’s that’s kind of been the story. Big time hits when we needed them.”

The Bruins extended their advantage to 2-0 in the fourth inning. Senior catcher Michael Marini, who called a strong game behind the plate, walked, designated hitter Andrew Gally singled and Nardis grounded a sharp single between shortstop and third, scoring a run and giving the hosts a two-run lead.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Nardis and junior outfielder Maximus Gabelli each singled, setting the scene for Montanez, who delivered. Montanez hit a single up the middle for an RBI, putting the Bruins on top, 3-0.

“This solidifies us in first place right now, but we’ve still got a big week with Rye Country Day next week,” Nardis said. “It was a great team win and we’re looking forward to next week. Credit to the pitching staff, they threw strikes and we were able to make the plays behind them.”

Brunswick has two FAA games remaining. The Bruins visit Rye Country Day on May 6, then host RCDS on May 9. Both games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.

“That puts us in first for now, we just have to continue to chug along,” Redahan said of the team’s win vs. Hamden Hall on Thursday. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but it feels good for the time being.”

In the Bruins’ 4-3 road triumph against the Hornets on Tuesday, Montanez went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, Ostrowski was 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Jack Bylow, Andrew Gally and Gabelli each had one hit.

Teddy Bancroft pitched four innings, yielding two hits and two earned runs, Reid Glanville allowed one run in two innings of work and Ostrowski pitched one third of an inning, to pick up the save, pitching his way out of a jam.

“The pitching staff has been great,” Johnny Gally said. “Bancroft, the ace of the staff, has been phenomenal this year. Reid Glanville has really come along strong and Ty, we have at the end of the game – he’s been lights out.”