Charlie Tallman (16) of Rumson-Fair Haven reacts after a strikeout during a game earlier this season.Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

The last time this team won a sectional title, most of the players on the current roster weren’t even born.

The Bulldogs grinded out a come-from-behind victory in front of their home crowd, earning Rumson-Fair Haven its first sectional championship since 2004.

Capped by a clutch walk-off single to center from Charlie Tallman with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Rumson-Fair Haven, No. 13 in the NJ.com Top 20, defeated Wall in the final round of the Central Jersey, Group 2 tournament, 4-3.

With a 2-2 count and a runner on second, senior Tallman roped a letter-high pitch to left-centerfield, bringing home Reese Moroney for the game-and-title-winning run.

“There was a little mound visit, and I got a chance to talk to him real quick” said head coach Owen Stewart on Tallman’s composure during the crucial at-bat. “And he was just calm -- completely calm -- confident in himself, and he just knew that he was going to put a good swing on the ball.”

Tallman had been at the plate during a number of high-leverage situations over the past two seasons and had failed to get a big hit with the game on the line. However, on Friday afternoon in Rumson, the senior came through in a major way.

“He’s a very energetic player, he wears his emotions on his sleeve,” said Stewart on Tallman’s impact. “He’s really our emotional leader. But sometimes in those big moments... he’ll chase pitches or get out of his rhythm. Today, he didn’t do that at all.”

Based on the trends of the first six-and-a-half innings of the sectional final, it didn’t seem like RFH was poised for a major rally. In fact, the momentum was going strongly in favor of Wall, which held a 2-1 lead after five before adding another run in the top of the seventh inning.

“It almost, at the time, felt like a back-breaker,” said Coach Stewart on Wall’s apparent insurance run in the top of the seventh. “We couldn’t get a big hit all day. We had a couple of chances, but not many... and when we did hit balls hard, we hit them right at someone. But, the kids didn’t quit.”

Johnny Bruno started things off right for RFH, drawing a walk to begin the bottom of the seventh inning in the right direction. However, just two at-bats later, things were once again looking bleak.

A deep fly-out followed by a strikeout would bring Rumson-Fair Haven down to its last out, with Aaron Del Tin coming to the plate. The sophomore would go down in the count, 1-2, before eventually getting on base after a marathon at-bat.

“He just kept fighting, fouling balls off, and he worked a walk,” said Stewart. Del Tin saw 13 pitches before drawing a vital walk that kicked off the momentum-swinging rally.

Moroney then hit an RBI double on a 3-2 count in another lengthy at-bat to cut the deficit to one and set up Tallman’s championship-sealing heroics.

“Throughout this state tournament, we hadn’t really had a game where the bats went quiet,” said Stewart. “We had runners on base most innings, we hit balls hard in every inning, we just couldn’t find that hole until the seventh.”

Being down 3-1 heading into the final frame, Coach Stewart implored his players to just not be the final out and to keep fighting. But, with their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs knew it was time to make something happen.

“I don’t even know if it needed to be said to this group, to be honest with you,” said Stewart on his players’ determination.

Charlie Jones went six strong innings on the mound for the Bulldogs, allowing two runs, both of which came on a two-run home run over the short porch, to keep RFH within striking distance.

“The sectional finals are a weird thing,” said Coach Stewart on shifting the focus from celebrating a historic sectional title win to focusing on the group semis. “We won a championship, but then it’s like, ‘alright, let’s turn it around and get right back to it.’”

Rumson-Fair Haven will go on the road to face South Jersey, Group 2 champion Haddon Heights in the group semifinal on Monday for a shot at competing for a Group 2 state title.

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