Middlesex College takes series from Bergen with doubleheader sweep, 8-6 and 14-10

After a heartbreaking loss on a walkoff three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth Friday night up in Paramus, the Middlesex Colts struck first twice and held off late rallies twice Saturday afternoon in an NJCAA Region XIX sweep of Bergen Community College Saturday.

Both games were heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Edison Pizza & Restaurant.

Middlesex (25-16) took the opener 8-6, Union Catholic alum Matthew Wansaw getting the win, and Josh Horowitz picking up the save. The Colts then finished the sweep with a 14-10 win over the Bulldogs (11-23) in Game Two, with the win going to starter Jake Anderson.

Game 1: Middlesex 8, Bergen 6

Middlesex got out to a 7-0 lead before Bergen could get on the board. Starting pitcher Michael Wansaw knocked in Dylan Lugo for the first run with a single. After a stolen base, taking third on a throw that went into center, Wansaw scored on a sac fly to center to make it 2-0 after one.

The Colts got three runs in the second. Sal Della Fave led off with a walk, and Hunter Almeida followed with a second. Nataniel Friedman singled to load the bases, then the next three hitters each knocked in a run. Lugo singled in a run, John Oranchak flied out to right to score another, and a groundout to short by Wansaw made it 5-0.

Middlesex then got a run in each of the next two innings. In the third, Matt Troche led off with a walk, advanced to third on a wile pitch, and scored on a sac fly to left by DellaFave to make it 6-0. Then, in the fourth, Lugo led off with a double, made it to third on a sac fly and scored on another sac fly to right by Wansaw.

Bergen would get two runs on the board in the fifth, cutting the Colts’ lead to 7-2. With two out, Ransley Ferreras walked, then as the lineup got back to the top of the order, Dee Rice also walked, and both scored on a grounder to third by Carlos Pascual, which Troche threw in the dirt to first base.

Middlesex was blanked in the bottom of the fifth, and Bergen made it a two-run game with three in the sixth. Paul Figueroa led off with an infield hit, then Ian Scalabrini hit a two-run homer to make it 7-4. Enger Ortiz walked and Chris Merril struck out, then Zitola reached on a fielder’s choice, eventually scoring on a wild pitch to make it 7-5.

Middlesex would pick up an insurance run in the sixth. Oranchak led off with a walk, and after stealing second, came home on a single by Wansaw, to make it 8-5.

In the top of the seventh, Josh Horowitz came on to close it out. Danial Ramos hit a one-out triple, then after a strikeout, came home on a single by Ian Scalabrini. But Horowitz got Ortiz on a popup to first to end the game.

Click below to hear from Michael Wansaw, the Edison Pizza Player of the Game, who receives a $25 gift card and a Central Jersey Sports Radio baseball cap:

Game 2: Middlesex 14, Bergen 10

The Colts again got on the board first, leading 9-0 before Bergen could get on the scoreboard.

Middlesex took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Wansaw, who had four RBIs in the opener, driving in Oranchak, who’d walked.

Then, in the second, they sent 13 men to the plate and scored eight times on just three hits, working out six walks. Friedman led off with a walk, and Almeida followed with one as well. After Alex Turner, the DH, struck out, Lugo walked to load the bases, but Friedman came in – and the other runners advanced – on a balk to make it 2-0. Oranchak walked to load the bases again, and Wansaw drove in two more with an RBI single, his fifth and sixth RBIs of the day. Roberto Gonzalez then crushed a three-run homer to left field to make it 7-1. Drury walked, stole second, and after Troche struck out Friedman drove him in with a single, and an E5 on a ground ball to third by Almeida made it 9-0. After a walk to Turner, Lugo grounded to second to end the inning.

But Bergen would get five runs back in the top of the third, sending nine hitters to the plate. Ransley Ferreras led off with a walk, then moved to second on a sac bunt by Dee Rice. Carlos Pascual knocked him in with a double he extended to a triple with an error on Drury in left. Danial Ramos scored him on an infield hit to make it 9-2. Paul Figueroa reached on an error, then Ian Scalabrini hit his second homer of the day to make it 9-5.

Middlesex tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning, when Wansaw got a one-out single, stole second, and came all the way home on a wild pitch, making it 10-5.

Neither team scored in the fourth, but Middlesex added two more in the fifth. Anderson led off with a single, then moved to third on a single by Lugo, and scored on a wild pitch. Lugo moved to third after a failed pick-off attempt, and scored on a sac fly to left by Oranchak, making it 12-5 Middlesex.

Those runs would be important as Matthew Jason came in in the sixth and faced ten hitters, giving up five runs. And with a 12-10 lead, Middlesex got some more insurance in the bottom of the sixth, all with two outs. Horowitz walked, Josh Rodriguez singled, and Lugo hit a ball deep to center. While he got thrown out trying to stretch a double to a triple, Horowitz had already scored, but Rodriguez just barely crossed the plate before Lugo was tagged at third to end the inning.

Horowitz closed it out for his second save of the afternoon.

Click below to hear from Roberto Gonzalez, the Edison Pizza Player of the Game, who receives a $25 gift card and a Central Jersey Sports Radio baseball cap: