East Brunswick Magnet holds off 7th inning Dunellen rally for 13-12 win; Hutchins collects three milestones in one game for Destroyers

Next time you take a look at league standings in baseball, note that you’ll see wins, losses, win percentages, division records, and runs for and against.

One thing you won’t see: style points.

Good thing for East Brunswick Magnet, which saw a five-run lead nearly evaporate in the bottom of the seventh at Columbia Park in Dunellen Wednesday, but hung on for a 13-12 win to keep them in first place in the Greater Middlesex Conference Gold Division.

There were some good hard hits – even an Anthony Bienvenue solo homer to lead off the third for the Tigers – but it was hardly a slugfest. EB Magnet benefitted from four Dunellen errors, and nine walks issued by Destroyer pitchers.

It was back-and-forth early on. The Tigers got a leadoff double from Tommy O’Neill and a walk from Nomar Carreras, with both getting driven in on a Stephen Zappola double two batters later. But Dunellen got back four in the home half, on two hits and two walks. One came in on a double-steal of second and home.

East Brunswick Magnet got four back in the top of the second to take a 6-4 lead – with only one hit in the frame – but Dunellen answered right back with three in the bottom of the second, to take a 7-6 lead after two.

The Tigers continued to score, while Carreras – the starting pitcher – settled in. After giving up seven runs on five hits in the first two innings, he struck out the side in the third, got out of a jam that could have been worse in the fourth, allowing just one run, and faced four batters in the fifth, his final inning. The final out came with a runner at third, with a wild pitch that brought him home, except the hitter, Ryan Hutchins, was called out for batters’ interference. The home plate umpire said he hadn’t cleared enough room for the play to be made.

The Tigers for two in the third, one in the fourth, and two more in the fifth and sixth to take a 13-8 lead heading into the seventh, where they were held scoreless for the first time all day.

In the bottom of the inning is where it got interesting. Jack Clements came on to close it out and fanned the first two hitters. No. 9 hitter Jackson Portik reached on an E4, then Ryan Hutchins doubled him in to cut the deficit to four. It was his 100th career hit. He also logged his 100th career stolen base in the first, and scored his 100th career run in the seventh.

But his hit moved Protik to third, the Kristian Roman got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mark Stein hit one to short and reached on an error, scoring Portik and moving the other runners up. With Cole Mayer at the plate, Hutchins came in from third on a wild pitch. Then Mayer drove in two when he reached on a chopper to short that took a bad bounce and went high over Chase Meyer’s glove. Michael Dow was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Joseph Reyes swung and missed at a 2-2 pitch to end the game.

East Brunswick Magnet improves to 14-2, 10-1 in the GMC Gold Division, a half game ahead of second-place New Brunswick (9-1 overall and in the White). The Tigers play at Perth Amboy Magnet Friday, while the Zebras has Timothy Christian Thursday and Monday. But EB Magnet and New Brunswick face each other after that fir the first time this year, Wednesday in East Brunswick, and Friday – after the GMC seeding meeting that morning – at Memorial Stadium.

Dunellen dropped to 9-6, 7-4 in the White with the loss.

Both starters got the decisions; Carreras (5-0) the win for East Brunswick Magnet, Danny Watts (2-2) the loss for Dunellen.

Click below for postgame reaction from East Brunswick Magnet starting pitcher Nomar Carreras and head coach Sean Radu: