Woodbridge junior Gavin Slicner – who drove in the winning run in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal win over Columbia – rings the bell in the locker room after the game, a Barrons’ tradition. (Source: @barronsbaseball on Instagram)
It was a big day for area baseball teams as the public schools played the quarterfinal rounds of the NJSIAA state baseball tournament Thursday, with all three top seeds from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area advancing, and some other big wins, too.
Besides Ridge in North 2, Group 4, Colonia in North 2, Group 3, and Middlesex in Central 1 all moving on, Woodbridge got a walk-off in in North 2, Group 4, while Montgomery got a huge upset win at Hightstown. Edison reached a sectional semifinal for the first time since 2016. And Cory Pascarella threw his first career no-hitter for the Patriots.
A few games also got moved to Friday due to field conditions from rain earlier this week.
Here’s a section-by-section recap, with links to individual game stories, interviews, and the upcoming state tourney schedule.
Central Jersey Group 4: “Chalk” up another upset for Montgomery. The 12-seed, which only won three of its first 14 games, is now 7-3 since a 5-2 win over Manville at TD Bank Park on May 7 heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio – and 10-14 overall – following a 5-4 win over fourth-seed Hightstown Thursday afternoon. The Cougars got three in the first, but Hightstown scattered four runs across the first, second and fourth innings to take a 4-3 lead. In the fifth, though, Montgomery struck. First, it was a bomb of a solo homer by Jack Donahue to tie the game at four, then a two-out RBI single by Liam McDonnell, and the pitching held the rest of the way.
Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Peter Mueller talk about the win:
Elsewhere in the section, third-seed Edison (17-10) reached a sectional semifinal for the first time since 2016 with a 4-2 win over 11-seed Franklin (11-9). Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, complete with postgame reaction from the Eagles and head coach Vinnie Abene.
And second-seed Old Bridge needed just an RBI single from Jason Cota, scoring Akhil Penkala, in the fifth inning as the Knights got by 10-seed Manalapan, 1-0, on their home turf at Fred Cole Field. Justin Hascup started and went the distance, scattering five hits through seven innings of 11-strikeout, shutout ball. Old Bridge (17-10) and Edison will square off Tuesday in one semifinal, while Montgomery awaits the result of tomorrow’s quarterfinal game with nine-seed Hillsborough visiting top-seed Hunterdon Central. That game was moved to Friday at 4 pm at Central due to poor field conditions Thursday.
(9) Hillsborough at (1) Hunterdon Central (pp’d to 4 pm Friday)
(12) Montgomery def. (4) Hightstown, 5-4
(3) Edison def. (11) Franklin, 4-2
(2) Old Bridge def. (10) Manalapan, 1-0
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Top-seed Ridge (19-5) got a deserving pitching performance out of ace Aidan Stieglitz, who struck out ten in a complete game, 3-0 shutout of nine-seed and defending state Group 4 champion Bridgewater-Raritan (7-18). Click here to read Mike Pavlichko’s game story, complete with postgame reaction from Steiglitz and head coach tom Blackwell. The Red Devils will face four-seed Elizabeth (22-7) Tuesday at home in the sectional semis; the Minutemen were 4-2 winners over Phillipsburg Thursday.
In the other semifinal, second-seed Woodbridge was locked in a 1-1 battle with seven-seed Columbia out of Maplewood-South Orange, and it took extra innings to decide. Starting pitcher Xavier Diaz hit a sac fly in the bottom of the third to give the Barrons (18-7) a 1-0 lead, but the Cougars tied it up in the top of the fifth on a sac fly. On they played into the ninth, when Woodbridge won it. After a groundout to start the inning, pinch hitter Tyler Simkovich worked out a 3-2 count, then walked after a ten-pitch walk. After a strikeout, head coach Monaco put Simkovich in motion, and he scored when Slicner hit a long ball off the centerfield wall. The Barrons will now face third-seed Westfield (17-6) at home Tuesday in the semis, after the Blue Devils were 6-1 winners over 11-seed Ferris Thursday.
Click below to hear Woodbridge head coach Mike Monaco talk about the win.
(1) Ridge def. (9) Bridgewater-Raritan, 3-0
(4) Elizabeth def. (5) Phillipsburg, 4-2
(3) Westfield def. (11) Ferris, 6-1
(2) Woodbridge def. (7) Columbia, 2-1 (9 inn.)
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: The CJSR-area teams went 2-2 here, with top-seed Colonia an third-seed South Plainfield advancing, while 12-seed Carteret and 7-seed Somerville were eliminated.
The Patriots (22-4) were 5-0 winners over eight-seed Midldetown North at home Thursday, getting a no-hitter from Cory Pascarella, the Monmouth signee. He struck out 16 and walked four. Click here for a game recap and one-on-one interview with Pascarella from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.
In that same half of the bracket, 12-seed Carteret lost 3-2 to fourth-seed North Hunterdon at Diamond Nation in Flemington. The Ramblers got one in the first but gave up a three-spot in the third, and could only get the score to 3-2 with a run in the fourth, as their season ends at 10-14. The Lions (14-10) will visit Colonia Tuesday in the semis.
Third-seed South Plainfield (16-10) advanced with a 5-2 win over Cranford, played in Cranford instead of at home due to poor field conditions from Wednesday’s rain. The Tigers got three in the third, then gave up a run in the fourth, but picked up two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Aiden McCarthy was 1-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Kevin Penny was solid in a six-inning start, allowing just one of two Cranford hits, striking out six in the victory. The Tigers will face second seed Millburn on the road next Tuesday in the semis, after the Millers (14-15) blanked Somerville 1-0 at home. A run in the first was all they would need in the win.
(1) Colonia def. (8) Middletown North, 5-0
(4) North Hunterdon def. (12) Carteret, 3-2
(3) South Plainfield def. (6) Cranford, 5-2
(2) Millburn def. (7) Somerville, 1-0
Central Jersey Group 2: The only remaining team from our area, nine-seed South River, was eliminated with a 12-6 loss at top-seed Governor Livingston, the No. 1-ranked team in the state, and only undefeated team remaining in New Jersey. The Rams finish their season at 16-9. The Rams used three different pitcherss, as Julien Borusovic took the loss, allowing six runs – four earned – in three innings of work after Brendan Lell went two innings in the start. Julius Rosado – in his last high school game before he heads to Rutgers next spring, hit a three-run home run in the top of the third that got the Rams within one, at 4-3, and the Highlanders got two in the bottom to go up 6-3. South River tied it with three in the fifth, but GL got four more in the bottom of the frame, and two more for insurance in the sixth.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Tenth-seed Bernards – the only CJSR-area team here – moved on with a 3-1 road win at second-seed Madison (19-5). the Mountaineers (13-12) trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh but got three in the top of the inning on RBIs from James Gallagher (double), David DiPierro (triple) and Matt Stefani, then held off the Dodgers in the bottom of the seventh. Landon Farmer went the distance for Bernards, striking out four, walking none, and scattering six hits and one earned run through seven innings of work. And thanks to an upset in the other quarterfinal in that half of the bracket, Bernards will host a semifinal game next week. That’s because 11-seed Mendham (10-14) was a 3-0 winner at three-seed Passaic Valley Thursday.
(1) West Essex def. (8) Lyndhurst, 3-0
(4) West Morris def. (5) Rutherford, 5-1
(11) Mendham def. (3) Passaic Valley, 3-0
(10) Bernards def. (2) Madison, 3-1
Central Jersey Group 1: Only two games got played today, and neither winner will know who they face in Tuesday’s semifinals until Friday. Top-seed Middlesex (19-5) cruised past nine-seed South Hunterdon, 8-1, Thursday. The Eagles actually scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Jays pieced together a run in the second and one more in the fourth, before exploding for six in the bottom of the sixth. Marcus Lavornia knocked in three runs, while Dom Parenti and Sean Hughes each plated one. Dominic Long struck out ten, walked four, gave up one earned run and allowed just four hits in the complete game victory. The Blue Jays have won 13 of their last 14 since April 24th, and will face the winner of Friday’s 4 pm semifinal between fifth-seed Florence and fourth-seed Shore.
On the other side of the bracket, six-seed Delaware Valley stopped third-seed Metuchen with a 5-1 road win. The Bulldogs got on the board first with a run in the third, but the Terriers (11-11) came back with two in the top of the fourth, then added three more in the seventh for insurance. James Fenton – who took the loss for Metuchen – knocked in his team’s lone run with an RBI double. Del Val will get the winner of tomorrow afternoon’s 2:00 game – an hour earlier than it was scheduled for Thursday – between seven-seed South Amboy (7-13) and 2-seed Point Pleasant Beach (18-7) down the shore.
(1) Middlesex def. (9) South Hunterdon, 8-1
(5) Florence at (4) Shore (pp’d to 3 pm Friday)
(6) Delaware Valley def. (3) Metuchen, 5-1
(7) South Amboy at (2) Pt. Pleasant Beach (pp’d to 2 pm Friday)
Non-Public South A: In a game postponed from Wednesday due to rain, 11th-seed Pingry lost to 6th-seed Union Catholic, 10-2. The Big Blue trailed 7-0 before getting on the board with a run in the fifth to make it 7-1, but Union Catholic got three more in the fifth. Pingry’s season finishes at 7-18.
(8) Paul VI def. (9) St. John Vianney 2-1 (pp’d from Wednesday)
(5) Immaculata def. (12) Camden Catholic, 13-2 (Wednesday)
(6) Union Catholic def. (11) Pingry, 10-2 (pp’d from Wednesday)
(10) Donovan Catholic at (7) Notre Dame (pp’d to 2 pm Friday)
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals
(9) Hillsborough at (1) Hunterdon Central, 4 pm
Central Jersey Group 1 Quarterfinals
(5) Florence at (4) Shore, 4 pm
(7) South Amboy at (2) Point Pleasant Beach, 2 pm
Non-Public South A Quarterfinals
(8) Paul VI at (1) CBA
(5) Immaculata at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 4 pm
(6) Union Catholic at (3) St. Augustine
Non-Public South A First Round
(10) Donovan Catholic at (7) Notre Dame, 2 pm
Note: Second-seed Red Bank Catholic was set to play the Donovan Catholic/Notre Dame winner Friday in the quarterfinals, but that game will be postponed since that quarterfinal game has been postponed to Friday.
Non-Public North B Quarterfinals
(8) Newark Academy at (1) Montclair-Kimberley
(5) Rutgers Prep at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 pm (Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for live updates)
(6) Pope John at (3) St. Mary-Rutherford, 4 pm
(10) Hawthorne Christian at (2) Morristown-Beard, 4 pm
TUESDAY SCHEDULE:
Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals
(12) Montgomery vs. (9) Hillsborough/(1) Hunterdon Central winner, TBA
(3) Edison at (2) Old Bridge, 5 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Semifinals
(4) Elizabeth at (1) Ridge, 4 pm
(3) Westfield at (2) Woodbridge, 4 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 Semifinals
(4) North Hunterdon at (1) Colonia, 4 pm
(3) South Plainfield at (2) Millburn, 4 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
(4) West Morris at (1) West Essex
(11) Mendham at (10) Bernards, TBA
Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals
(1) Middlesex vs. (5) Florence/(4)Shore winner, 4 pm
(6) Delaware Valley vs. (7) South Amboy/(2) Point Pleasant Beach winner, TBA
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.