Author: Alec Crouthamel

by Alec Crouthamel

Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas face off for third straight year with Non-Public North B final berth on the line

Three things have been certain over the last three high school baseball seasons.

Death, taxes, and a playoff battle between St. Thomas Aquinas and Rutgers Prep.

This year marks the third iteration of the two teams facing off in the North Jersey, Non-Public B sectional tournament in Tuesday’s semifinal round.

The third-seeded Trojans (13-14) won the first two, taking the sectional title in 2024 and winning in the quarterfinals in 2025, but it’s a whole new season, with two very different teams. The second-seeded Argonauts (17-7) bring a lot of veteran experience to the table – including those losses in each of the last two seasons – and are battle-tested. St. Thomas Aquinas brings some of its own veterans, but also young talent that has progressed with more exposure to the big-game environment.

Will the third time be the charm for Rutgers Prep? Or will the Trojans end the Argonauts’ season for the third straight time? It all gets started with first pitch at 4:30 pm from Rutgers Prep, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 4:15 with Alec Crouthamel on the call; click here to listen.

Eight of the combined projected starters – including both pitchers – faced off in the 2024 game, and 12 in 2025, so there’s not a lot of unfamiliarity, even in a GMC/Skyland Conference crossover.

But these are different teams from those that took the field 368 days ago. They’ve both overcome some bumps along the way, but have found themselves in recent weeks to make it within a game of a sectional final appearance.

The Trojans got off to a bit of a bumpy start, breaking in multiple newcomers to the lineup and getting the youth movement as much experience as possible. But since the calendar flipped to May, St. Thomas Aquinas has gone 7-4, including a 7-0 quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Morris Catholic. Senior Louis Rizzolo and junior Nikash Patel – a dangerous pitching duo on their third year of postseason action together – combined for a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in just 75 pitches, while four different hitters recorded at least one RBI.

The Argonauts have blazed a bit of a different trail in 2026, but still have overcome some obstacles. They won 11 straight games over a month-long span, but dealt with a 2-3 stretch over the next nine days, including an extra-inning loss to Bridgewater-Raritan, where the Panthers overcame a four-run deficit and outscored Rutgers Prep 10-1 after the second inning.

From there, though, the Argonauts re-found their focus, including a five-inning, 16-0 victory over tenth-seeded Pope John in the sectional quarterfinals. Star pitcher Li Perez was nothing short of spectacular, allowing just one baserunner and recording all 15 outs via strikeout, while the offense got contributions from all over, including two home runs and five RBIs from senior Maddox Chu.

Both aces – Rizzolo and Perez – will take the ball for the second straight year (Rizzolo also started the 2024 game while Perez played the field) and if both have their best stuff as they did in the quarterfinals, runs will be at a premium.

But with a trip to the sectional final on the line – each team’s first since that 2024 matchup – nothing in the past matters once Perez throws that first pitch of the game.

Click below to hear Central jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with both head coaches about their respective seasons and the upcoming matchup in the Non-Public North B semifinal:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino
Rutgers Prep head coach Larry Santowasso
by Alec Crouthamel

Bridgewater-Raritan run-rules for second straight game, advances to North 2, Group 4 semifinals, 10-0, over JP Stevens

You don’t usually see back-to-back run-rule victories in the state tournament. Especially as the lower seed in one of those games.

But Bridgewater-Raritan is white-hot at just the right time, and did just that.

The fifth-seeded Panthers (13-16) tacked on runs early and often en route to a 10-0, six-inning victory over fourth-seeded JP Stevens in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals, to advance to their second sectional semifinal in three years. The Hawks’ (18-9) season came to a close, finishing up their best campaign since 2019.

It was obvious from the first pitch of the game that Bridgewater-Raritan was locked in on its approach, a three-pronged message from the top: Throw strikes, make plays, and get quality at-bats.

The Panthers did all three to near-perfection on Friday, winning by double-digits for the second straight game after an 11-0 win over 12th-seeded Plainfield in the first round

On the mound, Nico Moore went the distance with six shutout innings in just 89 pitches, allowing four hits.

Bridgewater-Raritan got started early with a run in the first inning, as second baseman Nick Spirra grounded into a bases-loaded double play with nobody out to strike first. Though JP Stevens starter Nolan Overmeyer got out of the inning with just the one run after the jam, it was clear the Panthers were ready for anything the Hawks could throw at them.

Moore worked two shutout innings, allowing just one baserunner, as Bridgewater-Raritan’s offense broke the game open in between.

First baseman Stephen Pikulin and right fielder Josh Moore reached with one out on a walk and hit-by-pitch – Moore’s fourth in the last two games – respectively, before shortstop Cody Rible sent a fly ball into the left-centerfield gap for a double to bring home Pikulin.

Centerfielder Kellan Komline added an RBI single to bring home Moore, and stole second to put runners on second and third with one out. Left fielder Andrew Schmieder poked a single into right field to bring home both runners and made it a four-run inning and a 5-0 lead. But the Panthers weren’t done yet.

Catcher Michael Lobosco singled to put Schmieder on third, and courtesy runner Matt DeLucia worked a pickoff rundown to allow Schmieder to come home easily. By the time the inning ended, Bridgewater-Raritan led 6-0 and chased Overmeyer out of the game, as his replacement, right fielder Aarush Patel, recorded the final two outs.

Moore continued his dominance on the mound, coupling his fast pace between pitches with a nasty fastball and curveball combination to keep the Hawks off balance all afternoon.

Patel and Moore each recorded shutout sides of the third inning, and in the top of the fourth, it looked like Patel was headed for another solid frame after retiring the first two batters.

But the Panthers stuck to their approach, and grew the lead because of it. Five straight hitters reached base after Schmieder struck out to record the second out, as they tacked on three more insurance runs to expand the lead to 9-0. Within that stretch, Bridgewater-Raritan faced several two-strike counts, but the Panthers just kept battling and refused to go down. Pinch-hitter Joey Confalone ripped an RBI single down the first-base line to bring home DeLucia, third baseman Connor Price brought in another with an RBI single of his own, and Pikulin scored another with an infield single.

By that point, Bridgewater-Raritan put its stamp on another postseason victory.

Both teams were shut out in the fifth, but the Panthers scored the pivotal tenth run in the top of the sixth inning. Lobosco sent a fly ball down the left-field line for a double – reaching base for the fourth time – and DeLucia came around to score from third on a sacrifice fly by Price two batters later.

With the end of the game in sight, Moore worked three straight groundouts in the bottom half to send Bridgewater-Raritan home happy an inning early.

Moore earned the win with six shutout innings, allowing four hits and no walks with four strikeouts. Overmeyer was given the loss with six earned runs in an inning and a third, allowing five hits with a walk and hit batter. Patel was solid in relief, going four and two-thirds innings of four-run ball, with two strikeouts four walks, allowing five hits.

The Panthers will move on to face Skyland Delaware division foe and top-seeded Ridge in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals on Wednesday, after the Red Devils defeated eighth-seeded Phillipsburg with a six-inning, 10-0 of their own in the opposite quarterfinal on Friday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Bridgewater-Raritan pitcher Nico Moore, catcher Michael Lobosco, and head coach Max Newill after the Panthers’ 10-0 win over JP Stevens in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Alec Crouthamel

Fourth-seed JP Stevens, fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan vie for North 2, Group 4 semifinal bid

Some of the most fun postseason matchups come between adjacent seeds, regardless of the sport.

Another high-power matchup will come to North Edison on Friday in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals between the fourth seed, JP Stevens, and the fifth seed, Bridgewater-Raritan, in a GMC/Skyland Conference crossover.

In a battle between two ascending teams over the course of the season, one will earn a bid to the sectional semifinals, with the Panthers (12-16) looking for their second in three years after a Group 4 title in 2024, while the Hawks (18-8) look for their first appearance in the semifinals since 2008, where they lost to eventual Group 4 state runner-up North Hunterdon.

It all gets started at 4 pm at JP Stevens, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 3:45 with Alec Crouthamel on the call; click here to listen.

Both teams are coming off resounding first-round victories against their double-digit seed counterparts.

Bridgewater-Raritan played strong all-around baseball to take down 12th-seeded Plainfield 11-0 in five innings. The Panthers put up three runs in the first inning, six in the third, and two in the fourth to seal the run-rule victory, along with a near-perfect outing for starter Jack Braswell. He allowed just one baserunner – a fourth-inning single with two outs – while striking out eight.

JP Stevens put up double-digit runs as well, defeating 13th-seeded Ferris out of Jersey City 11-2. In their first playoff victory since 2019, the Hawks got another gem from starter Soham Prajapati, who struck out 13 in a complete game effort, giving him 102 on the year and 247 in his career. The bats also came alive as the game went on, with three runs in the third inning, two in the fifth, and six in the bottom of the sixth to break the game open after the Bulldogs cut their deficit to 5-2 in the top half.

Both teams have been tested to date, Bridgewater-Raritan playing in the Skyland Delaware division, and JP Stevens finishing in an 11-3 three-way tie atop the GMC Blue division.

They bring another similarity in that the experiences this year have built true development to put both teams in a better spot than they started in late March.

But only one can come away victorious in the sectional playoffs. Each team will take the lessons they’ve learned and their high-level developments into the do-or-die showdown to keep their seasons alive come the month of June.

Click below to hear both head coaches talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel about their teams’ first-round victories and upcoming matchups in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals:

JP Stevens head coach Tyler Jackow
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill
by Alec Crouthamel

15-seed Franklin stuns two-seed Edison 5-4 in Central Jersey Group 4 first round

Wednesday’s NJSIAA sectional tournament saw plenty of first-round action, and plenty of drama to boot.

By far, the biggest of those instances came in the Central Jersey Group 4 bracket, where 15th-seeded Franklin knocked off second-seeded Edison to move on to the quarterfinals.

The Warriors (8-11) have shown flashes under first-year head coach Grant Neary, and put it all together at just the right time. This also marks the second straight year Franklin has pulled an upset as a double-digit seed, after defeating sixth-seeded East Brunswick in the CJ4 first round as the 11 seed last season under former head coach Derrick Castillo.

Those two victories were the Warriors’ first in the sectional tournament since the 2021 season.

Neary came to Franklin after a 17-year run in the college ranks, including six years as an assistant at NJIT and a three-year run as the head coach at Saint Peter’s. But with three kids and plenty of activities for all of them, Neary wanted to find a gig that kept him in the coaching game while allowing him to be even more involved with his family.

He’s no stranger to Somerset County baseball, either. Neary starred on the diamond for Bridgewater-Raritan and got his baseball coaching start at Watchung Hills in 2005, helping lead the Warriors to the Group 4 state championship game as an assistant coach under head coach Mario Diez.

The Warriors (of Franklin) are also no strangers to upsets this year. The tenth seed in the Somerset County Tournament, Franklin defeated seventh-seeded Somerville 10-8 in the first round, and fell 9-5 to eventual champion Watchung Hills.

But the confidence was up heading on the road to a GMC staple in Edison. The Eagles (19-8) dealt with some injuries throughout the year, but boasted some of the area’s top talent and earned the top seed in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament.

It started as a low-scoring pitcher’s duel on Wednesday. The Warriors struck first in the top of the third with a bases-loaded RBI double play by freshman left fielder Mason Bonds, the younger brother of Rutgers star outfielder Peyton Bonds, to open the scoring. But Edison pitcher Ray Tavarez got out of the jam with the double play and another bases-loaded groundout to keep the Warriors at a run.

The Eagles equalized an inning and a half later with a sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher Damien Calandra. But Franklin immediately responded with two runs in the top of the fifth, on RBI doubles by Bonds and senior Elijah Zavatsky.

Senior pitcher Dylan Shah did his job as well, keeping Edison at bay for much of the game, even after the Eagles pulled to within a run on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Robert Roma. Shah lived up to the billing as Franklin’s top arm on the bump, with six innings of two-run ball.

A full scoreless frame later, and the Warriors went into the seventh and final frame with a slim 3-2 lead.

The offense picked back up in the top half, as Zavatsky recorded his second RBI of the day on a single, and senior third baseman Stanley Madera scored on a double steal to make it 5-2.

Bonds came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with a three-run cushion, but Edison wouldn’t go away quietly.

Senior right fielder Sam Kentos singled, and Roma walked to put the tying run at the plate with nobody out. Tavarez doubled to score Kentos and pull within two, putting the tying run at second base. Madera recorded the first out with a heady play to throw Roma out at the plate attempting to score, but senior centerfielder Darren Tirado brought the deficit back to a single run with a sacrifice fly. Second baseman Tyler Shuck loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, bringing up Calandra with the game on the line for either side.

On a 2-0 count, Calandra lined a fastball safely into the glove of Franklin second baseman Kelvin Heuston to secure the upset and send the Warriors to the quarterfinals. Shah earned the win with 100 pitches flat for his team-leading fifth win of the year, allowing two runs on six hits, with two strikeouts and four walks.

Their quarterfinal opponent is TBD. Franklin will face the winner of seventh-seed Jackson Township and tenth-seed Hillsborough, a game postponed to Thursday after rain hit South Jersey hard on Wednesday. Either way, the 15 seed will be ready for the challenge after putting together one of its top performances of the year.

Click below to listen to Franklin’s first-year head coach Grant Neary talk about the Warriors’ season and their first-round upset of Edison with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Alec Crouthamel

Fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan stays hot, rolls over 12-seed Plainfield 11-0 in North 2, Group 4 first round

There’s an all-too-familiar adage in postseason sports: When the brackets come out, throw the win-loss records out the window.

Bridgewater-Raritan is the latest example.

The Panthers (12-16) earned the fifth seed in the North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 bracket after a tough start to the year, dealing with a rugged Skyland Delaware division, giving their young group a bit of trial by fire against some of the top teams in the area.

Now? Bridgewater-Raritan is playing its best baseball at the right time, as the Panthers – winners of six of their last eight – knocked off 12th-seeded Plainfield 11-0 in five innings to advance to the North 2 Group 4 quarterfinals for the fifth straight year.

With another run in the sectional tournament a week after making it to the Somerset County Tournament semifinals – where they almost knocked off top-seeded Immaculata – the group is finding its stride and could be a dangerous dark-horse as the tournament moves along.

Junior pitcher Jack Braswell got the ball on Wednesday and set the tone immediately. He struck out the first two Plainfield batters on the way to a 1-2-3 inning to open the game, then Bridgewater-Raritan’s red-hot bats got their chance in the bottom half.

The Panthers plated three runs in the first, with the first four batters reaching base before an out was recorded. Junior second baseman Nick Spirra put a line drive into right field with the bases loaded to score two. Then, with two outs and the bases re-loaded, right fielder Josh Moore got plunked to bring in another.

The two teams traded scoreless frames — as Braswell retired all nine Cardinals the first time through the order — until the bottom of the third inning, where Bridgewater-Raritan got its big inning.

It looked like another quiet inning through two batters, with a strikeout and lineout, but the Panthers put together some two-out magic to break the game wide open. They loaded the bases in three batters — including another hit-by-pitch for Moore — before leadoff left fielder Andrew Schmieder put another line drive into right field to score two runs.

Senior Kellan Komline brought in another with an infield RBI single. Schmieder stole home to score on the ensuing at-bat, before senior catcher Michael Lobosco powered a double into centerfield to score Komline. Spirra brought in another with an RBI single back into centerfield.

All of a sudden, Bridgewater-Raritan built a commanding 9-0 lead after three.

Braswell worked another shutout inning — though he did lose his perfect game bid thanks to a two-out single by Plainfield left fielder Franyer Genao — to send the lineup back to the plate.

The Panthers got the job done again with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game in run-rule territory. Junior Stephen Pikulin reached on a one-out infield single, and Moore got hit by a pitch for the third time to put runners on first and second.

Sophomore shortstop Cody Rible singled to left field to score Pikulin and give Bridgewater-Raritan double digits on the day. Skipper Max Newill started to empty his bench from there, and sophomore Matt DeLucia registered his second RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to make it 11-0.

Braswell retired the side in order for the fourth time to secure the dominant victory. He earned the win on the mound with five shutout innings, striking out eight while only allowing one hit.

Now, after a full regular season, the Panthers have taken their lumps and found their footing to become a threat in the section. They’ll have another challenge at hand on Friday, heading on the road to Edison to face fourth-seeded JP Stevens in the quarterfinals. The Hawks (18-8) finished in a three-way tie atop the GMC Blue division at 11-3, and defeated 13th-seeded Ferris 11-2 for their first playoff win since 2019.

A challenge, to be sure, but Bridgewater-Raritan has shown in the last month it’s ready for anything the bracket can throw at it.

Click below to hear Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill talk about the Panthers’ 11-0 win over Plainfield in the North 2 Group 4 first round with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Alec Crouthamel

Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Finals Preview: Dunellen, Piscataway looking to scrap their way to a title

A Championship Friday is descending upon New Jersey baseball this weekend.

One of them, the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational, will have its final on Friday at 4pm at Edison High School, between second-seeded Piscataway and fifth-seeded Dunellen.

Both teams have taken different paths to reach the meeting point. After respective first-round byes, the Chiefs defeated the seven-seed South Amboy, aided by a seven-run sixth inning, including a grand slam from Dominick Summonte. The Destroyers put up big-time runs across the board in a 14-3 win over four-seed East Brunswick Magnet.

In the semifinals, Dunellen kept its offensive attack at a ten in a wild 22-17 win over top-seeded Perth Amboy that took four hours, while Piscataway once again got some clutch hitting in a 5-4 walk-off victory over third-seeded North Brunswick.

But both have the same goal in mind, winning a title on Friday.

Each team brings its best to the bump. For the Chiefs, they have two, top junior Sumedh Shingala — the team’s leader in wins and strikeouts — will start, with No. 2 arm Jared Butler ready and waiting, who head coach Rob Stoddard described as “a bulldog” in both starting and high-leverage relief spots. For the Destroyers, Joe Reyes will get the ball as the leader in wins and ERA among the main rotation arms.

They both have battled through respective stretches of up-and-down play — as nearly every team does — but they’re playing their best ball as of late, and will do battle for the GMC Invitational title in Edison.

RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL FINAL AT-A-GLANCE

Teams:
(2) Piscataway Chiefs (10-10, 6-8, GMC Blue)
(5) Dunellen Destroyers (18-6, 9-2, GMC Gold)

Head Coaches:
Piscataway: Rob Stoddard (6th season, 46-81)
Dunellen: Connor Lindsay (3rd season, 45-31)

Probable Starters
Piscataway: Sumedh Shingala (4-2, 3.73 ERA)
Dunellen: Joseph Reyes (6-0, 2.65 ERA)

Date and Time: Friday, May 22, at 4 pm
Location: Edison High School

PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:

Dunellen head coach Connor Lindsay
Piscataway head coach Rob Stoddard

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Piscataway:
First round bye
Quarterfinals: def. (7) South Amboy, 11-5
Semifinals: def. (3) North Brunswick, 5-4

Dunellen:
First round bye
Quarterfinals: def. (4) East Brunswick Magnet, 14-3
Semifinals: def. (1) Perth Amboy, 22-17

TEAM LEADERS:

Dunellen:

  • Batting Average: Juan Luis Rodriguez (.425), Michael Dow (.417), Joseph Reyes (.397)
  • RBI: Kristian Roman Lopez (34), Colin Reynolds (26), Joseph Reyes (25)
  • HR: Cesar Andres Fermin Alarcon (1), Kristian Roman Lopez (1)
  • Walks: Kristian Roman Lopez (24), Jackson Portik (18), Joseph Reyes (14), Juan Luis Rodriguez (14)
  • Stolen Bases: Juan Luis Rodriguez (38), Michael Dow (22), David Torres (17)
  • Wins: Joseph Reyes (6), Cole Mayer (5), David Torres (4)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): David Torres (2.12), Joseph Reyes (2.65), Colin Reynolds (4.77)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): David Torres (53), Cole Mayer (49), Joseph Reyes (28)

Piscataway:

  • Batting Average: Jason Mann (.444), Dominick Summonte (.423), Patrick Novak (.370)
  • RBI: Patrick Novak (15), Dominick Summonte (14), Kevin Kovach (13)
  • HR: Dominick Summonte (3), Jason Mann (1)
  • Walks: Kevin Kovach (20), Sumedh Shingala (12), Jason Mann (8)
  • Stolen Bases: Jason Mann (17), Bryce Payne (14), Dominick Summonte (7)
  • Wins: Sumedh Shingala (4), Jared Butler (3), Brady Gallogly (2)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Brady Gallogly (2.51), Jared Butler (3.35), Sumedh Shingala (3.73)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Sumedh Shingala (72), Jared Butler (46), Brady Gallogly (29)

TEAM NUMBERS:

Dunellen:

  • Runs Scored: 264
  • Runs Allowed: 138
  • Batting Average: .350
  • Home Runs: 2
  • Stolen bases: 124
  • ERA: 4.19

Piscataway:

  • Runs Scored: 133
  • Runs Allowed: 132
  • Batting Average: .291
  • Home Runs: 4
  • Stolen bases: 56
  • ERA: 4.59

PREVIOUS COVERAGE of the RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL

by Alec Crouthamel

Five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan rallies, defeats four-seed Rutgers Prep 10-5 in extras in SCT quarterfinals

Through two innings, Bridgewater-Raritan was in some trouble.

The Panthers trailed Rutgers Prep 4-0 in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, and starter Kellan Komline had already approached the 50-pitch mark.

Argonauts’ starter Li Perez, on the other hand, used his powerful fastball to breeze through the opening stretch of the order to start.

But by the time the dust settled in Somerset, fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan took down fourth-seeded Rutgers Prep 10-5, outscoring the Argonauts 10-1 the rest of the way,

Rutgers Prep plated three runs in the first inning, as designated hitter Maddox Chu brought in the first run with a grounder. Left fielder Micah Krugar-Serrano launched a fly ball to right-center field, scoring two more with the bases loaded, but a strong relay home ended the inning as the Argonauts looked to clear the bases.

The Panthers threatened with two runners on and nobody out in the second inning, but Perez reared back and struck out the next three straight batters to get out of trouble.

Rutgers Prep added another in the bottom half of the second, as catcher Ethan Nepomuceno dunked a single into the outfield to put the Argonauts up 4-0.

Nobody scored in the third, but the Panthers started to rally in the fourth. They notched three straight hits to start the inning, handing Perez his first earned run of the season on a Kevin Kelly single, and first baseman Connor Price cut the deficit in half with an RBI groundout.

After a rough start, Komline found his stride in the middle innings, throwing just 20 total pitches in the third and fourth frames.

Perez worked through a scoreless fifth while Rutgers Prep added an insurance run to extend the lead to 5-2.

That’s when the trouble started.

Perez was replaced after facing two batters in the sixth, allowing a walk and a single, up against his pitch count. He was replaced by Jake Brown.

He struck out Price to open the outing on a positive note, but DH Stephen Pikulin quickly put a stop to that.

He crushed a game-tying, three-run home run off an electrical pole way past the centerfield fence, knotting the game at five runs apiece.

After the next three sides went scoreless — including a clutch bases-loaded defensive stand by the Panthers in the bottom of the seventh — they headed to extras.

In the eighth, Price singled, followed by a Pikulin strikeout. Then Nico Moore — after relieving Komline on the mound — singled himself.

Right fielder Josh Moore dialed up a long RBI double to put Bridgewater-Raritan in front. Then after a walk by leadoff centerfielder Andrew Schmieder, Komline did his job with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Then catcher Michael Lobosco came up.

On a 2-2 count, he torched a fastball over the left-field wall to break the game open with a three-run blast.

Moore would shut down the side in the bottom half of the inning to seal the victory.

The Panthers outscored the Argonauts 10-1 after the second inning, with two home runs and contributions from all across the lineup.

Moore earned the win with two innings in relief, while Brown was given the loss in his three innings out of the pen.

Bridgewater-Raritan will advance to face top-seeded Immaculata — who defeated Montgomery 11-1 on Thursday — in the SCT semifinals on Monday at TD Bank Ballpark. It’ll be a matchup of the last two Somerset County champions.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Bridgewater-Raritan seniors Kellan Komline and Stephen Pikulin, and head coach Max Newill, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Middlesex pitcher Chris Kozak (12) throws a pitch.
by Alec Crouthamel

Two-seed Middlesex shuts down seven-seed St. Thomas Aquinas 3-0, advances to GMC semifinals for second straight year

If you’ve seen Middlesex win one baseball game, you’ve likely seen a hundred of them.

The Blue Jays (20-2, 13-1) have a formula, and execute it well. A gem from one of their “bulldog” aces. Innings where they feed off of each other’s at-bats and stack up runs. Some clutch pinch hitting. And of course, timely defensive plays.

Second-seeded Middlesex got all of that in its 3-0 win over seventh-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament quarterfinals, moving onto the semifinals for the second straight year.

While the Blue Jays didn’t pile on as many station-to-station innings as they’re used to, a three-run fourth inning was all they needed with senior pitcher Chris Kozak on the bump.

He went the distance, throwing a complete-game shutout in 89 pitches, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

But the win didn’t come without some adversity. With their backs against the wall, the Trojans (10-13, 6-8) managed to load the bases with a single, walk, and single with one out in the top of the sixth inning, and the go-ahead run at the plate in starting pitcher Nikash Patel. For the second straight at-bat, Patel came out ambush-style and mashed the first pitch, but it sailed foul over the fence, just barely early on the breaking ball.

Two pitches later, Patel took another opportunity at a ball he liked. He grounded it hard towards senior shortstop Marcus Lavornia. Lavornia took a dive to his right, came up with the ball in his glove, and flipped it to second baseman Anthony Melchiorre.

With the echoing “Get rid of it!” from his coaching staff in the home dugout, Melchiorre fired a laser to first baseman Luke Jones, just barely beating Patel to the spot.

Inning over. No runs scored.

Kozak retired the side in order in 11 pitches the very next inning to end it.

The matchup began as a pitcher’s duel with neither side able to gain an offensive edge. The first 12 batters of the game were retired in order through the first two innings, and each team recorded their first hits of the game in the third inning, but nobody scored.

The opening stretch offered some impressive outfield defense as well, with the wind blowing out to left field on a cool, breezy afternoon at Mountainview Park. That included some catches on the run by Blue Jays centerfielder Dominic Long, and a diving grab by St. Thomas Aquinas left fielder Louie Scaff to end the first inning.

After Kozak worked a nifty pickoff move to retire courtesy runner Junior Perez in the top of the fourth, Middlesex’s offense got going in the bottom half.

Jones started it off with a one-out single, advancing to second on a passed ball. Designated hitter Sean Hughes flew out to left field to record the second out, but the Blue Jays worked some two-out magic.

Long drew a six-pitch walk to put runners on first and second, prompting a pitching change, as the Trojans replaced Patel with freshman third baseman Justin Monterosso. He walked Middlesex third baseman Diego Marcano on four pitches to load the bases to start his outing. Then, with Kozak at the plate, Jones scored on a spiked wild pitch that bounced high in the air to score the game’s first run.

Kozak helped his own cause by re-loading the bases with a five-pitch walk. Second-year skipper Blaze Iannetti then went to pinch-hitting extraordinaire Dalton Michael in a crucial spot.

Michael came out first-pitch swinging, and he lined a fastball into the left-center gap to score Long and Marcano.

St. Thomas Aquinas made another pitching change, inserting junior Chris Gutauskas, who induced an inning-ending groundout to get out of the jam.

The three-run frame was all the Blue Jays needed to come away victorious.

The Trojans did put up a fight in the sixth, but Kozak regained his composure with an easy-looking seventh inning. He threw over 15 pitches in just two innings, trusting his defense and inducing soft contact. He earned the win in his shutout performance.

Patel was given the loss in 3.2 innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs, with three strikeouts and two walks. Gutauskas retired all seven batters he faced in relief.

Middlesex advances to the championship tournament semifinals for the second straight year after doing so last year as the ten-seed.

The Blue Jays will face off against third-seeded Old Bridge — who outlasted six-seeded Woodbridge 1-0 in eight innings Wednesday — on Saturday at East Brunswick Magnet High School. Middlesex is looking for its first GMC Championship appearance since it won the title back in 2012.

Click below for postgame reaction from Middlesex head coach Blaze Iannetti and seniors Chris Kozak and Marcus Lavornia, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:


Watchung Hills pitcher Robbie Centamore throws a pitch.
by Alec Crouthamel

Full-lineup power propels No. 5 Watchung Hills to 10-0 run-rule win over No. 1 Immaculata

The afternoon of the Somerset County Tournament seeding meeting, each team in action wanted to put their best foot forward ahead of the postseason.

No. 5 Watchung Hills did that, and then some, against No. 1 Immaculata.

The Warriors (11-4, 7-2) bounced back from a 12-2 loss to defending Group 2 state champion Governor Livingston with a five-inning 10-0 victory of their own, giving the Spartans (12-4, 8-1) their first loss in conference play.

Senior pitcher and designated hitter Rob Centamore did his job on the mound and at the plate, going the distance with five shutout innings, while striking out seven batters and allowing just two hits. He also hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-0, helping his cause even further.

First baseman Max Payne capped off a four-run fifth inning with a bases-loaded RBI single to close out the win. Watchung Hills would’ve batted around in the inning, had the game not ended with the hit.

The rest of the lineup production came from the bottom of the order, with the Warriors’ eighth and ninth hitters — centerfielder Chris Dorsi (two RBIs), pinch-hitter Bennett Dealaman (one RBI), and right fielder Sam Hunsinger (four RBIs) plating the remaining seven runs.

Dealaman was a busy man himself, courtesy-running for catcher Jacob Jaconski — who was plunked three straight times in his first three plate appearances through four innings — before stepping up to the plate himself in the fifth to drive in a run with a single.

Watchung Hills threatened in the first inning with runners on the corners and one out, but Immaculata pitcher Cole Raymond worked a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the jam scoreless. That came after the Spartans left a runner in scoring position in the top of the first with a one-out double from sophomore second baseman Luca Catanzarite, as Centamore left him at second base.

The Warriors got the job done in the second inning, though. The first five batters reached base against Raymond — with four hits and a walk — and Dorsi opened the scoring with a two-run bloop single. Hunsinger brought in two more with a single of his own to bring home the first four runs of the game. Jaconski recorded his second HBP of the game with one out, but another timely 4-6-3 double play ended the inning with a four-run advantage.

Centamore continued to deal, rendering Immaculata hitless from the first inning until the fifth inning, with two walks serving as the only baserunners. He helped his own case in the bottom of the fourth inning with the aforementioned two-run blast, a sky-high ball that just cleared the left-field fence at Frank T. Matullo Stadium. A groundout on the ensuing batter ended the inning, and worked through a shutout inning in the fourth before a pitching change.

Sophomore first baseman Andrew Wheeler moved over to the mound to take over for Raymond. He worked a flyout against second baseman Landon Pudlak, but the next three batters all reached, with back-to-back walks followed by an RBI single from Dealaman.

Immaculata then went to senior right-hander Michael Drelich out of the bullpen, but Watchung Hills kept on hitting. Hunsinger laced a double into the left-center field gap to plate two more runs to make it a nine-run lead, before Drelich worked a groundout to record the second out. That was the last out the Spartans would get, however, with the best of the order due up.

Jaconski worked a walk — without getting hit by the pitch this time! — and Centamore added a single to put runners on first and second with two outs. Payne ended it with his RBI single up the middle to send the Warriors home with an early victory.

Centamore earned the victory with five shutout innings, two hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Raymond was given the loss in four innings of work, allowing six earned runs on seven hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and three hit batters.

How this affects Tuesday night’s SCT seeding meeting remains to be determined. Watchung Hills had been in the mix for a top-four seed for much of the recent weeks, and Immaculata was the favorite to be the tournament’s top seed. While Immaculata only has the one county loss, Watchung Hills’ two conference losses came to Ridge, which was swept by the Spartans.

It’s a Somerset County transitive triangle!

CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko will have the full bracket after the meeting — starting at 7:30 Tuesday night — at @cjsportsradio on Twitter/X, with a full story after.

All these teams can do is control what is in front of them, and the Warriors — now winners of seven of their last eight games since getting swept by the Red Devils in mid-April — did a good job of putting their best foot forward Tuesday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco and senior pitcher/DH Rob Centamore, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Middlesex pitcher Dominic Long (3) throws a pitch.
by Alec Crouthamel

With division crown in hand, No. 2 Middlesex eyes sweep of No. 5 Colonia to continue blazing-fast start

No. 2 Middlesex baseball reached the mountaintop once again last season with its seventh NJSIAA state title, but the Blue Jays (14-1) are looking for more.

They had four goals in mind before the season started, already accomplishing one of them on Tuesday. Middlesex clinched the GMC White Division title in a 4-0 win over Colonia, the first of a two-game set against the Patriots.

Next up? The conference title — with the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament seeding meeting eight days away — then the sectional and state titles. With a blistering 14-1 record, each win brings the Blue Jays closer to a potential championship run.

With one goal conquered, the second game of the series comes up on Thursday afternoon for a 4 pm home game, which you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 3:45 from Mountain View Park with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call; click here to listen.

Tuesday’s victory was a bit of a wild one at Colonia. Both starting pitchers, Colin Kroner and Chris Kozak, went the distance, but the Blue Jays were able to put pressure on the basepaths and make good things happen. Even some unexpected, including an RBI single from Dominic Long — Thursday’s projected starter on the bump — where a Patriot fielder collided with an umpire.

But that’s all Middlesex does. The Blue Jays stick to their approach, putting the ball in play by any means necessary, and forcing the opposition to make the plays.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the defending Group 1 champions, of course. The team is still dealing with the loss of left fielder James Matula, who passed away in November. But the friendly confines of Mountain View Park have brought the team even closer, says second-year skipper Blaze Iannetti. And since an emotional Opening Day, featuring a heartfelt pregame ceremony and dedication to the young star, the Blue Jays have found their stride on the diamond.

They’ve been able to win big, and also win the close ones. Iannetti and his coaching staff has done some shuffling of the order and positional alignments throughout the recent weeks, but the ball keeps meeting the bat, and the pitching and defense continues to shine.

Having two “bulldogs” on the bump like Kozak and Long each day certainly helps, and the respective senior and junior have only improved since last season’s state title run. Seven of the nine regular starters return from last year’s team, as well, and at about the midway point of the year, have fully taken a step forward, whether it’s newcomers stepping into new roles, or returners progressing in their same spot.

Middlesex goes for its 11th straight victory coming up against the Patriots, already with a division title in hand, but the Blue Jays are looking for more, with some more steps ahead.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Middlesex head coach Blaze Iannetti about the Blue Jays’ upcoming game against Colonia and their hot start to the season: