Category: Baseball

by Mike Pavlichko

Another gem from Faigin, backed up by Monroe offense, gives Falcons 7-0 win over Old Bridge, first GMC Tourney title since 2015

Chances are, with Ben Faigin on the mound, Monroe is going to win the ballgame.

Then again, his lone loss coming into the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Final was against Old Bridge, a 9-5 road loss on April 23rd.

But that was not what happened Saturday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick. In fact, quite the opposite.

Faigin – a Rutgers commit who’s just a junior – took a no-hitter into the seventh before giving up a leadoff double to the Knights’ Eric Schickschneit. But he induced a groundout and got two strikeouts to end it, going a complete game and just allowing five baserunners; the other four came on walks.

Meanwhile, ninth-seed Monroe scored early and often, all but one of their runs coming in the first three innings.

Justin Mangano led off the game and got hit by the very first pitch from Old Bridge’s Brady Meyer, an early sign of control issues. Faigin grounded into a fielder’s choice, and after he stole second, came home to score on Alex Marcus’ single. Nico Antoniades followed with a walk, and Matt Linke drove him in with a single to make it 2-0. Two strikeouts by Meyer ended the inning and kept the damage to a minimum.

The Falcons would make it 3-0 in the second on a sac fly to right by Mangano, scoring Tyler Bacon, who walked to leadoff the inning.

They would add three more in the third. Linke led off with a double to left, and after a strikeout, Austin Loudin hit a ball to left and reached on an error when Nick Natale misplayed it for Old Bridge. After Bacon popped up a bunt for the second out, a Kyle Rutan double scored both and made it 5-0. That was it for Meyer, who was replaced by Chris Crosta coming in from third, and he gave up a single to Mangano for his second RBI of the game to make it 6-0.

Monroe added one more in the sixth on an RBI single by Linke,

Meanwhile, Faigin was cruising, allowing just four walks through the first six innings. He got in a little trouble in the sixth, walking back-to-back hitters with one out, and they advanced to second and third on stolen bases, but Faigin K’d Matt Chin for the second out and got Jared Volpe to ground out to short.

In the end, Faigin gave up one hit in seven innings, walked four and struck out 12 to improve to 7-1 on the season. Monroe wins its second GMC Tournament title, and first since 2015, in five appearances. They finish their season 15-14, having been eliminated from the Central Jersey Group 4 section of the state tournament on the eve of the GMC final, with a 10-2 loss at Hightstown Friday night.

Monroe junior Ben Faigin pitches in the 2026 GMC Tournament final against Old Bridge on May 30, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Meyer took the loss for the Knights, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits. He walked four – one intentional, hit one batter and struck out three.

Old Bridge, however, still has the states to look forward to. They are now 20-8 – with an 11-game win streak snapped – but will play in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals Wednesday at home at Fred Cole Field against 4th-seed Hightstown.

Click below for postgame reaction on the field with Justin Sontupe, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Monroe junior pitcher Ben Faigin
Senior catcher Justin Mangano and head coach Sean Field
by Mike Pavlichko

Jim Muldowney GMC Finals Preview: Old Bridge, Monroe set to face off for title, with Knights still alive in states

It’s not much of a surprise that either third-seed Old Bridge or nine-seed Monroe will play Saturday for the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament Championship.

Just about anyone from the Red Division in the Greater Middlesex Conference (and others, too) would have been a worthy participant in one game to determine conference supremacy.

But when they do play Saturday for the title at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, it will be a unique situation, and different for both teams.

Years ago, the GMC decided to move its tournament up earlier in the calendar, so the finals would not me in the middle of the NJSIAA state tournament. Bun rain all last weekend prevented that from happening, and the game got rescheduled to Saturday, May 30th.

Old Bridge, meanwhile, earned a top-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and Monroe got the five-seed. Had it worked out, both could have been facing each other again next week in the semifinals. But while the Knights won their semi Friday against Freehold Twp., 8-0, Monroe fell 10-2 at Hightstown.

Now, the two teams enter in much different situations.

Old Bridge is coming off a playoff win, and will “break” for the GMC final, then have to shift back into “one-and-done” mode next Wednesday, and hope they don’t have to go too deep into their bullpen Saturday. Monroe has it’s top two pitchers both available in Ben Faigin – who will get the start – and Andre Love, with nothing to save them for. This is the end of the line.

With that, here’s a look at the 2026 GMC championship.

2026 JIM MULDOWNEY GMC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINALS AT-A-GLANCE

Teams:
(3) Old Bridge Knights (20-8, 9-5, 2nd place in the GMC Red)
(9) Monroe Falcons (14-14, 6-8, 5th place in the GMC Red)

Date and Time: Saturday, May 30 at noon (pregame 11:40)
Location: Ray Cipperly Field, East Brunswick Magnet HS
Weather: 66, mix of sun and clouds, NW wind (across the diamond from right to left) at 20 mph, gusts 33 mph
Listen On: Central Jersey Sports Radio
Watch On: Our YouTube Channel
Announcers: Mike Pavlichko & Justin Sontupe

Head Coaches:
Old Bridge: Matt Donaghue (9th year, 8th season, 138-91, GMCT champs in 2019 and 2024)
Monroe: Sean Field (8th year, 7th season, 93-73)

Probable Starters:
Old Bridge: Brady Myer (3-1, 2.93 ERA)
Monroe: Ben Faigin (6-1, 1.18 ERA)

ORIGINAL PREVIEW STORIES:

UPDATED INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH HEAD COACHES:

Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue
Monroe head coach Sean Field

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Old Bridge:
First Round: def. (14) Sayreville, 1-0
Quarterfinals: def. (6) Woodbridge, 1-0
Semifinals: def. (2) Middlesex, 9-3

Monroe:
First Round: def. (6) Colonia, 9-2
Quarterfinals: def. (1) Edison, 9-1
Semifinals: def. (5) South Plainfield, 1-0

TEAM LEADERS:

Old Bridge:

  • Batting Average: Matt Chin (.427), Michael Chiarella, Jared Volpe (.318)
  • RBI: Matt Chin (21), Jared Volpe, Adrian Lutomski (14)
  • HR: Matt Chin, Michael Chiarella (2), four others with 1
  • Walks: Matt Chin (15), Chris Crosta (11)
  • Stolen Bases: Chris Crosta (7), Brady Meyer (5)
  • Wins: Blake Dunleavy (5), four others with 3
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Brady Meyer (1.34), Matt Levitt (2.15)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Brady Meyer (42), Blake Dunleavy (40)

Monroe:

  • Batting Average:Ben Faigin (.481), Justin Mangano (.427), Alex Marcus (.289)
  • RBI: Alex Marcus (23), Ben Faigin (17), Niko Antoniades (15)
  • HR: Ben Faigin (2), Robert Profaci (1)
  • Walks: Ben Fiagin (21), Michael Cinque (14)
  • Stolen Bases: Ben Faigin (21), Justin Mangano (10)
  • Wins: Ben Faigin (6), Siddarth Desai, Aadi Shah (3)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Ben Faigin (1.18), Camerron Kappus (2.74)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Ben Faigin (74), Andre Love (70)

Team Stats:

  • Batting Average: Old Bridge .281, Monroe .270
  • Home Runs: Old Bridge 8, Monroe 3
  • Stolen Bases: Monroe 58, Old Bridge 18
  • Runs Scored: Old Bridge 119, Monroe 119
  • Runs Allowed: Monroe 137, Old Bridge 105
  • Strikeouts (Pitchers): Monroe 230, Old Bridge 163

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Old Bridge

Monroe

NOTES AND NUGGETS:

New blood, again….

Even though both schools have won a GMC Tournament title in the last decade or so – Monroe in 2015, Old Bridge in 2029 and 2023 – this will be the third straight year the defending champion failed to make the finals.

St. Joseph-Metuchen made it back in 2022 after beating South Brunswick the year before, and North Brunswick beat the Falscons in 2022, then got back in 2023 – and lost again to St. Joe’s.

But the finals saw two different teams in 2024 – Old Bridge and South Plainfield – while last year’s title game featured St. Joe’s (in its third trip in four years) against Edison.

This year, same deal: St. Joe’s came in as the 12-seed and lost their opening round game to fifth-seed South Plainfield, 2-1. Edison was the top-seed, but after a 10-0 victory over 17-seed and Gold Division champ Piscataway Magnet in the first round, lost 9-1 to ninth-seed Monroe in the quarterfinals.

How will the seeds fare?

While the nine-seed in the tournament last reached the title game in 2016, when JP Stevens lost to second-seed East Brunswick, 1-0, you don’t have to go as far back as that to find an even lower-seeded team that made the finals. Edison made it as an 11-seed last year, and lost to fifth-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7-4, on a walk-off grand slam by JP Zayle.

The lowest seed ever to win the GMC Tournament was Woodbridge, 26 years ago. The Barrons were the 17-seed and knocked off second-seed JFK, 7-1.

The nine-seed is 0-2 in the finals all-time. Besides the Hawks, mentioned above, Monroe also was a nine-seed when they made the finals in 2013, but lost to seven-seed JFK, 4-2, for Kennedy’s only title ever, in four trips to the finals.

  • 2013:  (7) JFK 4, (9) Monroe 2 (top-seed Middlesex, Blue Div.)
  • 2016:  (2) East Brunswick 1, (9) JP Stevens 0 (top-seed Monroe, White)

The third-seed has fared better, going 5-3, with wins coming in 1997, 2002, 2012, and twice since COVID, in 2023 and 2024. Old Bridge won it as a three-seed in 2024, and also beat a three-seed. That came in 2019, when the Knights were the No. 1 seed and beat third-seed South Brunswick, 2-1, Donaghue’s first title in just his second season at Old Bridge

  • 1994:  (1) Edison 10, (3) Monroe 3
  • 1997:  (3) East Brunswick 3, (5) JFK 2
  • 1999:  (1) Edison 7, (3) Bishop Ahr 2
  • 2002:  (3) South Brunswick 4, (1) Piscataway 2 (9 innings)
  • 2012:  (3) Middlesex 10, (1) Sayreville 4
  • 2019:  (1) Old Bridge 2, (3) South Brunswick 1
  • 2023:  (3) St. Joseph 2, (1) North Brunswick 0
  • 2024:  (3) Old Bridge 6, (1) South Plainfield 5

Big Schools….

While the NJSIAA only classifies teams by size into four groups in baseball, football is divided into five, with Group 5 being the largest schools. And this will be the first time since 2019 two “Group 5” football schools have made the finals. That year, the Knights were the top-seed and beat third-seed South Brunswick, 2-1, for Matt Donaghue’s first of two championships as Old Bridge head coach.

St. Joseph spoiled that party by making four of five GMC finals since COVID, but the one year it was two public schools, in 2024, it was third-seed Old Bridge (Group 5) over top-seed South Plainfield (Group 3 in baseball and football) by a 6-5 score.

Parallels…

Last year, St. Joseph-Metuchen won the GMC Tournament without ever having led for a single pitch of any of its four games, from the first round through the finals. They won their first two games 1-0, both in extra innings, then walked off Spotswood in the semifinals and beat Edison for the title on a first-pitch grand slam by JP Zayle.

While Old Bridge hasn’t been that dramatic, their games have kept their fans ont he edge of their seats. They even won their first two games by 1-0 scores in this year’s tournament, and the second was in extra innings. In the first round against Sayreville, they won 1-0 with their run coming in the fourth. In the quarters, Eric Schnickschneit drove in Jared Volpe with a single in the bottom of the eighth to win it.

And while they didn’t walk-off Middlesex in the semifinals two Saturdays ago, Middlesex trailed 3-0 going into their final at bat, and tied it with three in the seventh, but Old Bridge came back and scored six in the top of the seventh to take a 9-3 lead, holding Middlesex scoreless in the bottom of the inning to take the win.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY (wins in bold)

Old Bridge (3-1):

  • 2008:  (10) St. Joseph 3, (4) Old Bridge 2
  • 2011:  (2) Old Bridge 3, (4) South Plainfield 2
  • 2019:  (1) Old Bridge 2, (3) South Brunswick 1
  • 2024:  (3) Old Bridge 6, (1) South Plainfield 5

Monroe (1-3):

  • 1994:  (1) Edison 10, (3) Monroe 3
  • 2013:  (7) JFK 4, (9) Monroe 2
  • 2015:  (2) Monroe 1, (8) Sayreville 0 (8 innings) 
  • 2017:  (1) St. Joseph 1, (6) Monroe 0

Note: Old Bridge was comprised of Madison Central and Cedar Ridge prior to the 1994 merger. Their combined histories are below. Each team made two appearances in the finals, with one win each.

  • 1986:  (12) East Brunswick 14, (7) Madison Central 3
  • 1987:  (10) Cedar Ridge 2,  (16) Colonia 1
  • 1989:  (1) Madison Central 8, (6) Cedar Ridge 7 (8 innings)

by Mike Pavlichko

Friday NJSIAA Public State Playoff Roundup: Top-seed Old Bridge advances, but fellow GMC finalist Monroe is knocked out; Watchung Hills, No. 1 seeds Ridge, Middlesex move on; South Plainfield ousts North; Piscataway Magnet walks off again

We started with 32, and after two rounds, we’re down to seven. (At least among the publics.)

Seven teams are all that remain from the Greater Middlesex and Skyland Conferences after the first round and quarterfinals of the NJSIAA state tournament, and all will have an opportunity to reach the section finals in their respective sections next Friday, if they can win semifinal games next week.

Only one team remains in Central Jersey Group 4, where top-seed old Bridge advanced, but fifth-seed Monroe lost, on the eve of their meeting in the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament championship game Saturday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick. First pitch of that game is at noon with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling the action. Pregame is set for 11:40, and you can either listen to the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio the usual way, or watch our live YouTube stream by clicking here.

In other sections, second-seed Piscataway Magnet earned its 25th win – for the second straight state tournament game in walk-off fashion – leading the Raiders into one semifinal, while top-seed Middlesex won again by the mercy rule and also will play for a title game berth.

Top-seed Ridge, third-seed Watchung Hills and fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan advanced in North 2, Group 4 action, making it three of four teams in the semifinals from the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, while defending North 2, Group 3 champion South Plainfield also moved on to the semis in its section, and will seek a third straight trip to the finals.

Scroll through for section-by-section game recaps, interviews, links and more, followed by the schedule for the next round – which resumes next week after a weekend break – for the non-public sections (Tuesday) and publics (Wednesday).

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4

(1) Old Bridge 8, (8) Freehold Twp. 0: The Knights (20-8) got a complete game, one-hit shutout from Mason Mule, who only needed 66 pitches to get through seven innings, facing the minimum 27 batters, despite only striking out three. In fact, the only hit he allowed was a third-inning single by Julian Polo, who was thrown out at second by right fielder Michael Chiarella when he tried to turn it into a double.

Old Bridge got two RBI’s apiece from Nicholas Agonstino and Matt Chin, while Jared Volpe scored twice. They went up 1-0 in the second on an Adrian Lutomski double, then got two more in the fourth when Chiarella, with the bases loaded, lined a ball to short, but an error allowed two runs to score. And while that was all they’d need, the Knights added four more for insurance in the fourth, and one more for good measure in the fifth.

Perhaps the biggest thing about Mule’s performance is that head coach Matt Donaghue elected not to go with his top pitcher, Brady Meyer, and it paid off. That leaves Meyer in line to start the GMC Final Saturday afternoon against Monroe. (See the Falcons’ game summary from today for their pitching situation.) And he could come back Wednesday in the semifinals if he throws under 90 pitches Saturday, or in a potential final Friday regardless of his Saturday pitch count.

Click here to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the win over Freehold Twp., and Saturday’s GMC Final against Monroe, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(4) Hightstown 10, (5) Monroe 2: The Falcons (14-14) were down 2-0 early in this one, as the Rams (18-7) scored twice in their first at bat, on a bases loaded single to center by Dylan Stables and a bases loaded ground out by Manny Gonzalez. And Monroe kept Highstown in check until the fourth, when they exploded for eight runs to take a 10-0 lead. That chased starter Aadi Shah from the game after 3 2/3, allowing seven hits and seven runs, only four of them earned.

With neither Ben Faigin nor Andre Love pitching in the game, both are available to Saturday in the GMC final against Old Bridge, with nearly their full complement of pitches: Faigin will be capped at 105 and Love at 96.

Click here to listen to Monroe head coach Sean Field talk about Friday’s state tournament loss, and coming back Saturday for the GMC final against Old Bridge, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(7) Jackson Twp. 12, (15) Franklin 0 (5 inn.): The Warriors (8-12) got nine hits through five innings, but failed to get anything across in a mercy-rule shortened game. The Jaguars (12-15) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but piled on eight runs in the second – aided by three Franklin errors – and added three more in the fourth. Dylan Shah, Mason Bonds, Shayne Rooney and Christian Jacas each had two hits in the losing effort.

  • (1) Old Bridge def. (8) Freehold Twp., 8-0
  • (4) Hightstown def. (5) Monroe, 10-2
  • (3) Hunterdon Central def. (6) Manalapan, 12-7
  • (7) Jackson Twp. def. (15) Franklin, 12-1

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1

(1) Middlesex 11, (8) South Hunterdon 1 (6 inn.): The Blue Jays (22 -5) look very much like the team that won the Group 1 state championship last year, and might even be better. Once again, it was Dominic Long on the mound, striking out six and allowing just five hits and one earned run in six innings of work.

Middlesex never trailed in the game, but they did find themselves tied 1-1 heading into the home second inning. But they took the lead back with one in the second, the first of ten unanswered runs over the final five innings. After taking a 2-1 edge into the third, they scored two in the third, then got three more in the fifth and walked it off with a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth.

Dylan Ianiero and Chris Kozak each drove in two runs, while Long scored three times, and Ianiero and Marcus Lavornia each scored twice.

The Blue Jays will host 5-seed Shore (19-8) next Wednesday in the semifinals, but the Blue Devils first have the Monmouth County Tournament Ted Jarmusz Division title game at 4 pm Monday at Colts Neck.

(2) Piscataway Magnet 5, (10) Delaware Valley 4 (9 inn.): For the second straight game in the state tournament, the Raiders won 5-4 in their final at bat, this time needing two extra innings to prevail. Freshman shortstop Trey Lyerly drove in Vincent Canavan with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, after Canavan walked to leadoff the inning and stole second to get into scoring position. You can read the full game story, complete with postgame audio from Lyerly and head coach Greg Sampson at the link.

The Raiders (25-3) will face third-seed Point Pleasant Beach (16-6) – a CJ1 finalist last year and the winners of three straight sectional titles before that – Wednesday in the semifinals, back at home.

(5) Shore 4, (4) Metuchen 0: The Bulldogs’ season ends at 19-8, as the Blue Devils managed five hits and four runs (three earned) off starter James Fenton in his six innings of work, getting two runs in the second and adding two more in the fifth for insurance. Metuchen managed just four hits off Blue Devils’ (19-8) starter Ryan Barham, who struck out seven and walked just one.

  • (1) Middlesex def. (8) South Hunterdon, 11-1 (6 inn.)
  • (5) Shore def. (4) Metuchen, 4-0
  • (3) Point Pleasant Beach def. (11) Florence, 11-1 (5 inn.)
  • (2) Piscataway Magnet def. (10) Delaware Valley, 5-4 (9 inn.)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4

(1) Ridge 10, (8) Phillipsburg 0 (6 inn.): The Red Devils (17-0) jumped on Phillipsburg (14-10) with four runs in the bottom of the first, then walked it off with three in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by mercy rule.

Lucas Grob and Jake Dolan stroked back-to-back one-out singles in the first, and another by Casey Kucerka got Ridge all the runs they turned out to need. After a walk to Casey Kucerka, Dimitri Romer singled score two, and Aiden Kerrigan hit a sac fly to right to make it 4-0.

Kucerka drove in three runs for Ridge, while Grob and Dolan each had two RBIs. Romer went all six innings for the win, striking out five, scattering just three hits to improve to 5-2 on the season.

The Red Devils will meet Skyland Delaware foe and five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (13-16) in the semifinals – a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – next Wednesday at 4 pm. The teams split their two game set this year, both winning by 4-3 scores.

Click here to hear Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell talk about the Red Devils’ state playoff win over Phillipsburg with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(5) Bridgewater-Raritan 10, (4) JP Stevens 0 (5 inn.): The Panthers (13-6) have now won four of their last six after a mercy-rule win over the Hawks, their second by the run rule in two state tournament games. Nico Moore got the win, allowing just four hits in his five innings of work. Read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, and hear postgame reaction from Nico Moore, Michael Lobosco and head coach Max Newill at the link.

The Panthers will visit top-seed Ridge Wendesday at 4 pm in the semifinals, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Ridge and Bridgewater split their two game set this year, each winning by a 4-3 score.

(3) Watchung Hills 8, (6) Westfield 6: The Hustlin’ Warriors hung on for dear life in this one, nearly seeing an 8-1 lead after five innings slip away.

Westfield led 1-0, opening the scoring in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Andrew Lisnok, but Watchung Hills took the lead in the bottom of the inning. After a walk and hit batsman to lead off the inning, pinch-hitter David Begarney singled to tie the game. Brody Girffith stole home for the second run, and Jacob Jaconski makde it 4-0 with a line drive single to left.

Then, it was a five-spot in the fifth. Max Payne led off, reaching on an error on the shortstop, Landon Pudlak Walked, and Griffith reached on a bunt down the third-base line. After BRady Simo popped out – with the infield fly in effect – Bennett Dealaman reached on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-0 Warriors. A walk to pinch-hitter Lucas Ricci loaded the bases again, and a Jaconski walk scored the sixth run.After another fielder’s choice, this one by Stef DeGeronimo, Rob Centamore singled to drive in two, giving Watchung Hills what looked like a commanding lead.

But, Westfield would chip away. They got a two in the top of the sixth on and RBI single by Jack Doherty and a two-RBI double by Liam Sullivan to make it 8-4. And they came back for more in the seventh. After a leadoff error, a groundout, another error and a walk, Max Payne came in for Hills and walked Doherty to make ti 8-3, then gave up a single to Alex Lawrence to score two and make it 8-5. All that came with one out, but Payne then induced a pop up for the second out, and fanned Owen O’Connor on strike three swinging to end the game.

The Warriors will travel up to second-seed Bayonne (21-8) to play the Bees in the semifinals next Wednesday afternoon.

(2) Bayonne 3, (10) Woodbridge 1: The Barrons’ season ends at 16-11, dropping a pitchers’ duel in Hudson County Friday afternoon in which Woodbridge actually outhit their hosts, 5-3. The Bees opened the scoring in the first on a groundout by Cody Guthrie, and Woodbridge tied it in the fifth with a double by Hogan Boyd. But Bayone got two to go ahead for good in the bottom of the inning, one on an error on a grounder to Gavin Slicner off the bat of Brayden O’Connor, and another on a sac fly to center by Carmelo Isler.

  • (1) Ridge def. (8) Phillipsburg, 10-0
  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (4) JP Stevens, 10-0 (6 inn.)
  • (3) Watchung Hills def. (6) Westfield, 8-6
  • (2) Bayonne def. (10) Woodbridge, 3-1

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3

(4) South Plainfield 7, (5) North Plainfield 0: Andrew Bena – the second half of a formidable 1-2 starting pitcher punch for the Tigers (16-11) was outstanding, allowing just four hits while striking out ten in a six-inning effort. Jayden Jiminez closed it out.

South Plainfield got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the second. Andrew Cicenia and Ed Bundzinski opened with back-to-back singles, and after a strikeout, Andrew Burns walked, and Joe Stanzione cleared the bases with a double to make it 3-0. Stanzione scored after a second strikeout when Aiden McCarthy hit the ball to second and reached on an error.

The defending North 2, Group 3 champion Tigers – who added another run in the fourth and two more int he sixth for insurance – move on to play at top-seed Chatham (20-6) Wednesday in the sectional semifinals.

Click here to listen to South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the Tigers’ quarterfinal win over North Plainfield with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.
  • (1) Chatham def. (9) Middletown North, 3-0
  • (4) South Plainfield def. (5) North Plainfield, 7-0
  • (3) Cranford def. (11) Summit, 17-7 (5)
  • (2) North Hunterdon def. (7) Millburn, 6-0

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, June 3 (all games 4 pm unless otherwise noted)

Non-Public North B Semifinals

  • (5) Morristown Beard at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
  • (3) St. Thomas Aquinas at (2) Rutgers Prep, 4:30 pm (LIVE on CJSR)

Non-Public South A Semifinals

  • (5) Christian Brothers Academy at (1) Immaculata (at Diamond Nation, Flemington) (Follow Sean Newcomb on Twitter for updates)
  • (3) Red Bank Catholic at (2) St. Augustine

Wednesday, June 4 (game times TBA)

Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals

  • (4) Hightstown at (1) Old Bridge
  • (7) Jackson Twp. at (3) Hunterdon Central

Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals

  • (5) Shore at (1) Middlesex
  • (3) Point Pleasant Beach at (2) Piscataway Magnet

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Semifinals

  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan at (1) Ridge
  • (3) Watchung Hills at (2) Bayonne

North Jersey, Section 2 Semifinals

  • (4) South Plainfield at (1) Chatham
  • (3) Cranford at (2) North Hunterdon

Thursday, June 5: Non-Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

Friday, June 6: Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

by Mike Pavlichko

Trey Lyerly walks it off for Piscataway Magnet, 5-4 in 9, over Delaware Valley in CJ1 quarterfinals

For a group that has been tight-knit their entire careers, freshman Trey Lyerly fit right in.

And after Friday afternoon’s Central Jersey Group 2 semifinal game, he’s now officially a hero.

After a leadoff, five-pitch walk by Vincent Canavan in the bottom of the ninth, then a stolen base with Lyerly at the plate, the shortstop singled to drive him in from second with the game-winning run, setting off a wild celebration, and giving second-seed Piscataway Magenet a 5-4 win over ten-seed Delaware Valley in the Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals.

The Raiders’ first-round win over Henry Hudson Monday – also by a 5-4 score, and in walk-off fashion, with a four-run bottom-of-the-seventh – is believed to be their first ever, at least as far as head coach Greg Sampson has been able to figure out by combing through records and talking to former players and coaches. If that was the first, that would make this just the second.

And now, they are one win away from the title game. Next Wednesday, they’ll be in the semifinals, hosting third-seed and perennial contender Point Pleasant Beach (16-6). The Garnet Gulls have made the last five CJ1 title games, winning three straight from 2022 through 2024.

Piscataway Magnet (25-3) took a 3-0 lead in its first at bat. Canavan walked on four pitches, then Lyerly singled, and after a strikeout of Kyle Malchiodi, Colton Lyerly – Trey’s older brother, a junior – walked to load the bases. Derek Mejias then singled to center on a 1-1 pitch to score two, and a groundout by Elvis Rodriguez made it 3-0 Raiders.

Del Val would take a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth. After two singles to start the winning, a walk loaded the bases and another drove in the first run. A fielder’s choice and an error allowed two more runs to score, and the fourth came in on a passed ball.

After that, Jack Garrison came on in relief, and threw the final five innings, allowing just four hits and no runs, giving the Raiders a chance to come back.

And they did, tying the game 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out single by Adam Morales, driving in pinch-hitter Rodhen Santos, who walked to leadoff the inning.

Then the teams played scoreless until Magnet walked it off in the ninth.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with Piscataway Magnet freshman Trey Lylerly and head coach Greg Sampson:

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 Mike Pavlichko

Thursday NJSIAA State Tournament Roundup: Immaculata, St. Thomas Aquinas advance, while Perez K’s all 15 outs in Rutgers Prep win

There was an “immaculate inning” in the second, and it wasn’t a perfect game, but it was pretty close.

Rutgers Prep senior Li Perez allowed just one-hit and struck out 15 Pope John hitters Thursday afternoon in Non-Public North B quarterfinal action, as the second-seeded Argonauts (17-7) routed the 10th-seeded Lions 16-0 in a five-inning, ten-run rule win. All 15 outs recorded by Perez coming via strikeout. And he did it with just 59 pitches thrown.

Meanwhile, the offense pumped out its second-biggest run total of the year, one shy of the 17 Rutgers Prep scored in a 17-10 win over Union Catholic in the Autism Awareness Challenge on April 17th. Fellow senior Maddox Chu drove in five runs on a 2-for-2 day, which included a three-run homer to center in the first inning, and a two-run homer to right in the second, giving the Argos an 8-0 lead they would extend to 10-0 by the time the inning was over.

And just to make sure the ending was not in doubt, Rutgers Prep added a five-spot in the third, and one more in their final at bat, in the fourth, just for good measure.

Click here to listen to Rutgers Prep senior Li Perez talk about his 15-strikeout, one-hitter with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

The Argonauts move on to the North B semifinals next Tuesday, where they’ll play third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas in a Skyland Conference-GMC crossover. The Trojans (13-14) were 7-0 winners over Morris Catholic (13-11) Thursday in North Edison, and Louis Rizzolo (9 Ks in 6 innings) and Nikash Patel combined for a one-hit shutout.

Aquinas opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the third, and added three more in the fourth and another in the fifth. Patel stole home for the third run in the third, then drove in a run with a single in the fourth. Adrian Sanchez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

  • (1) St. Mary-Rutherford def. (8) Montclair Kimberley, 12-1 (5 inn.)
  • (5) Morristown-Beard def. (4) Newark Academy, 4-2
  • (3) St. Thomas Aquinas def. (6) Morris Catholic, 7-0
  • (2) Rutgers Prep def. (10) Pope John, 16-0 (5 inn.)

Non-Public South A:

Top-seed Immaculata (22-5) won its playoff opener Thursday, 7-0 over Paul VI of Haddonfield. The Spartans picked up a run each in the first and second off the bat of Luca Catanzerite – with a solo home run to right (his second of the year) to leadoff the bottom of the first, then a groundout in the second – before exploding for five in the third, all coming with two outs. Bryson Auten had the big blow in that inning, a three-run homer for his third of the season.

His older brother, Ryan, struck out 14, and allowed just one-hit in a complete-game shutout, to improve to 7-1 on the season.

The Spartans will host fifth-seed Christian Brothers Academy (17-8), in the first meeting between the teams in 15 years, at Diamond Nation in Flemington next Tuesday in the semifinals. CBA beat four-seed Union Catholic 9-2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

On the other side of the bracket, 10-seed Pingry (11-15) lost 8-0 down at second-seed St. Augustine (20-7). The Hermits did their damage early, with one in the first and three in the second, then another in the third and three more in the fourth. The Big Blue were held to three hits by Aug’s starter Alex Weingartner, who went five innings, with two other relievers combining for two innings of no-hit ball.

  • (1) Immaculata def. (8) Paul VI, 7-0
  • (5) Christian Brothers def. (4) Union Catholic, 9-2
  • (3) Red Bank Catholic def. (6) St. John Vianney, 4-1
  • (2) St. Augustine def. (10) Pingry, 8-0

UPCOMING SCHEUDLE:

Friday, May 29 (all games 4pm unless otherwise noted)

Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals

  • (8) Freehold Twp. at (1) Old Bridge
  • (5) Monroe at (4) Hightstown
  • (6) Manalapan at (3) Hunterdon Central
  • (15) Franklin at (10) Hillsborough or (7) Jackson Twp.

Central Jersey Group 1 Quarterfinals

  • (4) Metuchen at (1) Middlesex
  • (5) Shore at (4) Metuchen
  • (11) Florence at (3) Point Pleasant Beach
  • (10) Delaware Valley at (2) Piscataway Magnet

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals

  • (8) Phillipsburg at (1) Ridge
  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) JP Stevens
  • (6) Westfield at (3) Watchung Hills
  • (10) Woodbridge at (2) Bayonne, 4:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Quarterfinals

  • (9) Middletown North at (1) Chatham
  • (5) North Plainfield at (4) South Plainfield
  • (11) Summit at (3) Cranford
  • (7) Millburn at (2) North Hunterdon

Tuesday, June 3 (all games 4 pm unless otherwise noted)

Non-Public North B Semifinals

  • (5) Morristown Beard at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
  • (3) St. Thomas Aquinas at (2) Rutgers Prep

Non-Public South A Semifinals

  • (5) Christian Brothers Academy at (1) Immaculata (at Diamond Nation, Flemington)
  • (3) Red Bank Catholic at (2) St. Augustine

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA First Round: Franklin shocks second-seed Edison; firsts “in a while” for JP Stevens, North Plainfield, and Piscataway Magnet; GMC Finalists Old Bridge, Monroe survive

The first round of the NJSIAA state baseball playoffs had a number of intriguing matchups, but there were probably more surprises than anyone bargained for.

Starting with the top-seeds, Middlesex and Ridge rolled, but Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament finalist Old Bridge – the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 4 – survived with a 1-0- win, as did their opponent in this Saturday’s county final, Monroe.

Meanwhile, second-seed Edison – still reeling from injury issues with its starters – got upset in the first round by 15-seed Franklin, 5-4, while North Plainfield won its first playoff game in 15 years, and JP Stevens won its first in seven, in its first home game since 2019 as well.

Piscataway Magnet also got its first playoff win in at least a quarter century, maybe more. (More on that later.)

Here’s a rundown of every section in which Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area teams played – although one, Hillsborough at Jackson in CJ4 was postponed to Thursday due to rain – along with the upcoming schedule for Thursday’s non-public sectional quarterfinals, and Friday’s public sectional quarters.

Central Jersey Group 4:

The big story here was second-seed Edison (19-8) going down, 5-4, to 15-seed Franklin (8-11). The Eagles came into the season with three Division 1 starting pitchers: Connor Murphy (Monmouth) and Dom Innocenti and Rob Roma (Wagner). Those last two, however, have been limited over the last month or so, with Roma limited to under 40 pitches a game most of the year and Innocenti having not pitched in a month. Ray Tavarez took the first round start, and gave up five runs – though only two were earned – and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings, and took the hard-luck loss as the defense committed three errors. As big a loss as it was for the Eagles, it was a huge win for Franklin, and you can read more about that game from Alec Crouthamel, who also talked with first-year head coach Grant Neary after the game.

GMCT finalist and CJ4 top-seed Old Bridge (19-8) escaped with a 1-0 home win over 16-seed East Brunswick, taking the rubber match of three meetings this year. Chris Crosta’s single in the third inning drove in the lone run of the game. And the other of Saturday’s GMCT finalists – CJ4 fifth-seed Monroe (14-13) – also escaped with a 1-0 win, this one over 12-seed Montgomery, and on a walk-off. After a single by Tyler Bacon to start the home seventh, a sac bunt by Rob Profaci, another single from Justin Mangano, and an intentional walk to Ben Faigin loaded the bases, Alex Marcus got hit on the very next pitch, bringing home Bacon with the winning run.

Of note were the starting pitchers. Old Bridge went with Blake Dunleavy, who threw 6 2/3 innings of four-hit shutout ball. Brady Meyer finished it off, but just threw eight pitches, so he would have 110 in the tank for either Friday’s quarterfinal home game against eight-seed Freehold Twp., or Saturday’s noon GMCT title game against Monroe. The Falcons mixed it up with their two aces. Ben Faigin started and went three innings, throwing 45 pitches and striking out six. Andre Love finished it off and allowed just one hit, also striking out six, throwing just 54 pitches. That means Faigin could come back Friday – in the quarterfinals at four-seed Hightstown – or Saturday in the GMCT final, and throw 105 either day (but not both), while Love would have to rest Friday, but could come back Saturday in the GMCT title game and would have 96 pitches available.

  • (1) Old Bridge def. (16) East Brunswick, 1-0
  • (8) Freehold Twp. def. (9) South Brunswick, 4-3
  • (5) Monroe def. (12) Montgomery, 1-0
  • (4) Hightstown def. (13) Sayreville, 5-4
  • (3) Hunterdon Central def. (14) Princeton, 6-2
  • (6) Manalapan def. (11) Marlboro, 4-2
  • (10) Hillsborough at (7) Jackson Twp. (PPD to Thursday, 2 pm)
  • (15) Franklin def. (2) Edison, 5-4

Central Jersey Group 2:

Sixth-seed South River (17-10) fell before 4-0 before they could even get on the board, scoring their lone run in the bottom of the second on a Travis Maloney ground ball to third, with an error on the play allowing Noah Barrero to score. But that was all they’d get, as the Ravens scored no more than two runs in any inning, but did so in every inning but the third. The Rams were held to just three hits.

And ninth-seed Spotswood (14-13) saw its season end with a 4-1 loss at eight-seed Allentown. Brady DeStefano had a 3-for-4 day and drove in the lone run for the Chargers, who committed four errors, although only one of the four runs allowed by losing pitcher Jack Korneski was unearned.

Those were the only two CJSR-area teams in the section.

Central Jersey Group 1:

Top-seed Middlesex (21-5) rebounded from a 7-1 regular season tune-up loss to South Plainfield with a first-round laugher, scoring 21 runs in their 21st win of the season to defeat 16-seed Highland Park (5-17) by the final of 21-1. Sean Hughes led the offensive onslaught with a 4-for-5 day and four RBI and three runs scored, while Luke Jones scored four times and Lucas Blanco was 2-for-2 with three runs batted in. The Blue Jays also worked out nine walks, while senior Chris Kozak got the start and threw 50 pitches in four innings, striking out seven, walking one in a two-hit effort. The Blue Jays get eight-seed South Hunterdon (12-10) in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, fourth-seed Metuchen (19-7) advanced with a 12-2 five-inning win over 13-seed Somerset Tech (11-10). Lucas Malamung and Jon Nugent – who got the win – combined on a two-hitter in the win; Malamung gave up both runs, but they were unearned. Nugent, Sean Dereka and Mason Messina each knocked in three runs for the Bulldogs, who will host five-seed Shore Friday in the quarterfinals.

And on the other side of the bracket, two-seed Piscataway Magnet topped 15-seed Henry Hudson, 5-4, in what is believed to be its first playoff win since at least the 1990s, according to head coach Greg Sampson – who tells CJSR he’s still researching it at press time! And they almost didn’t get it, as the Raiders (24-3) trailed the Admirals (8-11) 4-1 heading into the final inning. But they got four runs in the seventh. After getting within a run, Colton Lyerly hit a sac fly to score his brother, Trey, and tie the game at 4-4. That left runners at the corners after an Elvis Rodriguez single moved Kyle Malchiodi to third, and an infield error on a grounder by Rodhen Santos brought home Malchiodi for a 5-4 win, and the first walk-off victory of the season for Piscataway Magnet, which now will host 10-seed Delaware Valley (12-8) Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals.

In other games, 12-seed Manville (9-14) was shutout at five-seed Shore, 4-0, while 14th-seed South Amboy (9-11) got walked-off in five by third-seed Point Pleasant Beach, 10-0, and sixth-seed Dunellen (18-8) lost 11-1 at home to 11-seed Florence.

  • (1) Middlesex def. (16) Highland Park, 21-1 (5 inn.)
  • (8) South Hunterdon def. (9) New Egypt, 2-1
  • (5) Shore def. (12) Manville, 4-0
  • (4) Metuchen def. (13) Somerset Tech, 12-2 (5 inn.)
  • (3) Point Pleasant Boro def. (14) South Amboy, 10-0 (5 inn.)
  • (11) Florence def. (6) Dunellen, 11-1 (7 inn.)
  • (10) Delaware Valley def. (7) Keyport, 2-0
  • (2) Piscataway Magnet def. (15) Henry Hudson, 5-4

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4:

All went to chalk here except for one game, with 10-seed Woodbridge (16-10) getting past seven-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood (14-12) on the road, 8-5. The Barrons led 1-0 after one, but then exploded for a six-spot in the third, and held off the Raiders the rest of the way. Senior Gavin Slicner was 3-for-4 in the win, driving in three, scoring three, and hitting a blast of a home run. He now has 45 hits on the season, setting a new school record, and got his 100th career hit in the win. Nick Lukachyk also homered, hitting a solo shot. The Barrons will travel to second-seed Bayonne Friday afternoon at 4:30 for a quarterfinal game; the Bees (20-8) beat 15-seed Piscataway 5-2 in the opening round.

Top-seed Ridge (16-10) advanced with a 13-3 five-inning win over 16-seed Barringer (5-14) out of Newark. Sawyer Paul drove in a game-high three runs on a 4-for-4 day – all singles – while Casey Kucerka, Toby Nicholson and Colin Newcomb each drove in two runs. Lucas Listen went the distance, scattering six hits and three earned runs over five innings, striking out six. The Red Devils face Skyland Conference foe and eight-seed Phillipsburg (14-9) at home Friday in the quarterfinals.

Five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan – who were 6-14 just three weeks ago – now has won six of its last eight games after blitzing 12-seed Plainfield (14-5) by an 11-0 score in five innings. Starter Jack Braswell got the win, and flirted with a perfect game through 3 2/3 before giving up a two-out single in the fourth. He finished out five innings, allowing just that one hit, striking out eight, and doing it all in just 56 pitches. Read more about the Panthers’ win and hear from head coach Max Newill at the link. The Panthers will visit four-seed JP Stevens (18-8) in the quarterfinals, after the Hawks were 11-2 winners over 13-seed Ferris at home Wednesday. It was their first home playoff game in the states since they hosted Barringer in the first round in 2019, a game they won, and it was their first state playoff win since then, as well. Read more about the Hawks’ big win and hear from head coach Tyler Jackow at the link.

And third-seed and 2026 Somerset County Tournament champion Watchung Hills (16-8) also advanced, picking up a 10-0 five-inning win over Elizabeth (8-17). Landon Pudlak was 5-for-5 with a walk-off three-run homer in the fifth that ended the game with the mercy rule. He also plated runs with a walk in the third and a sac fly in the first. Rob Centamore scattered two hits and struck out nine in five innings to improve to 7-0, and the Hustlin’ Warriors will host six-seed Westfield (14-11-1) Friday in the second round.

  • (1) Ridge def. (16) Barringer, 13-3 (5 inn.)
  • (8) Phillipsburg def. (9) Columbia, 2-1
  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (12) Plainfield, 11-0 (5 inn.)
  • (4) JP Stevens def. (13) Ferris, 11-2 (5 inn.)
  • (3) Watchung Hills def. (14) Elizabeth, 10-0 (5 inn.)
  • (6) Westfield def. (11) Union, 6-3
  • (10) Woodbridge def. (7) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 8-5
  • (3) Bayonne def. (15) Piscataway, 5-2

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3:

We’re going to get an all-Plainfield surburb quarterfinal matchup in this one Friday, as both fourth-seed South Plainfield and fifth-seed North Plainfield were the only two area teams to advance. The Tigers (15-11) blanked 13-seed JFK (18-8) by a score of 5-0, behind a complete-game, 89-pitch effort from Aiden “The Bull” McCarthy, who allowed just three hits and struck out 12. The Tigers scored in each of the first four innings – one each in the first three, two in the fourth – as Andrew Bena knocked in two runs, while Dom Massaro and McCarthy each scored twice. As for the Canucks, it was their first playoff win in 15 years, a 2-1 win over 12-seed Matawan (9-13-1). Both runs came in the fourth, and it started with Jake Zotollo getting plunked, then a single by Victor Ceda, putting runners at the corners. Ian Lamiera grounded out to short, scoring the first run of the game, and after another groundout, Victor Ceda stole home on a 2-2 pitch to make it 2-0. In the top of the seventh, the Huskies got to within 2-1 after a leadoff single, a couple of stolen bases and a groundout to third, but Bennie Sokolowski – who went the distance, allowing just two hits, fanning nine – got two strikeouts to end the game.

Elsewhere, 8th-seed Colonia (14-10) lost 5-1 at home to nine-seed Middletown North (15-10), cutting a 2-0 deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth only to see the Lions get three in the top of the seventh to take a 5-1 lead they’d hold on to. Sixth-seed Carteret (17-7) was upset at home, 9-6, by 11-seed Summit (9-15-1). And ten-seed Somerville (9-17) was beaten on the road by seven-seed Millburn (13-14), 4-1.

  • (1) Chatham def. (16) Orange, 10-0 (5 inn.)
  • (9) Middletown North def. (8) Colonia, 5-1
  • (5) North Plainfield def. (12) Matawan, 2-1
  • (4) South Plainfield def. (13) JFK, 5-0-
  • (3) Cranford def. (14) Rahway, 14-2
  • (11) Summit def. (6) Carteret, 9-6
  • (7) Millburn def. (10) Somerville, 4-1
  • (2) North Hunterdon def. (15) Payne Tech, 6-0 (Tuesday)

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1:

The only area team in this section was 11-seed Bernards and the Mountaineers (13-11) were beaten 4-1 by six-seed Lyndhurst on a four-hitter by Tyler Herman, who struck out ten and scattered four hits over seven innings.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thursday, May 28 – Non-Public Sectional Quarterfinals (all games 4pm unless otherwise noted)

Non-Public South A

  • (8) Montclair-Kimberley at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford, 3 pm
  • (5) Morristown-Beard at (4) Newark Academy
  • (6) Morris Catholic at (3) St. Thomas Aquinas
  • (10) Pope John at (2) Rutgers Prep

Non-Public North B

  • (8) Paul VI at (1) Immaculata, 4 pm (at Diamond Nation, Flemington)
  • (5) Christian Brothers at (4) Union Catholic
  • (6) St. John Vianney at (3) Red Bank Catholic, 3 pm
  • (10) Pingry at (2) St. Augustine

Friday, May 29- Non-Public Sectional Quarterfinals (all games 4pm unless otherwise noted)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (8) Freehold Twp. at (1) Old Bridge
  • (5) Monroe at (4) Hightstown
  • (6) Manalapan at (3) Hunterdon Central
  • (15) Franklin at (10) Hillsborough or (7) Jackson Twp.

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (4) Metuchen at (1) Middlesex
  • (5) Shore at (4) Metuchen
  • (11) Florence at (3) Point Pleasant Beach
  • (10) Delaware Valley at (2) Piscataway Magnet

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (8) Phillipsburg at (1) Ridge
  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) JP Stevens
  • (6) Westfield at (3) Watchung Hills
  • (10) Woodbridge at (2) Bayonne, 4:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (9) Middletown North at (1) Chatham
  • (5) North Plainfield at (4) South Plainfield
  • (11) Summit at (3) Cranford
  • (7) Millburn at (2) North Hunterdon
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 Mike Pavlichko

In first state playoff home game since 2019, JP Stevens picks up first playoff victory in same span, with 11-2 win over Ferris

In first state playoff home game since 2019, JP Stevens picks up first playoff victory in seven years, with 11-2 win over Ferris

Getting a first round state playoff game at home was one big accomplishment for JP Stevens, a program that hadn’t done so in seven years.

Well, Wednesday night, not only did the fourth-seeded Hawks open the third season with an 11-2 victory over 13th-seed Ferris in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 first round – their first playoff win since 2019 – they’ll get a chance to host a second state game at home Friday afternoon.

They’ll take on fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, an 11-0 winner over 12-seed Plainfield in five innings Wednesday, at home at 4 pm this Friday.

For the previous three years, Stevens (18-8) has been in the boat Ferris (8-19) was in Wednesday: a single-digit win team, playing on the road, no one expecting them to win.

But wth eleven seniors on the club, head coach Tyler Jackow – now in his fourth season – says the program has been building to this moment during his entire tenure, with seniors that were freshman when he came over to North Edison after a season at Perth Amboy Magnet.

To wit, it was senior Nolan Overmyer who had four RBIs against the Bulldogs (who hail from Jersey City, by the way). Senior Arav Patel had three hits on the day. And senior starting pitcher Soham Prajapati went the distance, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out 13, to give him 102 on the season.

The Hawks were the higher seed Wednesday, expected to win. And everything came together as they planned and hoped.

It’s nice when that works out. One more, and they’re a win away from an appearance in the sectional finals.

Click below to hear JP Stevens head coach Tyler Jackow talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: