Category: Baseball

by Alec Crouthamel

St. Thomas Aquinas wins first sectional title in 18 years with dramatic late rally over Rutgers Prep

For much of the game Saturday, second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas was on the verge of breaking through in the Non-Public North B Sectional Title game, but just could not connect on a big punch against fifth-seeded Rutgers Prep.

In the fifth and sixth innings, however, it all came together.

After 4 and 2/3 strong innings from freshman starter Nikash Patel, Louis Rizzolo – known as the heart and soul of this Trojan squad – came in and struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning. He came off the mound as fired up as one can be, and ran back to the dugout to pump up his teammates still trailing 2-1.

Safe to say his fiery celebration worked.

After another strong sixth inning on the mound for Rizzolo, he hit a game-tying RBI double. Following an infield single from Declan Dicarlo, the Argonauts made a pitching change for left fielder Gavin Sansone. He socked a three-run home run to give St. Thomas Aquinas a lead it would not relinquish, as Rizzolo shut the door to give the Trojans their first sectional championship since 2006, via a 5-3 win in North Edison.

The seventh inning saw the Argonauts give some fight as they had the tying and go-ahead run at the plate throughout, but Rizzolo induced a pop-fly in foul territory. Third baseman Hunter Krainski got on his horse, leaned on the fence, and found the ball in his glove. A celebration of all celebrations ensued as the Trojans took home the sectional championship on their home field.

For Rutgers Prep, Nick Pizzie and Husan Zakir pitched an admirable five innings to hold off the Trojans’ lineup but ultimately St. Thomas Aquinas got hot at the right time and took home the championship for the first time in 18 years.

And Aquinas will move on for one more game: They will face off against Gloucester Catholic in the state Non-Public B Final at 7 pm on Thursday at Veterans Park in Hamilton. The Rams defeated Bishop Eustace 2-1 in the South B final earlier Saturday.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

St. Thomas Aquinas players Louis Rizzolo, Gavin Sansone, and Nikash Patel
St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino
by Mike Pavlichko

Top-seeds Bridgewater-Raritan, South Plainfield will join Monroe in sectional finals Monday

Bridgewater-Raritan and South Plainfield – top seeds in their respective NJSIAA playoff sections – and Monroe all will play for sectional titles Monday afternoon, after winning their semifinal games on Monday.

The Somerset County Tournament champion Panthers will host seventh-seed Hunterdon Central Monday at four, while GMC Red Champion South Plainfield will host second-seed Randolph in a 2 pm game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Monroe – the fifth-seed in Central Jersey Group 4 – will play at third-seed Jackson Memorial Monday afternoon as well.

Tigers will play for first title since 2015…

South Plainfield (22-5-1) will be playing for a sectional title for the first time in nine years. In 2015, they went 24-8, falling in the quarterfinals of the GMC Tournament, but wound up winning the state Group 3 title. They beat Cranford 4-2 to win the North 2, Group 3 section, then topped Northern Burlington for the state Group 3 crown.

On Friday, they fell behind Colonia 1-0 in the second, but scored five unanswered runs to win 5-1, tying the game in the bottom of the second, then getting two more each in the fourth and sixth innings, while starter Mike Castagna gave up just six hits in a complete-game effort for the win.

Listen to South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the Tigers’ win over Colonia.

Bridgewater-Raritan routs Westfield…

The Panthers just keep on rolling, beating 4th-0seed Westfield at home 10-0 in a five-inning mercy rule game in which they scored four runs each in the first and second and got their last two in the third. Mike Fattore knocked in four runs in the game, two each on a pair of doubles. Owen Crimmins gave up one hit and struck out three in the five-inning shutout for Bridgewater-Raritan, which improved to 27-3.

Listen to Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill talk about the Panthers’ win over Westfield.

The Panthers – who dropped last year’s final in North 2, Group 4 to Bayonne – will get a shot at redemption against 7-seed Hunterdon Central, which was a 2-1 winner at Ridge Friday afternoon in the other semifinal. Andrew Reynolds and Ezra Sadowski combined to allow just three hits by the Red Devils, but Reynolds took the loss, giving up both runs. Ridge finishes its season 21-9, while Hunterdon Central is 16-10.

Monday’s final is scheduled for 4 pm in Bridgewater. The teams met twice this season, with Bridgewater taking both games, 7-0 in Flemington on April 16th, and 5-2 at home on May third.

Middlesex drops a close one at Point…

The fifth-seeded Blue Jays (10-17) lost in heartbreaking fashion at top-seed Point Pleasant Beach, which scored three in the seventh to walk off with a 4-3 semifinal victory in Central Jersey Group 1 play. The Garnet Gulls have beaten Middlesex the last two seasons in the CJ1 title game, with the Blue Jays beating them in the final the previous two years, 2021 and 2019. (There was no season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

FOR A FULL GAME RECAP OF MONROE’S WIN OVER OLD BRIDGE, WITH AUDIO, CLICK HERE.

Below are Friday results from all sections in which Central Jersey Sports Radio teams remain alive, followed by the complete upcoming schedule:

Central Jersey Group 4
(5) Monroe def. (1) Old Bridge, 6-5 (GAME STORY)
(3) Jackson Memorial def. (2) Manalapan, 2-1

Central Jersey Group 1
(1) Pt. Pleasant Beach def. (5) Middlesex, 4-3

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(1) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (4) Westfield, 10-0
(7) Hunterdon Central def. (3) Ridge, 2-1

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
(1) South Plainfield def. (5) Colonia, 5-1
(2) Randolph def. (3) North Hunterdon, 4-3

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Non-Public North B Final
(5) Rutgers Prep at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas, 2 pm

MONDAY, JUNE 3

North 2, Group 3 Final
(2) Randolph at (1) South Plainfield, 2 pm (CJSR)

North 2, Group 4 Final
(7) Hunterdon Central at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan, 4 pm

Central Jersey Group 4 Final
(5) Monroe at (3) Jackson Memorial, TBA

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Public Group Semifinals (North 2 and South teams host)

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Non-Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

by Mike Pavlichko

Monroe knocks off defending CJ4 champ, top-seeded Old Bridge to gain berth in sectional final

Let’s get one thing clear: it’s all about the players.   But Monroe head coach Sean Field had one heck of a day, and it’s not over yet. 

He and his wife Amy welcomed their new son Brady into the world a little after 2 pm.  He arrived at Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge for a 5:00 game during infield/outfield warm-ups.  And then his fifth-seeded Falcons knocked off the top-seed and defending champion Knights 6-5 in the Central Jersey Group 4 semi-finals, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Now, it’s back home – for while – to wife Amy, his newborn son, and 4-year-old daughter Emilia.

No break for Sean Field.

And now, to the game.

Starter Harrison Lollin had a 3-0 lead before he even took the mound.  He gave up the lead at 4-3 in the 4th, with all three runs coming from batters who he’d walked.  But then Lucas White pitched the last three innings to close it out.

Of course, it got interesting in the 7th. Down by two runs, Old Bridge scored one but had another runner thrown out at the plate and Evan Smith struck out looking to end the game and Old Bridge’s season at 20-9. 

Monroe survives and advances, and will play in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game Monday afternoon at 3rd-seed Jackson Memorial, which was a 2-1 winner at second seed Manalapan Friday afternoon.  It’ll be their first sectional title game since 2014, when they fell 6-2 to Jackson.

White got the win, while JT Meyer took the loss for Old Bridge in relief.

Monroe scored three times in the first after the first four hitters reached on singles against Old Bridge starter Justin Hascup.  Owen Judge knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Jake LoBue knocked into with another a couple of batters later.

Old Bridge got to run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by MJ Altman. 

And it looked for a while like Monroe might not get another run as Hascup settled in, and after getting the final out of the first, he retired the next ten Falcon hitters he faced.

In the meantime, Old Bridge got three runs in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.  After an Akhil Penkala groundout, the next three batters walked against Lollin.  One run came in on a wild pitch and then John Smith knocked in two with a single.  But the inning ended when he was picked off of first.

Monroe took the lead back with two in the top of the fifth, as Old Bridge hurt themselves with errors.  Liam Williams singled and Kyle McCauley reached on an E5.  After a popup by Justin Mangano, Lollin – who moved to first after being relieved by Lucas White – laced a 1-0 pitch for a double to drive in two, making it 5-4 Falcons.

Then, they would add a much-needed insurance run in the top of the seventh with the aid of two more Old Bridge errors.  Zach Wallace reached on an E5 and then scored three batters later with two outs when Mangano reached on another bad throw by third baseman Dom Botte, making it 6-4.

But in the bottom of the seventh, Old Bridge had its chances and made it interesting, with Field sticking with White no matter what.

Facing the top of the order, White gave up a lead off shingle to John Smith.  Criss Crosta walked.  After Frank Papeo struck out, Hascup singled in a run to cut it to 6-5.  Penkala then grounded to first, and Lollin, now playing there, three home and the catcher Mangano tagged out Hascup at the plate. 

But with the only runner on base now being Penkala on first, white was able to focus on the hitter Evan Smith, and struck him out looking on three pitches to end the game and set off a wild celebration in front of the pitchers’ mound.

Click below for postgame reaction, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Monroe winning pitcher Lucas White
Monroe head coach Sean Field
by Mike Pavlichko

Monroe, GMCT champ Old Bridge will play for a third time, with winner going to CJ4 title game

The Old Bridge and Monroe baseball teams already have played twice this season. And while the Knights won both, both were close.

The first meeting was an epic, ten-inning affair, won by Old Bridge when Michael Altman drove in Frank Papeo – long out of the game as the starting pitcher – drive in the game winning run in the bottom of the tenth at Fred Cole Field.

The second was a 4-1 Knights’ win back in Monroe.

They’ll meet for a third time Friday in Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Knights are the top-seed and defending champion, while Monroe is the fifth-seed.

First pitch is set for 5 pm, with pregame at 4:45 from Fred Cole Field. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action; click here to listen.

That April/May regular season series was one everyone had circled on their calendars to potentially decide the GMC’s Red Division. As it turned out, a sweep of Old Bridge the week before by South Plainfield took care of that, and the Tigers wound up winning the Red.

But in the state playoffs? Both Old Bridge and South Plainfield – who met in the GMC Finals, with the Knights taking the title – both got top seeds in different sections. And now, Old Bridge (20-8) is a win away from going to its second straight sectional title game, and having a chance to win back to back titles.

But hold the phone for a second. Monroe (15-9) is no slouch. The Falcons have won six straight games since a narrow, 2-1 first-round loss to North Brunswick in the GMC Tournament. They came back with a vengeance, beating Edison 12-1 in a regular season game, then topping Toms River South, Manasquan and Metuchen before earning wins over two GMC Red Division teams in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs – East Brunswick and South Brunswick – to get to the semis.

Justin Hascup (6-1, 1.99 ERA) is expected to get the start for Old Bridge, while Harrison Lollin (1-1, 1.67 ERA) will go for Monroe.

Hascup didn’t pitch in either game between the two this season; in fact, the senior has never faced Monroe in a three-year varsity career.

Lollin took the loss in the 4-1 defeat on May 2nd, allowing three earned runs on six hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking three. He did get the win last year in a 2-0 regular season victory over Old Bridge, and got the win in a 7-1 victory over the Knights on the road in 2022. In those two career appearances, he’s thrown 11 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run, striking out 22 and walking just five.

Click below to hear previews with both head coaches:

Matt Donaghue, Old Bridge
Sean Field, Monroe

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep, St. Thomas Aquinas to battle for Non-Public North B title Saturday as Argonauts and Trojans win; Immaculata knocked out

It’ll be the Skyland Conference against the GMC. A sub-.500, but scrappy team against the second place team from the GMC Blue.

Throw out the records, the Non-Public North B title game will be a battle.

Second-seed St. Thomas Aquinas outslugged third-seed Gill St. Bernard’s Thursday in the Non-Public North B semifinals, 7-5, in a game played at JP Stevens High School in Edison. They’ll move on to face Rutgers Prep Saturday in the final.

The Trojans (18-8) trailed 1-0 after allowing the Knights (11-13-1) a run in the top of the second, but scored four in the bottom of the inning, and two in the next, to take a 6-1 lead after three, never looking back. And they held Gill to just two hits the entire game.

Listen to St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino talk about the Trojans win over Gill St. Bernard’s.

St. Thomas and Rutgers Prep (12-14) – the fifth-seed which knocked off top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford 2-1 on the road Thursday, in a rematch of last year’s title game in this section – will now square off for the crown on Saturday at 2 pm at St. Thomas Aquinas in North Edison. The game is a late start due to it being an SAT day.

READ MORE: Click here for a full recap of the Rutgers Prep win over St. Mary-Rutherford.

The winner of Saturday’s final moves on to the state Non-Public Group B title game – next Thursday at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton – against the winner of the South section. That title game will be between top-seed Gloucester Catholic (25-2) and second-seed Bishop Eustace (21-6).

Immaculata knocked out…

Meanwhile, the only other non-public team in action Thursday from the CJSR-area – Immaculata – was knocked out in the Non-Public South A semifinals. the fifth-seeded Spartans lost 5-2 on the road to top-seed Red Bank Catholic.

Jayden Capindica and Troy Raboski knocked in the two runs for Immaculata, which finishes its season 17-9.

Below are Thursday results from all sections in which Central Jersey Sports Radio teams remain alive, followed by the complete upcoming schedule:

THURSDAY, MAY 30

Non-Public North B
(5) Rutgers Prep def. (1) St. Mary-Rutherford, 2-1
(2) St. Thomas Aquinas def, (3) Gill St. Bernard’s, 7-5

Non-Public South A
(1) Red Bank Catholic def. (5) Immaculata, 5-2

FRIDAY, MAY 31

Central Jersey Group 4
(5) Monroe at (1) Old Bridge, 5 pm (Listen LIVE on CJSR)
(3) Jackson Memorial at (2) Manalapan

Central Jersey Group 1
(5) Middlesex at (1) Pt. Pleasant Beach, 4 pm
(11) Florence at (2) Shore

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(4) Westfield at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan, TBA
(7) Hunterdon Central at (3) Ridge, 4 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
(5) Colonia at (1) South Plainfield, 2 pm
(3) North Hunterdon at (2) Randolph

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Non-Public North B Final
(5) Rutgers Prep at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas, 2 pm

MONDAY, JUNE 3
Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Public Group Semifinals (North 2 and South teams host

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Non-Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

by Mike Pavlichko

Greater Middlesex Conference unveils post-season awards, all-league and division teams

South River’s Julius Rosado was named GMC Hitter of the Year, while Monroe’s Zack Wallace was named Pitcher of the Year, as the Greater Middlesex Conference unveiled its 2024 postseason awards Thursday.

Scott Gleichenhaus of Red Division Champion South Plainfield was named Coach of the Year.

Here are all the league awards, and division honorees, as chosen by the league coaches:

All-GMC:

  • Cory Pascarella – Colonia
  • Jaxon Appelman, Robert Roma – Edison
  • Zack Wallace – Monroe
  • Yomar Carreras – North Brunswick
  • JT Meyer, Frank Papeo, John Smith, Justin Hascup – Old Bridge
  • Bobby Bressler – Piscataway
  • Ethan Fantel – South Brunswick
  • Jayden Alvarez, Zach Robinson – South Plainfield
  • Julius Rosado – South River
  • Carter Cumiskey – Spotswood
  • Drew Lukachyk, Eddy Nunez – Woodbridge
  • Coach of the Year: Scott Gleichenhaus, South Plainfield
  • Sportsmanship: St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Hitter of the Year: Julius Rosado, South River
  • Pitcher of The Year: Zack Wallace, Monroe

All-Red Division:

  • Lukas Meyer – East Brunswick
  • Harrison Lollin, Zack Wallace – Monroe
  • Yomar Carreras – North Brunswick
  • Akhil Penkala, JT Meyer, Frank Papeo, John Smith, Justin Hascup – Old Bridge
  • Bobby Christensen, Joseph Zammitti – St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Colin Perna, Ethan Fantel – South Brunswick
  • Nick Irizarry, Jayden Alvarez, Zach Robinson, Daniel Kapsch – South Plainfield
  • Coach of the Year: Scott Gleichenhaus, South Plainfield
  • Sportsmanship: St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Player of the Year: Zach Robinson, South Plainfield

All-White Division:

  • Cory Pascarella, Colin Kroner – Colonia
  • Jaxon Appelman, Robert Roma, Anthony Calantoni – Edison
  • John Papaianni – JP Stevens
  • Owen Reynolds – Middlesex
  • Anthony Ortega, Sebastian Aponte – Perth Amboy
  • Thomas Schlaline, Michael Robinson, Jake Romanello – Sayreville
  • Drew Lukachyk, Eddy Nunez, Shawn Kish, Tyler Weber, Xavier Diaz – Woodbridge
  • Coach of the Year: Mike Monaco, Woodbridge
  • Sportsmanship: JP Stevens
  • Player of the Year: Jaxon Appelman, Edison

All-Blue Division:

  • Grant Lorentzen, RJ Coleman – JFK
  • Lucas Weiss – Metuchen
  • Davyn Ciriaco – North Plainfield
  • Bobby Bressler, Riley Wingate – Piscataway
  • Gavin Sansone, Louis Rizzolo, Zach Diaz, Nikash Patel – St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Julius Rosado, James Zsorey, Noah Borrero – South River
  • Carter Cumiskey, Will Buchan, Breckyn DeAngelis, Luc Acquaviva, Ryan Orth – Spotswood
  • Coach of the Year: Glenny Fredricks, Spotswood
  • Sportsmanship: North Plainfield
  • Player of the Year: Julius Rosado

All-Gold Division:

  • Nomar Carreras, Michael Zappola – East Brunswick Magnet
  • Nick Kee, Justin Santana, James Rodriguez, Luis Hernandez, Lucas Rivera – Carteret
  • Carlos Paredes – New Brunswick
  • Steven Larosa – Somerset Tech
  • Jeremy Vasquez, Micah Nemeth, Diego Colon, Ben Hernandez, Ben Smith – South Amboy
  • Josh Thiero, Dylan Spivey, Ben Wang – Timothy Christian
  • Coach of the Year: Dan Morvay, Carteret
  • Sportsmanship: Somerset Tech
  • Player of the Year: Jeremy Vasquez, South Amboy

All-Silver Division:

  • Jacob Manna, Mark Stein, Ryan Hutchins, Danny Watts – Dunellen
  • Seamus MacKinnon, Luca Sheldon, Aidan O’Connell, Dorian Crocco, Oscar Caraballo-Duran, Connor Roth-Zappo, Highland Park
  • Nelson Concepcion, Zachary Lenardo, Johnkelly Jiminez – Perth Amboy Magnet
  • Jacob Lyerly, Colton Lyerly, Kyle Malchiodi – Piscataway Magnet
  • Mackias Ysaac – Wardlaw-Hartridge
  • Coach of the Year: Connor Lindsay, Dunellen
  • Sportsmanship: Wardlaw-Hartridge
  • Player of the Year: Mark Stein, Dunellen
by Mike Pavlichko

Top seeds Old Bridge, South Plainfield, Bridgewater-Raritan advance along with four others from CJSR area

Defending Central Jersey Group 4 champion Old Bridge joined two other top seeds from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area – South Plainfield and Bridgewater-Raritan – in advancing to sectional semifinal play in the NJSIAA state tournament Wednesday afternoon.

Monroe, Colonia, Middlesex and Ridge also advanced, while South Brunswick, Sayreville, Carteret, South Amboy and Edison were eliminated.

Below are recaps of Wednesday’s games, including audio with all seven winning head coaches.  Scroll down further for all results and upcoming schedules in sections where CJSR-area teams remain.

Central Jersey Group 4

The top-seeded Knights – who went all the way to the state Group 4 final a year ago – were 4-0 winners at home over eight-seed Sayreville (12-13) behind a solid start of 5 1/3 innings from Frank Papeo.  Old Bridge scored twice in the first and twice more in the fifth.  Akhil Penkala and Papeo each knocked in runs while Chris Crosta was 2-for-3.  Justin Hascup closed the game out in relief.

The Knights (20-8) now move on to host 5th-seed Monroe in Friday’s semifinal at Fred Cole Field.  Central Jersey Sports Radio will carry the game live with coverage starting at 3:45 and first pitch at 4 pm.  Click here to listen.

Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talks about the Knights’ win over Sayreville.

Meanwhile, the Falcons (15-9) were 3-0 shutout winners at 4th-seed South Brunswick (14-13) Wednesday afternoon.  They got all their runs late, one each in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.  Zack Wallace went the distance, scattering six hits and two walks over seven innings, striking out nine in the victory.

Monroe head coach Sean Field talks about the Falcons’ win over South Brunswick.

Central Jersey Group 2:

Fourth-seed Carteret ended its season at 18-8 with a 7-2 home home loss to 15-seed Bordentown Wednesday. The Scotties got a run in each of the first two innings, then put up a five-spot in the fourth before the Ramblers got a run each in the sixth and seventh. Justin Santana and Joniel Martinez knocked in the two Carteret runs.

Central Jersey Group 1:

Fifth-seed Middlesex (10-16) picked up a road win Wednesday at fourth-seed South Amboy (14-5), blowing out the Governors 14-4 in a full, seven-inning game. The Blue Jays scored twice in the first and two more in the third before South Amboy tied it in the bottom of the inning. But they wouldn’t score again, as Middlesex exploded for seven runs in the top of the fourth and never looked back. Owen Reynolds, Luke Jones and Dominic Long each knocked three runs, while Chris Kozak threw 6 2/3 innings for the win, coming out before he went over the daily 110-pitch count limit.

The Blue Jays will visit top-seed and two-time defending champions Point Pleasant Beach (22-4) in Friday’s semifinals. The Blue Jays and Garnet Gulls have met in each of the last four CJ1 title games, with Point Beach winning the last two, and Middlesex winning the first two of those, in 2019 and 2021. (There was no high school baseball in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talks about the Blue Jays’ win over South Amboy

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4:

All top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (26-3) really needed was the one run they got in the first inning. But they got two more in the third and blanked 9th-seed Edison (16-12) by a score of 3-0, beating Jaxon Appelman, who struck out ten but gave up all earned runs in defeat. Matt Cichocki drove in the first run, then he and JR Rosado each drove in the two in the third, while the Panthers stole eight bases in the game. Kellan Komline got the win for the Somerset County Tournament champs, who will host fourth-seed Westfield (19-6) Friday in the sectional semis.

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill talks about the Panthers’ win over Edison.

Meanwhile, third-seed Ridge dethroned defending champion and 11th-seed Bayonne – which beat Bridgewater in last year’s North 2, Group 4 final – with a 7-1 home victory Wednesday. The Red Devils (21-8) got a run in the first before the Bees tied it in the second, but Ridge scored six unanswered after that, with four in the third and two in the fourth. Kieran Callnan and Nick Sellitti each had a pair of RBIs as five different players knocked in runs. Ben Larner pitched a complete game – four hits, one unearned run, three strikeouts for the Red Devils, who will host 7th-seed Hunterdon Central (15-10) in the semis on Friday.

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell talks about the Red Devils’ win over Bayonne.

If both Bridgewater-Raritan and Ridge win their semifinal games, they would meet Monday in the finals at Bridgewater, in a rematch of last week’s Somerset County Tournament final, which the Panthers won, 10-7.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3:

It’ll be a GMC crossover matchup in the semifinals, with top-seed South Plainfield out of the Red Division taking on fifth-seed Colonia out of the White.

The Tigers (21-5-1) took a 6-2 decision from 8-seed Cranford Wednesday, as Zack Robinson had a monster game, 2-for-3 with three runs batted in on a double and a triple. Starting pitcher Kevin Penny held things down ouot on the mount, throwing 5 1/3, scattering five hits and allowing two earned runs, while striking out six.

South Planfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talks about the Tigers’ win over Cranford.

As for the fifth-seeded Patriots, they continued their red hot play and beat fourth-seed West Morris on the road, 3-0. Starter Cory Pascarella struck out 12, walked just two, and scattered four hits in a complete game effort for Colonia (19-6). The first run scored on a throwing error on a sac bunt, then Colin Kroner and Jake Harvatt and drove in the second and third runs, all in the top of the third.

Colonia head coach Mike Scialfo talks about the Patriots’ win over West Morris.

Below are results from all sections in which Central Jersey Sports Radio teams remain alive, followed by the complete upcoming schedule:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

Central Jersey Group 4
(1) Old Bridge def. (8) Sayreville, 4-0
(5) Monroe def. (4) South Brunswick, 3-0
(3) Jackson Memorial def. (6) Howell, 7-4
(2) Manalapan def. (7) Marlboro, 7-6

Central Jersey Group 2
(5) Bordentown def. (4) Carteret, 7-2

Central Jersey Group 1
(1) Pt. Pleasant Beach def. (8) Henry Hudson, 15-2
(5) Middlesex def. (4) South Amboy, 14-4
(11) Florence def. (3) South Hunterdon, 1-0
(2) Shore def. (10) Palmyra, 13-1

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(1) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (9) Edison, 3-0
(4) Westfield def. (5) Phillipsburg at, 2-1
(3) Ridge def. (11) Bayonne at, 7-1
(7) Hunterdon Central def. (2) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 9-3

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
(1) South Plainfield, def (8) Cranford, 6-2
(5) Colonia def. (4) West Morris, 3-0
(3) North Hunterdon def. (6) Summit, 1-0
(2) Randolph def. (7) Mendham, 3-2

THURSDAY, MAY 30

Non-Public North B
(5) Rutgers Prep at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
(3) Gill St. Bernard’s at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas

Non-Public South A
(5) Immaculata at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(3) Christian Brothers Academy at (2) St. Augustine

FRIDAY, MAY 31

Central Jersey Group 4
(5) Monroe at (1) Old Bridge, 5 pm (Listen LIVE on CJSR)
(3) Jackson Memorial at (2) Manalapan

Central Jersey Group 1
(5) Middlesex at (1) Pt. Pleasant Beach, 4 pm
(11) Florence at (2) Shore

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(4) Westfield at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan, TBA
(7) Hunterdon Central at (3) Ridge, 4 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
(5) Colonia at (1) South Plainfield, 2 pm
(3) North Hunterdon at (2) Randolph

SATURDAY, JUNE 1
Non-Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

MONDAY, JUNE 3
Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Public Group Semifinals (North 2 and South teams host

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Non-Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

by Mike Pavlichko

Three area teams move on to Non-Public Sectional semifinal play with Tuesday wins

Three of the four teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area in action in the Non-Public sectional quarterfinals moved on Tuesday to the next round, as Immaculata, Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas all advanced to Thursday’s semifinal round.

Spartans a win away…

In Non-Public South A, fifth seed Immaculata got a complete game from Nick Bozzo in a 2-0 win at fourth-seed Notre Dame of Lawrenceville. Collin Kassai and Justin Labrador each had RBIs for the Spartans, while Bozza sparkled, scattering five singles over seven innings, striking out six, and allowing no walks.

Immaculata (17-8) will move on to play Thursday at top-seed Red Bank Catholic (17-9), the defending sectional champions, in the sectional semifinals. The Caseys beat 8-seed Paul VI Tuesday after falling back-to-back to Christian Brothers in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals and the Monmouth County Tournament title game.

Rutgers Prep, Aquinas advance as Timothy Christian is eliminated…

In Non-Public North B action, fifth-seed Rutgers Prep shutout fourth-seed Montclair-Kimberley, 7-0, while second-seed St. Thomas Aquinas blanked 10th-seed Timothy Christian, 10-0, on the other side of the bracket.

The Argonauts (11-14) got a complete game out of starter Max Treonze, who allowed just three hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking just two. That was in a tighter game than the final score indicated, as Rutgers Prep got a pair of runs in the top of the second, but their final five runs all came in the top of the seventh. Maddox Chu was 3-for-4 with two singles and a double, while knocking in three of Prep’s seven runs

Rutgers Prep now will travel to top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford (19-8) Thursday in the sectional semis, a rematch of last year’s final, which St. Mary won, 4-3.

As for the Trojans (16-8), Will Bethea knocked in three runs and Nikash Patel added two RBIs in their win Tuesday. Aquinas will play host to third-seed Gill St. Bernard’s Thursday in the semis. The Knights (11-12-1) played their quarterfinal game last Thursday – almost a full week early – and beat sixth-seed Morristown-Beard 8-0.

Here’s the full schedule of upcoming games for non-public and public schools from the CJSR area in the state tournament:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

Central Jersey Group 4
(8) Sayreville at (1) Old Bridge, 4 pm
(5) Monroe at (4) South Brunswick, 2 pm
(6) Howell at (3) Jackson Memorial
(7) Marlboro at (2) Manalapan

Central Jersey Group 2
(8) Nottingham at (1) Governor Livingston
(5) Bordentown at (4) Carteret, 2 pm
(11) Delran at (3) Wall
(15) Manasquan at (10) Point Pleasant Boro

Central Jersey Group 1
(8) Henry Hudson at (1) Pt. Pleasant Beach
(5) Middlesex at (4) South Amboy, 4 pm
(11) Florence at (3) South Hunterdon
(10) Palmyra at (2) Shore

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(9) Edison at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan, 4 pm
(5) Phillipsburg at (4) Westfield, 4 pm
(11) Bayonne at (3) Ridge, 4 pm
(7) Hunterdon Central at (2) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 4 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
(8) Cranford at (1) South Plainfield, 2 pm
(5) Colonia at (4) West Morris, 4 pm
(6) Summit at (3) North Hunterdon, 2 pm
(7) Mendham at (2) Randolph, 4:30 pm

THURSDAY, MAY 30

Non-Public North B
(5) Rutgers Prep at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
(3) Gill St. Bernard’s at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas

Non-Public South A
(5) Immaculata at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(3) Christian Brothers Academy at (2) St. Augustine

FRIDAY, MAY 31
Public Sectional Semifinals

SATURDAY, JUNE 1
Non-Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

MONDAY, JUNE 3
Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Public Group Semifinals (North 2 and South teams host

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Non-Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Public State Finals (at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton)

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – SCT Final: (1) Bridgewater-Raritan 10, (3) Ridge 7

The Bridgewater-Raritan baseball team won its first Somerset County Tournament title since 1996, as the top-seeded Panthers beat third-seed Ridge 10-7 in the county final at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater.

Click below to listen to the full game broadcast from May 24, 2024, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater – with Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau on the call:

by Mike Pavlichko

Somerset County Tournament Notebook: A look back at the 2024 championship game

With Bridgewater-Raritan winning the 2024 Somerset County Tournament, the Panthers continue to rewrite the record books.

Last year’s 23 wins were a program record, this year they set a new mark of 24, with with the title game win, have extended that to 25.

The Panthers will have a chance to extend that even further, now fully focused on the NJSIAA state tournament, where they will host ninth-seed Edison Wednesday in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinals after the long Memorial Day weekend break.

Winning a sectional title would extend that streak to 28, while a state Group 4 title would get them to 30.

And it’s been a remarkable two year run:

  • Bridgewater-Raritan is now 48-10 over the past two seasons.
  • Skyland Conference Delaware Division champions two years in a row (10-0 in 2024, 10-2 in 2023)
  • Skyland Conference Champions two years in a tow
  • 2024 Somerset County Tournament Champions
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 finalist in 2023.

Here are some more notes and nuggets from the 2024 SCT finals:

Rible does it again…

The Panthers – 25-4 overall – are now 14-0 in games in which Cory Rible has pitched. Though he’s thrown more pitches in his appearances over the last month or so, he shows no signs of tiring. But the Memorial Day break probably won’t hurt him either. He’ll be all ready to go in relief in next Wednesday’s sectional quarterfinals, and in Friday’s semis if need be.

Though Rible has given up a few runs of late, he had a stretch of eight games from April 9th through the 27th in which he didn’t surrender a single earned run.

The 33 pitches he threw in Friday night’s SCT final was the fewest of his last three relief appearances. He threw 67 on May 7th against Immaculata, and 65 against Watchung Hills in the semifinals out at Diamond Nation in Flemington on Monday.

Ridge scores, but so does BR…

Ridge had scored 27 runs in just 12 innings across two Somerset County Tournament games, an average of 13.5 runs per contest. It was clear that against better pitching like the Panthers have they probably wouldn’t score that many.

They did manage to get their runs though. They scored seven against Bridgewater-Raritan, the most they had given up in five games. They allowed seven to Rutgers Prep in an 11-7 regular season win May 15th. The only other team to score more than seven against B-R was West Morris, in their first loss of the season, an 11-7 defeat back on April 19th.

And the seven runs they scored were the third most by a losing team in the SCT title game. Only Somerville (10) in 1986 and Hillsborough (11) in 2007 scored more.

A lot of runs, but was it a record?

The 17 combined runs scored by Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan were the second most in a regulation Somerset County Tournament Final.

Immaculata and Hillsborough combined for 23 in the 2007 title game, but that was a ten inning game Immaculata won 12-11. Bernards and Somerville combined for 24 in 1986, when the Mountaineers won 14-10 in regulation.

The 2024 output topped the 16 scored in a 13-3 mercy-rule win by Montgomery over Immaculata in 2010.

Meanwhile, the ten runs scored by Bridgewater are tied for the sixth-most scored by a winning team in the finals.

History lesson…

None of the Bridgewater players were even born the last time the Panthers won the SCT; if they had been born on that day – May 25, 1996 – they’d be turning 28 today, well out of college.

So, how did that one go?

In front of 1,100 at North Plainfield’s Krausche Field – per a Courier News story written by the legend himself, Harry Frezza, the top-seeded Panthers rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh and held on to beat six-seed Immaculata 7-5. That was their first title since the merger of Bridgewater East and West in 1991.

Down a run, with two outs, designated hitter Grant Neary singled home Danny Houston to tie the score at 5-5. Carlo Puppo got his third hit of the night. Mike Perotti walked to load the bases. Then Steve Sullivan drew another walk to make it 6-5, while an infield hit by Steve Gossh drove in another run. He’d bounced the ball to short, but no one was at second to take the throw, and everyone was safe.

Play an hour earlier

The last two years, the Somerset County Final started at 7 pm at TD Bank Park, but for whatever reason, this year started at six. Certainly neither team helped themselves with a bevy of early walks, but the game was sloppy.

There were five errors in the game between the teams – three by Ridge and two by Bridgewater-Raritan – but there were other “errors” that didn’t show up on the board.

Early on, players had trouble finding the ball in the sun. In that 6 to 7 pm hour, the sun is above to just barely above the suite level roof at TD Bank Park. The left side of the field had the most issues. It even appeared to throw off B-R catcher JR Rosado, who stumbled trying to zig zag to catch an early pop foul about 20 feet down the third base line as we went from the grass to the dirt baseline.

By 7:00, the shadows had just about reached the outfield grass.

Make a note for next year: start the final at 7 pm instead of six.

Somerset County Tournament History

1973    Bridgewater-Raritan East def. Hillsborough, 1-0
1974    Somerville def. North Plainfield, 1-0
1975    Watchung Hills def. Hillsborough, 6-4
1976    Ridge def. Watchung Hills, 4-3 (10 inn.)
1977    Hillsborough def. North Plainfield, 5-0
1978    Bridgewater-Raritan East def. Hillsborough, 9-2
1979    Hillsborough def. Ridge, 2-0
1980    Ridge, def. Franklin, 7-1
1981    Manville def. Immaculata, 4-1
1982    Watchung Hills def. Bridgewater-Raritan West, 15-0 (mercy rule)
1983    Watchung Hills def. Hillsborough, 2-0
1984    Ridge def. Immaculata, 2-0
1985    (2) Ridge def. (1) Immaculata, 5-0
1986    Bernards def. Somerville, 14-10
1987    Somerville def. Ridge, 2-1
1988    (6) Bridgewater-Raritan West def. (1) Ridge, 3-1
1989    (1) Ridge def. Bridgewater-Raritan West, 5-4
1990    (7) Bridgewater-Raritan East def. (4) Somerville, 9-1
1991    (1) Immaculata def. North Plainfield, 11-3
1992    (2) Somerville def. (1) Watchung Hills, 9-2
1993    (3) Watchung Hills def. (1) Immaculata, 5-4
1994    (3) Immaculata, def. (1) Watchung Hills, 5-2  
1995    (1) Somerville def. (3) Ridge, 7-6
1996    (6) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (1) Immaculata, 7-5
1997    (2) Immaculata def. (1) Bridgewater-Raritan, 2-0
1998    (3) Immaculata def. (1) Bridgewater-Raritan, 3-2
1999    (1) Immaculata def. (6) Hillsborough, 8-0
2000    (1) Immaculata def. (2) Ridge, 2-0
2001    (2) Immaculata def. (5) Montgomery, 6-1
2002    (1) Immaculata def. (2) Ridge, 10-0 (mercy rule)
2003    (3) Montgomery def. (8) Pingry, 5-4
2004    (3) Immaculata def. (1) Hillsborough, 1-0
2005    (2) Hillsborough, def. (1) Immaculata 5-1
2006    (1) Immaculata def. (7) Pingry, 8-0
2007    (1) Immaculata def. (3) Hillsborough, 12-11 (10 inn.)
2008    (1) Immaculata def. (2) Hillsborough, 9-1
2009    (2) Watchung Hills def. (9) Montgomery 4-0
2010    (2) Montgomery def. (1) Immaculata, 13-3 (5 inn.) (mercy rule)
2011    (8) Ridge def. (3) Hillsborough, 4-3 (8 inn.)
2012    (4) Hillsborough def. (7) Bridgewater-Raritan, 4-3 (12 inn.)
2013    (6) Bernards def. (5) Immaculata, 6-5
2014    (4) Hillsborough def. (2) Ridge, 4-3 (9 inn.)
2015    (6) Hillsborough def. (9) Watchung Hills, 3-1
2016    (1) Montgomery def. (6) Watchung Hills, 2-1
2017    (10) Rutgers Prep def. (1) Montgomery, 7-2
2018    (3) Immaculata def. (9) Montgomery, 6-5
2019    (2) Immaculata def. (5) Ridge, 6-5 (12 inn.)
2020 & 2021    NO TOURNAMENT
2022    (1) Ridge def. (6) Rutgers Prep, 6-0
2023    (12) Rutgers Prep def. (2) Ridge, 1-0
2024    (1) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (3) Ridge, 10-7