Tag: Bridgewater-Raritan

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 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 Alec Crouthamel

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

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

Bridgewater-Raritan is the latest example.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Somerset County Tournament Semifinals: (1) Immaculata 7, (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 6

Top-seed and defending Somerset County Tournament champion Immaculata rallied with three runs in the sixth to beat fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, 7-6, in the SCT semifinals, sending the Spartans to the title game where they will try to become the first team to repeat since they did it in 2018 and 2019.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to watch the full game as Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 18, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Three-run sixth powers top-seed Immaculata to 7-6 win in see-saw battle with Bridgewater-Raritan, sending Spartans to Wednesday’s SCT title game

It was one of those type of games that in football, you might say the last team to have the ball will win, or in basketball the team with the last shot will win.

In a back-and-forth second Somerset County Tournament semifinal of the day at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater – as heard and seen live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – top-seed Immaculata scored three runs in the sixth, then ended the game catching a Bridgewater-Raritan runner stealing, picking up a 7-6 win in the SCT semifinals, and sending the Spartans to the finals for a second year in a row, with a chance to defend their 2025 title.

The Spartans (19-4) will face second-seed Watchung Hills (14-7) Wednesday at 6 pm at TD Bank Park in the county final. You can hear that game live on cjsportsradio.com, or watch live on our YouTube channel.

The two teams split a pair in the regular season this year.

Immacualata got two on the board in the bottom of the first, when Luca Catanzaraite led off with a single and Justin Labrador followed with one of his own. Owen Schilling then hit a ground-rule double to make it 1-0, and Owen Rivenbark followed with a ground ball to short, driving in another run to make it 2-0 Spartans.

But the Panthers would tie it up with two in the top of the second. Kevin Kelly got aboard with a leadoff single, and Connor Price quickly knocked him in with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 2-1. Stephen Pikulin walked, and Josh Moore reached on an infield hit to load the bases; Rivenbark at third fielded it, and tried to tag Price heading to third, but missed, and his throw to first was late to catch Moore. Cody Rible, the nine hitter, then tied it at 2-2 with a fielder’s choice to short.

Immaculata would get the lead back in the bottom of the second, though. DH Bryson Auten singled to lead off the inning, and moved to second on a sac bunt to the third base side by Jackson Lewis. Catanzarite knocked him in with his second single of the afternoon, making it 3-2 Spartans, and that would be all for Bridgewater starter Gavin Butch, as head coach Max Newill brought in Nico Moore, who ended the inning, getting a fly out to right and a 4-3 groundout.

And then, it was Bridgewater’s turn for some more runs.

Andrew Schmeider started the rally with a single, then Michael Lobosco walked and Nick Spirra reached on a 6-4 fielder’s choice, but Kevin Kelly got plunked to load the bases with one out. After Connor Price struck out, Pikulin came up with the bases loaded, and roped a double to clear the bases, putting the Panthers up 5-3.

They had a chance for more after Josh Moore got hit by a pitch, putting runners at the corners with two out, but Raymond saw Moore breaking for second on a decoy for the runner at third. He tossed to first, Pikulin broke for home, and first baseman Andrew Wheeler threw home to Owen Schilling, who applied the tag for the final out of the inning.

No one would score again until the bottom of the fifth. Rivernbark struck a one-out double for Immaculata, then was brought in on an RBI single by Andrew Wheeler. Conor Quinn, though, grounded into a fielders’ choice to end the inning, but the Panther lead was cut to 5-4.

Bridgewater-Raritan would get its two-run lead back in the top of the sixth, when Kellan Komline worked a one-out walk, and was driven in by a Schmieder triple to the wall in left. But that was all they’d get, as Lobosco followed with a ground ball to first, reaching on a fielder’s choice as Wheeler threw home and Schilling got the tag down to get Schmeider. Spirra grounded to short to end the inning.

And then came the decisive bottom of the sixth. After Bryson Auten struck out to end the inning, nine-hitter Jackson Lewis singled, and Catanzerite reached on a sharp liner to third that went off Kevin Kelly’s leg. Justin Labrador then delivered a triple to the the gap in left center that went all the way to the wall, bringing in two to tie the game at six. Schilling then scored Labrador on a sac fly to right to take a 7-6 lead, before Rivernbark grounded to second to end the inning.

Still, it got tense in the seventh, with Immaculata holding a precarious one-run lead. Kelly struck out to start the inning, but Price singled to left center. Brandon DeMatos came in to pinch run, and stayed at first while Pikulin struck out. Then, on an 0-2 pitch to Josh Moore, DeMatos took off for second. But Schilling made a great throw to second, Catanzerite applied the tag, and the game was over, sending the Spartans back to the title game to defend their title.

Reliever Bryson Auten got the win for the Spartans, while Nico Moore took the loss. Auten went 3 1/3 innings, and allowed just two hits and one run, walking one and striking out three.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust, senior Owen Schilling and freshman Bryson Auten, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Throw out the records: Immaculata will need to get past tough Bridgewater-Raritan for chance to defend Somerset County title

It’s one of the oldest cliches in sports, but the reason it’s a cliche is because it’s true.

Throw out the records.

The entire Somerset County Tournament semifinals Monday afternoon at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater consists of Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams, ranging from first place to last. That’s how good the division is.

In the second game of Monday’s doubleheader, there’s the top seed Immaculata. At 18-4, the defending champion Spartans never lost back-to-back games the entire season, and have only one Skyland Conference loss on their resume, a 10-0 shutout at Watchung Hills on the night of the tournament seeding meeting.

On the other hand, there’s Bridgewater-Raritan. Last place finishers in the division, the fifth-seed is 10-4, and had not won more than two games in a row heading into the SCT. But they’ve won four since – two in the tournament, and two non-conference games.

Forget the first 20-plus games for either team. All that matters Monday is that a single win puts that team in Wednesday’s championship game.

Of course, we have you covered for Immaculata and Bridgewater-Raritan in the semifinals live on Central Jersey Sports Radio Monday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4 pm from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, with pregame at 3:40, That will follow the opener at 1 pm (12:40 pregame) between second-seed Watchung Hills and third-seed Ridge.

Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen or watch here on our YouTube channel.

Here’s a closer look at the second semifinal game of the day:

(1) Immaculata (18-4) vs. (5) Bridgewater-Raritan (10-14)
at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater
4 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio
Audio Stream: (LISTEN LIVE)
Video Stream: (WATCH LIVE)

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Immaculata: Cole Raymond (5-1, 2.36)
Bridgewater-Raritan: Gavin Butch (3-0, 2.13)

PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:

Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel

HOW THEY GOT HERE: As top four seeds, each team got a bye to the quarterfinals, which were held last Thursday afternoon.

Immaculata: The Spartans were 11-1 winners over eight-seed Montgomery in six innings in the quarterfinals, taking a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth, and putting up a four-spot to end it via the ten-run rule. Ryan Auten got the start, fanned 16 Cougars, and improved to 6-0 with the win, with a 0.83 ERA. Should Immaculata get to Wednesday’s title game, Auten would get the nod.

Bridgewater-Raritan: The Panthers, on the other hand, needed one extra inning to knock off the four-seed, Rutgers Prep, on the road, 10-5. Bridgewater trailed 4-0 after two innings, but sent it to extras at 5-5, with Josh Moore’s double in the eighth breaking the tie. This is the Panther’s fourth trip to the semifinals in the five SCTs since COVID.

TOP HITTERS:

Immaculata: It’s a mix of veterans and younger players for Immaculata throughout the lineup, and among their top hitters as well. Sophomore Luca Catanzerite is perhaps their biggest clutch hitter, also leading the team, batting .432 with 13 runs batted in. He also has a team-leading six doubles and two triples, along with one home run. Senior Owen Schilling is hitting a shade under .400 (at .397), and has a team-best 17 RBIs and three home runs.

Bridgewater-Raritan: The Panthers are only hitting .272 as a team, the only one of the four semifinalists in this year’s SCT hitting below .300 as a team. But at the top, it’s two juniors: Kevin Kelly is hitting .344 with 11 RBI, while Nick Spirra is batting .350 with 15 RBI and a team-high 24 singles. Two younger players are next: freshman Jon Cozine at .333, and freshman Cody Rible, hitting .316 on the year. He’s the younger brother of Cory Rible, BR’s lockdown closer from the 2024 team that won swept the Skyland Delaware, SCT, North 2, Group 4 and the state Group 4 title.

LAST FINALS BERTH:

Immaculata: A tradition-rich program that has the most titles in SCT history (15), the Spartans are the defending champs, beating Ridge in last year’s final. It was their first appearance since COVID, but they won the last two titles prior to the pandemic, in 2018 and 2019, the second of which is the last time a final has gone to extra innings; the second-seeded Spartans beat fifth-seed Ridge, 6-5 in 12 innings.

Bridgewater-Raritan: The Panthers last made it to the SCT final two seasons ago. They were the top-seed and beat third-seed Ridge 10-7 in the highest scoring regulation SCT final since 1986, when Bernards beat Somerville 14-10. They went on to win the North 2, Group 4 final, as well as the program’s first-ever state title, wining Group 4.

PAST COVERAGE:

Immaculata

Bridgewater-Raritan

by Mike Pavlichko

SCT Quarterfinal Recap: Skyland Delaware sweeps into Monday’s semis as Immaculata, Ridge roll, Watchung Hills recovers from early deficit, Bridgewater-Raritan needs extras

The Somerset County Tournament semifinals will be all Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams, as top three seeds Immaculata, Watchung Hills and Ridge won quarterfinal games on Thursday, while fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan knocked off Rutgers Prep in extra innings.

Monday’s semifinals – which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater – will feature second-seed Watchung Hills and third-seed Ridge in the 1 pm opener. The second game is scheduled for four pm with fifth-seed Bridgewater and top-seed and defending champion Immaculata. Click here to listen as Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action.

Read through for recaps on three of the four games, and a link to Alec Crouthamel’s game story on the Panthers and Argonauts, followed by the schedule for the rest of the SCT.

(1) Immaculata 11, (8) Montgomery 1 (6 inn.): The Spartans (16-4) led the Cougars (9-14) 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, when they scored four runs to walk-off with a ten-run rule win out at Diamond Nation in Flemington. After Ryan Auten pitched a scoreless first, Immaculata got on the board with a five-spot in the home half of the inning. After a leadoff double by Luca Catanzarite, Owen Schilling hit a one-out, two-run homer. A double by Owen Rivenbark followed, then another by Nehemiah Diaz made it 3-0. And Diaz was driven in on a two-run homer by Andrew Wheeler.

The Spartans got two more in the second – on RBI singles by Justin Labrador and Rivenbark – to take a 7-0 lead before Montgomery got on the board in the fifth on a triple by Kenta Komatsu. And then came the sixth. Catanzarite, Labrador and Schilling all walked to begin the inning, then Rivenbark drove in the first two with a single to right. Nick Diaz singled to make it 10-1, and the final run came on a comebacker by Wheeler and an error on the pitcher, allowing Rivenbark to score.

Auten struck out 16 and walked just one for Immaculata, and improved to 6-0 on the season, with a 0.83 earned run average.

(5) Bridgewater-Raritan 10, (4) Rutgers Prep 5 (8 inn.): The Argonauts (13-5) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after two innings, but the Panthers (9-14) got back into it, tying the game at five with three runs in the sixth, then winning it with a five-spot in the top of the eighth inning.

Bridgewater-Raritan went yard twice in the game. Stephen Pikulin hit a three-run homer in the fifth to tie the game off reliever Jake Brown, and Michael Lobosco did the same in the fifth to extend a 7-5 lead to 10-5, after a Josh Moore double to break the tie, and a Kellan Komline sac fly to extend the lead to two.

It’s the Panthers’ fourth trip to the semifinals in the five tournaments since COVID – there was no SCT in 2020 due to the pandemic, nor in 2021 due to a shorter season – having only missed last season.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, along with postgame reaction from Kellan Komline, Stephen Pikulin, and head coach Max Newill.

(2) Watchung Hills 9, (1) Franklin 5: The Hustlin’ Warriors (Watchung Hills, 12-6) fell behind early to the Franklin Warriors (6-9) with a rough start to the ballgame, but rebounded nicely for the win, to earn their second trip tot he SCT semifinals in three years, their last appearance coming in 2024.

Franklin scored twice in the top of the first off Hills’ starter Lucas Sheehan, who got the win to improve to 5-2. He surrendered a one-out homer to Mason Bonds, then after a double and hit batter, a second run came in on an error. Unfazed, Watchung Hills would answer in the home half of the inning.

Brody Griffith and Jacob Jaconski singled. Rob Centamore grounded into a fielder’s choice, and an error allowed Griffith to score. After a walk to Max Payne, Landon Pudlak tied the game at two with a sac fly to center, , and after a walk to Stefano DeGeronimo, a groundout to third by Brady Simo gave the Hustlin’ Warriors a 3-2 advantage.

It was short-lived. A sac fly by Franklin’s Kelvin Heuston tied the game at three in the top of the second, but Hills came right back to take a 4-3 lead they’d never relinquish in the bottom of the inning, on a fielder’s choice by Max Payne.

Watchung Hills got one more in the third, taking a 5-3 lead on a Jacob Jaconski single, plating Griffith for his second of three runs scored. And in the bottom of the fifth, they blew it open.

After a one-out walk by Lucas Ricci, James Esposito doubled to make it 6-3. After a ground out for the second out, Jaconski doubled to score Esposito, Centamore followed with the same to score courtesy runner James Perruna for Jaconski, and Payne singled to center to score Centamore, giving Hills a 9-3 lead.

Franklin got two more in the top of the seventh to make it interesting – on a fielder’s choice and an infield hit – but reliever Jacob O’Sheal got a pop out and a K to end it.

Click here to listen to Watchung Hills head coach Joseph Tremarco talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Hustlin’ Warriors’ win in the SCT quarterfinals.

(3) Ridge 7, (6) Hillsborough 0: Dimitri Romer pitched six innings of one-hit ball and Lucas Liston finished out the seventh to team up for the shutout for the Red Devils (14-8), who are back in the semis for a third straight year.

Ridge got on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by Sawyer Paul. Then, they burst out with a four-spot in the second, all on singles. After a leadoff strikeout, Toby Nicholson and Matt Pypcznski reached back-to-back. Kieran Callanan followed with a single to left, driving in Nicholson for a 2-0 lead. A fourth straight single by Lucas Grob loaded the bases before Jake Dolan popped up and the infield fly was called for the second out. But Casey Kucerka singled to score one, and Paul singled to plate two, giving Ridge a 5-0 lead.

They would add two more in the fifth on a two-run homer by Nicholson, his first of the year.

SCT SCHEDULE

Monday, May 18
Semifinals at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater

  • 1 pm: (2) Watchung Hills (12-6) vs. (3) Ridge (14-8)
  • 4 pm: (1) Immaculata (16-4) vs. (5) Bridgewater-Raritan (9-14)

Wednesday, May 20
Finals at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater

  • 6 pm: Watchung Hills/Ridge winner vs. Immaculata/Bridgewater-Raritan winner

by Alec Crouthamel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s when the trouble started.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then catcher Michael Lobosco came up.

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

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

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

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

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

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