Dom Long – Central Jersey Sports Radio

It was no secret how good the Middlesex baseball team could be this year, coming off a state Group 1 championship with a vast majority of the team coming back.

And in the first two games of the season, the fourth-ranked Blue Jays lived up to that expectation, finishing off a two-game sweep of Spotswood Thursday with a 12-1 road win – heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio to improve to 2-0 on the season.

The game was actually a tight pitchers’ duel for the first five innings. Middlesex took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Dylan Ianiero doubled to the warning track in left, then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a second, which turned out to be ball four to starter Dom Long.

But at least through the fifth, that was it. The Jays threatened a couple of times, while Long no-hit the Chargers through the first five innings, retiring his all of the first 16 batters he faced.

Everything changed in the sixth inning. After a Chris Kozak pop up to short, Diego Marcano walked, and Anthony Melchiorre drove him in with a double to the wall in right. Leadoff hiter Lucas Blanco walked as well, and Dylan Ianiero knocked in Melchiorre with a single. Long walked to load the bases.

Sean Hughes came up and grounded one back to starter Leo Carone, who threw home to get the force. But catcher Dylan Melczer couldn’t handle the throw, it got by him, and two more runs came in to make it 5-0 Middlesex. And after a Marcus Lavornia walk, Devin Jackson knocked in two with an RBI single to make it 7-0.

Spotswood finally broke through in he bottom of the inning. With one out, Carone reached on an infield hit – a hard-hit ball behind the second base bag that Melchiorre fielded, but couldn’t get out of his glove in time to make a play at first – then nine-hitter Mike Palumbo doubled to move Carone to third. He later scored on a sac fly to center by leadoff man Gavin Romeo, but that was all they’d get.

With Carone out of the game for Spotswood, Middlesex added five more in the seventh, with the big highlight a two-run homer by Lucas Blanco, the first of his career.

Carone took the loss for Spotswood, going five innings, allowing eight hits and seven runs, four of them earned. He also struck out four. Long went six innings for Middlesex, allowing two hits and one earned run, striking out eight. Jackson finished off the seventh for the Jays.

Click below for postgame reaction from Middlesex head coach Blaze Iannetti and starting pitcher Dom Long, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

In a battle of elite offenses who can tally up runs in the blink of an eye, it had seemed like the Central Jersey Group 1 championship between top-seeded Middlesex and three-time defending champion Point Pleasant Beach – the seventh year in a row the two teams faced off in the sectional tournament – was headed for a barn-burner.

Even more so after one inning, where both teams put a run on the board in the near-ninety-degree weather in central New Jersey.

That’s where Blue Jays star pitcher Dominic Long stepped in.

After a shaky first inning, Long dazzled the Garnet Gulls, retiring fifteen straight batters at one point, finishing a complete game while allowing only one run, with two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts in seven innings to lead his team to a decisive 7-1 victory.

Point Pleasant Beach did some damage to start the game with its top of the order, with pitcher Tommy Conroy reaching on an error to lead off the game. Second baseman Brody Powers singled to advance Conroy to third, but was caught stealing second. Star catcher Daniel Lubach reached on a fielder’s choice to score Conroy, before Long struck out centerfielder Daniel Storch looking to end the inning.

The Blue Jays’ bats were revving to get started, and they did just that. Shortstop Dom Parenti drew a leadoff walk and stole second. After a flyout from right fielder Dylan Ianiero, Long stepped up to the plate and helped his own cause with a scorching RBI single down the third base line to score the Blue Jays’ first run of the game. Conroy eventually settled in, allowing another single before getting two flyouts to end the first inning.

It seemed like the offensive momentum would continue into the second inning, but Long shut that down immediately with a nine-pitch frame, punctuated by a strikeout looking.

Middlesex kept its offensive effort moving, this time with the bottom of the order. Centerfielder Chris Kozak singled, and left fielder James Matula reached on an error to put two runners on. After a flyout from Parenti, Ianiero went the opposite way with a flare shot to shallow right field to take the lead.

Like clockwork, Long retired the side in order yet again in an eight-pitch third inning with a lineout and two flyouts, putting the red-hot Middlesex offense right back at the plate. Conroy settled down in the bottom of the third, however, with only one batter reaching base with two outs before an inning-ending flyout.

After another eight-pitch frame from Long, the Blue Jays’ offense started humming once again. Kozak and Matula each singled to start the bottom of the fourth, followed by a hit-by-pitch from Parenti to load the bases and nobody out. Ianiero got plunked on the ensuing at-bat, bringing in a run and forcing Conroy out of the game.

Freshman pitcher Thomas Slobiski had a solid inning in relief, given the high-pressure situation he was put in. Kozak scored on a wild pitch, but Slobiski induced a ground ball from Long later in the at-bat, recording an out at the plate but keeping the bases loaded. First baseman Owen Reynolds launched a sacrifice fly to left field to score Parenti, and with runners on the corners with two outs, Long got caught stealing second to end the inning.

Can you guess what happened next?

Long retired the side, in order, once again, taking 11 pitches to do so in the top of the fifth.

Reliever and first baseman Noah Banick came into the game and walked two batters with two outs, before eventually escaping with a shutout frame.

In the top of the sixth, the Gulls finally got something to work off Long. Powers launched a fly ball to centerfield and over the head of Kozak, but a good recovery and throw back in limited Powers to only a single. Banick grounded out in the ensuing at-bat to keep the score at 4-1, with a fired-up Long racing back into the dugout to high-fives from his Blue Jay teammates.

Middlesex used that momentum and took its shot once again, scoring three insurance runs from the top of the order. Parenti, Ianiero, and Long all reached to load the bases with nobody out. Point Pleasant Beach made another pitching change, inserting shortstop Antonio Acevedo in a tough spot. Reynolds hit a ground ball to second base, but the throw home sailed over Lubach’s head to score a run. Designated hitter Luke Jones added a two-RBI single to push the lead to 7-1, all with one out.

In the top of the seventh, Long remained on the mound, looking to end the game and win the title.

Once again, he trusted his stuff and his defense, drawing two flyouts to Ianiero in right field, and a ground ball to third baseman Sean Hughes to clinch the title.

Remarkably, after the first frame that saw the Gulls put multiple runners and a run on the scoreboard, Long combined to throw just 54 pitches in the following six innings.

Conroy took the loss for Point Pleasant Beach, allowing four runs (all earned) in three innings with six hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.

Middlesex (21-5) advances and snaps the Gulls’ three-year championship streak, and will face South Jersey Group 1 champion Schalick in the Group 1 state semifinals. The Cougars upset top-seeded Audubon in Thursday’s sectional final.

Point Pleasant Beach ends its season at 20-8.

Click below for postgame reaction from Middlesex pitcher Dom Long, right fielder Dylan Ianiero, and head coach Blaze Iannetti, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: