Tag: Eastern

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Group 4 Final: Bridgewater-Raritan 6, Eastern 4

North 2, Group 4 champion Bridgewater-Raritan won its first-ever state title with a 6-4 win over Eastern on June 8, 2024 at Hamilton’s Bob De Meo Field. The Panthers won their Division, had the best record in the Skyland Conference, won the Somerset County Tournament, the sectional title, and Group 4 title, while also setting a program record for wins, going 30-3.

Click below to listen to the full game broadcast, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau on the call:

by Mike Pavlichko

Panthers are champs! Bridgewater-Raritan takes first ever state title with 6-4 win over Eastern

Bridgewater-Raritan is 4-for-4.

The Panthers – Skyland Conference Delaware Champs, Somerset County Tournament Champs, and North 2, Group 4 sectional champs – now are state champions, for the first time ever.

The Panthers built a 5-0 lead and saw it get cut to a one-run advantage after giving up a third-inning grand slam before Cory Rible closed the door – as he’s done all season long – en route to a 6-4 win over Eastern in the NJSIAA Group 4 final, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, at Bob DeMeo Field at Hamilton’s Veterans’ Park.

And the record books have been rewritten.

Bridgewater scored once in the first, and four times in the second, and as it turns out that was all they would need.

But Eastern made it interesting, with Sam Winsett belting a third-inning grand slam to make it 5-4 BR.

Owen Crimmins started the game and came out in the fourth, as Jack Lanum retired both batters he faced, then Rible came in. All he did was throw three perfect innings, retiring all nine batters he faced.

The win gives Bridgewater-Raritan a 30-3 record, shattering a school mark it set last year by seven, and their first state title since the merger of the East and West high schools in 1992. East made the finals one, in 1971, and West won a state title in 1989.

Matt Lehberger scored the game’s first run. He hit a one-out double in the bottom of the first, and when he tried to steal third, the throw from catcher Anthony Cataldo sailed wide and into left, allowing Lehberger to come home.

Bridgewater built on that lead in the second. JR Rosado led off with a single, and came out for courtesy runner Nick Turchi. Kellan Komline singled, but an errant throw trying to get Turchi out at third went out of play, allowing Turchi to score and putting Komline at third. After Frankie Verano popped out, Joe Spirra walked, and Michael Taylre knocked in Komline with a single to make it 3-0. Devin Goldberg popped out foul, Matt Lehberger reached on an error, and then Matt Fattore drove in two with a single before Matt Cichocki flew out to left to end the inning.

It looked like Crimmins would get a chance to be comfortable, but the third inning changed all that. Matt Gryskiewicz led with a single, and after a K, Logan Dawson – the Eastern starter, batting in the leadoff spot – walked. Ryder Haldeman laid a bunt down the third base line that rolled slowly toward the foul line, but died before it hit the chalk, loading the bases. Winsett then pummeled a 2-2 pitch off a light pole 365 feet away in left for a grand slam to cut it to 5-4.

And it stayed that way for a bit, until the first pitch of the fifth. That’s when Bridgewater’s Fattore crushed one to left for a solo shot to give Bridgewater a 6-4 lead. It was the 100th hit of his high school career.

By that point, stopper/closer Cory Rible was in the game, and the insurance run proved to be just that.

He’d already thrown a 1-2-3 fifth, sandwiching two strikeouts around a groundout. After the Fattore home run, he struck out the side in the sixth, throwing some real gas, then got a strikeout, groundout and another K to end the game, setting off a wild celebration.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 4 Final Preview: Bridgewater-Raritan to battle Eastern for school’s first state ‘chip

Most teams never know when they will play their last game. Especially those who make the state playoffs.

In high school baseball, that’s about 300 teams. Only a dozen will know it’s their final game: those that make the state finals.

Saturday night, in the final game of the New Jersey high school baseball season, Bridgewater-Raritan will take on Eastern for the Group 4 state championship. The Panthers – in a historic season – will be looking for a fourth trophy for their case.

They already have the Skyland Delaware, Somerset County, and North 2, Group 4 trophies in hand. They want one more: for the state Group 4 championship.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast Saturday night’s title game. Scroll through this story for news, notes, stats, interview, links to past coverage and championship history:

GROUP 4 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers

  • 29-3 overall (school record for wins)
  • 10-0, Skyland Conference Delaware Division champions
  • Somerset County Tournament champions
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 champions
  • #4 ranking in New Jersey

Eastern Vikings

  • 25-6 overall
  • 5-3, Olympic Conference, American Division (2nd place)
  • Camden County Tournament Finalist
  • South Jersey Group 4 champions

Date and Time: Friday, June 8, 2024 – 7 pm
Location: Bob DeMeo Field, Veterans Park – Hamilton, NJ
Coverage: Live broadcast on Central Jersey Sports Radio (Click here to listen!)
Announcers: Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau

Head Coaches:
Bridgewater-Raritan: Max Newill, 17th season (250-186)
Eastern: Rob Christ, 20th season (272-212-1)

Pitching Probables:
Bridgewater-Raritan: Owen Crimmins (7-0, 2.06 ERA)
Eastern: Logan Dawson (6-1, 1.93 ERA)

Previews:

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Bridgewater-Raritan (#1 seed, North 2, Group 4):
First Round: def. (16) Union, 3-0
Quarterfinals: def. (9) Edison, 3-0
Semifinals: def. (4) Westfield, 10-0 (5 inn.) (RECAP)
Finals: def. (7) Hunterdon Central, 2-0 (RECAP)
Group 4 Semifinals: def. Livingston (North 1 champ), 8-1 (RECAP)

Eastern (#5 seed, South Group 4):
First Round: def. (12) Pennsauken, 7-0
Quarterfinals: def. (4) Cherokee, 6-0
Semifinals: def. (9) Washington Township, 10-4
Finals: def. (7) Egg Harbor Township, 4-2
Group 4 Semifinals: def. Jackson Memorial (South champ), 7-5

PLAYOFF STAT LEADERS:

Bridgewater-Raritan:
Batting Average – Matt Cichocki (.600, 6-for-10), Matt Fattore (.550, 6-for-12) Devin Goldberg (.385, 5-for-13)
RBIs: Matt Fattore (7), Matt Cichocki (4)
HR: Matt Fattore (1)
Stolen Bases: Devin Goldberg (6), Matt Cichocki (5), Matthew Lehberger (4)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Kellan Komline (11), Jack Lanum (5)
ERA: Five pitchers have given up zero earned runs, only Kellan Komline has allowed an earned run (1 vs. Livingston)

Eastern:
Batting Average: Sean Karback (.538, 7-for-13), Spencer Haldeman (.429, 6-for-14), Sam Winsett, Vinny Millillo (.400, 4-for-10)
RBIs: Sean Karbach (7), Spencer Haldeman, Anthony Cataldo (5)
HR: Sean Karbach (1)
Stolen Bases: Ryan Haldeman (5), Spencer Haldeman (3)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Logan Dawson (22)
ERA: Logan Dawson (0.70), Cade Michalski (1.40)

THE LOWDOWN:

Eastern head coach Rob Christ says his intel tells him Bridgewater-Raritan is “the class of Group 4.” The Panthers have been that the entire season.

They were a very good baseball team last year, as well, mind you, but this year’s team has been something special. They have come ready to play every game. To wit, in a 29-3 season, they have scored first 24 times and won 22 of those games. Even in the games where they haven’t scored first – eight of them – they are 7-1, the only loss being a 5-2 defeat to Lawrence.

The recipe for success has been everything you want from a team: solid starting pitching, timely hitting, good defense, and a rock-solid stopper/closer in Cory Rible, who has appeared in 16 games this year, exclusively out of the bullpen, with the Panthers winning all 16 of those games.

One example of how good he has been: in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals at Diamond Nation on May 20th, he came in the game to relieve Kellan Komline in the fourth with the bases loaded and just one out. He struck out the two batters he faced to get out of the inning, struck out the side in the fifth after an E6 and a single put two on with no one out, then pitched 1-2-3 sixth and seventh innings, allowing only one base runner in the seventh, who was erased on a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

And while he was in, Matt Fattore slugged a solo homer in the fifth that turned out to be the game-winning run. That’s Bridgewater-Raritan baseball in a nutshell.

Even guys like Frankie Verano – who was hitting just .167, but has battled a “balky hamstring” all season long – had 14 runs batted in coming into the Group 4 semifinals. And what did Verano do in that game? He hit an RBI double in the first inning, then knocked in another with a single in the third. Sure, he still may be hitting .191, but he knocked in two of his team’s eight runs that day, and now has 16 RBIs, tied for fifth-best on the team. He’s found a way to contribute.

On the season, Matt Fattore has torn the cover off the ball all year long, hitting an eye-popping .430 on the year. He’s hit two home runs, including one against Livingston in the semifinals, the only homer the Panthers have all year. But going yard isn’t their specialty, and they’ve done just fine despite hitting only four home runs all year.

As for Eastern, they are led by senior Sam Winsett, who’s hitting a whopping .475 on the season with 25 runs batted in. Anthony Cataldo and Saturday’s starting pitcher Logan Dawson lead the team with 29 runs batted in apiece, while the Vikings have hit ten home runs on the season, though just one in the postseason so far.

Dawson and Cade Michalski are the top pitchers for Eastern. Dawson is 6-1 with a 1.93 ERA, while Michalski is 6-2, with an 0.95 ERA. Everyone is available except Will Martin, who started Wednesday’s group semi against Jackson and got the win. He’s 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA.

For Bridgewater, Kellan Komline will be the only pitcher unavailable, after getting the win Wednesday in the semis against Livingston. The Panthers have a deep staff of starters and guys who can come out of the ‘pen. But if there’s trouble, and it’s not too early, it’ll be Rible to slam the door shut if and when the Panthers need it.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Championship History…

Bridgewater-Raritan – in its current configuration – is in the state final for the very first time. The NJSIAA only began playing to group champions in 1971 – sectionals were the end of the road prior to that) – and Bridgewater East made the state Group 3 final that year, losing to West Orange. Bridgewater West made the Group 2 final in 1989, and beat Rutherford for the title.

Eastern is in its third state final. Both prior appearances have been fairly recent, and under head coach Rob Christ. In 2013, the Vikings went 29-4, winning the South Jersey Group 4 title with a 16-6 victory over Shawnee, then beating Hunterdon Central 2-1 in the Group 4 semis before topping Westfield 8-1 in the state title game. They finished 29-4.

They last time they made it in was their only other trip, coming in 2019. Eastern beat Cherry Hill for the South 4 title, 7-2, then edged Manalapan 1-0 in the semifinals. But they would lose to Ridgewood in the Group 4 title game, 2-1, finishing the season 23-9.

(Almost) Nothing but zeroes…

The one, ultimately inconsequential earned run Kellan Komline gave up in the 8-1 win over Livingston in the Group 4 semifinals was the first the Panthers have allowed in their entire state tournament run of five games and 33 innings. Of six pitchers used by Max Newill this postseason, five – Jack Lanum (9 1/3 IP), Michael Taylor (2 2/3), Cory Rible (3), Owen Crimmins (5) and Mike Lentini (2 against Livingston) have all tossed goose eggs so far.

They have outscored opponents in that stretch 36-1.

Common Opponents…

Eastern had not played anyone out of South Jersey this year – excluding their opening two games against Kentucky teams – until the Group 4 semifinals, where they beat Jackson Memorial. But Bridgewater-Raritan has played some South Jersey teams.

They beat Rancocas Valley, 5-3 in their April first opener, a team Eastern split with this year, winning 5-4 on April 26th, and falling 10-9 on May 15th, both regular season games.

The Panthers also beat Egg Harbor Township 10-3 on April 20th, rebounding off their first loss of the season, 11-7 to West Morris. Eastern beat Egg Harbor 4-2 to win the South Jersey Group 4 championship.

Bridgewater also beat Cherokee, 5-4, on April 29th. Eastern split two regular season games with the Chiefs, winning 4-3 on April 8th, then falling 3-2 in a regular season road rematch on May sixth. But the Vikings took the rubber match, a 6-0 win in the South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals.

Recent Meetings…

These two teams haven’t met since at least before 2008, the most recent year for which results are readily available online.

Group 4 Championship History…

Eastern won the Group 4 state title in 2013, while Bridgewater-Raritan is seeking its first since the East-West merger in 1992.

Hillsborough won the Group 4 title in 2005, the only Somerset County team to do so since group champions were first crowned in 1971.

Hunterdon Central – the team the Panthers beat in the North 2, Group 4 title game this Wednesday – is the most recent Skyland Conference team to win a group 4 championship. The Red Devils have won it five times, including 1987, 2008, 2009, 2016, and 2018. No other Skyland team has won more state titles.

  • 1971: Cranford
  • 1972: Union
  • 1973: Bayonne
  • 1974: Union
  • 1975: Rancocas Valley
  • 1976: Livingston
  • 1977: Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • 1978: Steinert
  • 1979: Linden
  • 1980: Livingston
  • 1981: Edison
  • 1982: Edison
  • 1983: Elizabeth
  • 1984: Lakewood
  • 1985: Cherokee
  • 1986: Elizabeth
  • 1987: Hunterdon Central
  • 1988: Memorial (West New York)
  • 1989: Cherry Hill West
  • 1990: Cherry Hill West
  • 1991: Edison
  • 1992: Cherry Hill West
  • 1993: Edison
  • 1994: Elizabeth
  • 1995: Hackensack
  • 1996: Middletown South
  • 1997: Hackensack
  • 1998: Steinert
  • 1999: Steinert
  • 2000: Steinert
  • 2001: Toms River East
  • 2002: Union
  • 2003: Shawnee
  • 2004: Morristown
  • 2005: Hillsborough
  • 2006: Steinert
  • 2007: Washington Twp.
  • 2008: Hunterdon Central
  • 2009: Hunterdon Central
  • 2010: Randolph
  • 2011: Manalapan
  • 2012: Manalapan
  • 2013: Eastern
  • 2014: Jackson Memorial
  • 2015: Millburn
  • 2016: Hunterdon Central
  • 2017: Millburn
  • 2018: Hunterdon Central
  • 2019: Ridgewood
  • 2020: Season Cancelled, COVID-19
  • 2021: Middletown South
  • 2022: Howell
  • 2023: Ridgewood
by Mike Pavlichko

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: Bridgewater-Raritan will stick to the script in Group 4 Final vs. Eastern

The recipe for success has been much the same for the Bridgewater-Raritan baseball team the entire season, which is the main reason they’ve been able to run the table so far: Skyland Conference Delaware Division championship, Somerset County Tournament Championship, and North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Championship.

And if they are to win the state Group 4 title for the first time in the merged Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s history, there will be no new Coke here, no tinkering with the formula. It’ll be Panthers Classic, thank you very much.

For the uninitiated, that’s solid pitching, timely hitting – some small ball mixed with power – and sound gloves in the field. It’s worked so far to the tune of a program record 29 wins. But 30 would be the biggest.

Saturday night at 7, Bridgewater (29-3) will face South Jersey Group 4 champ Eastern (25-6), in the NJSIAA Group 4 state title game down at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ park in Hamilton. Pregame is set for 6:40 pm with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Click here to listen.

The Panthers are sectional champs for the first time since 2010, and were especially hungry for one after losing in last year’s North 2, Group 4 final to Bayonne. Everyone has contributed.

In the Group 4 semis against Livingston, an 8-1 win Monday for the Panthers, Matt Fattore hit a two-run homer to open the scoring. Frankie Verano, hitting just .167 battling an injury – but somehow with 14 RBIs – knocked in the third run, and, later, a fourth, to be a major contributor in the game.

And the early lead staked to Kellan Komline took any pressure off, and kept head coach Max Newill – who earned his 250th coaching victory in the game – from having to use his excellent stopper/closer Cory Rible, keeping him fresh for Saturday night.

Everyone contributing: another part of the Panthers’ success in 2024.

Click below to hear Bridegwater-Raritan head coach Max Newill talk about the Panthers’ and their Group 4 title game matchup against Eastern:

by Mike Pavlichko

Adversity? Eastern has overcome it to reach Group 4 state final vs. Bridgewater-Raritan

Every team has a few bumps in the road on the way to a championship. For Bridgewater-Raritan it has been a fairly smooth ride. They’ve lost three games, sure, but for the most part, they have taken care of business all year.

They haven’t had multiple injuries, or any long losing streaks.

Eastern, on the other hand, has had more than it’s share, maybe even more than a league’s share.

Junior Jack Bauer was going to be the Vikings’ DH this year, but he’s been out all season after being injured in an auto accident.

Left fielder Matt Capriotti dislocated his shoulder May 4th in a 3-2 loss to Rancocas Valley. He dove for a ball with two out and a runner on second, caught it, injured his shoulder, his glove fell off, and it was ruled “no catch,” allowing two runs to score, including the winning run.

One of their best baserunners, Brendan Galante, sprained his ankle this week in the sectional quarterfinals against Cherokee, and is out. And current DH Sean Karbach recently had an aunt killed in a car accident.

That’s not to mention a “personal tragedy” one of his assistants had to go through, and his very own father-in-law passing away earlier in the year.

And yet, here are the Eastern Vikings: 25-6 despite it all, South Jersey Group 4 champions.

And Saturday night at 7, they’ll be playing for their first-ever Group 4 state title when they take on Bridgewater-Raritan at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton. Pregame starts at 6:40 pm, and you can hear Mike Pavlichko call all the action on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here.

The Panthers come in with a record of 29-3, after beating Livingston 8-1 Wednesday for Bridgewater-Raritan’s first sectional title since 2010, their second under head coach Max Newill, for which the victory also was his 250th as a head coach.

Click below to hear Eastern head coach Rob Christ talk about the Vikings’ season, and Saturday’s matchup with Bridgewater-Raritan for the Group 4 title:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: Group 4 Semifinals – Old Bridge 8, Eastern 6

The Old Bridge Knights clinched a berth in their first-ever state final with an 8-6 win over Eastern in the Group 4 semifinals. The go-ahead run broke a 6-6 tie in the sixth inning when Justin Hascup scored from third on a balk, while an insurance run scored on a pitch in the dirt that went to the backstop.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen call all the action from Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2023:

by Mike Pavlichko

On to the final! Old Bridge wins wild Group 4 semi over Eastern, 8-6 to advance to first-ever state title game

In a game that had the long ball, hits, errors, and gold glove plays, it was a balk call int he sixth inning that led to the winning run.

Old Bridge doesn’t care how; they’ll take it: an 8-6 win over Eastern in the Group 4 semifinals at Fred Cole Field that sends them to the state Group 4 title game in Hamilton at 4 pm Saturday against Ridgewood, which walked-off Bayonne with a single in the seventh to win 14-13.

In a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, Justin Hascup closed the game on the mound, and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth. He led off the inning with the game tied 6-6 by knocking a triple. Evan Smith walked and a sac bunt by Adam Scire put him at second. With second and third and one out, a balk was called on Eastern pitcher Logan Dawson to score Hascup. A passed ball then brought home Smith with an insurance run the Knights would turn out not to need.

Old Bridge was down 2-0 before even coming to bat, as Eastern got a two-RBI double from Rich Iulucci, but starter JT Meyer settled in from there.

The Knights got three back in the second on an RBI double by Scire that drove in Mike Villani. Then Meyer knocked in two with a two-out triple to make it 3-2 Old Bridge after two.

The Vikings took a 6-3 lead in the fifth. With a runner on third, Bill Bentliff popped up a bunt to first that Shawn Bogda caught; he tried to double up Spencer Haldeman on third but threw it away and the run score to tie the game. After a hit batter and a walk put two on, Sam Winsett crushed a three-run homer to left.

That’s the way the game would stay until the wacky sixth inning.

Old Bridge goes to the finals with a record of 21-8; Hascup got the win in relief. Logan Dawson took the loss for Eastern, which falls to 17-11-1.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Old Bridge sophomore Justin Hascup scored the game’s winning run and got the win in relief
Old Bridge sophomore Justin Hascup. (Photo: Dylan Allen)
Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue
by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge carrying GMC flag as lone sectional champ into Group 4 semifinal battle with Eastern

With all the great baseball that was played by the Greater Middlesex Conference this season, particularly in the Red Division, one team remains: Old Bridge.

The Knights (20-8, 7-5 in the GMC Red) didn’t even make the county tournament semifinals, showing how everybody could beat anybody, but here they are, Central Jersey Group 4 champions for the first time since 2015, and now in the Group 4 semifinals, where they will take on the Eastern Vikings (17-10-1), the South Jersey Group 4 champions, out of the Olympic Conference.

Scroll through for a complete preview of the game, which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

Group 4 Semifinals: Old Bridge (20-8) vs. Eastern (17-10-1)
When: Monday, 5 pm
Where: Fred Cole Field, campus of Carl Sandburg Middle School in Old Bridge, NJ
Coverage: Mike Pavlichko, Dylan Allen on play-by-play (click here to listen)
First Pitch Forecast: 76, partly sunny, NNW wind 10 mph (out to centerfield)

PROBABLE STARTERS
Old Bridge: Frank Papeo (6-2, 1.56 ERA)
Eastern: Logan Dawson (3-1, 2.36 ERA)

HEAD COACHES and PREVIEW INTERVIEWS

Old Bridge: Matt Donaghue, 5th season (81-62)

Rob Christ: Rob Christ, 19th season (447-205-1)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Old Bridge (No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 4)

  • def. (16) West Windsor-Plainsboro North 3-0 in 1st round
  • def. (9) West Windsor-Plainsboro South 10-0 in quarterfinals
  • def. (5) East Brunswick 8-0 in semifinals
  • def. (2) North Brunswick 2-1 in finals

Eastern (No. 11 seed in South Jersey Group 4)

  • def. (6) Millville 12-0 in 1st round
  • def. (3) Egg Harbor 2-0 in quarterfinals
  • def. (7) Southern 11-2 in semifinals
  • def. (5) Rancocas Valley 2-0 in finals

WHAT’S NEXT? The winner of today’s game goes to the statewide Group 4 finals, set for 4 pm Saturday at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans Park in Hamilton, against the winner or the North 1 vs. North 2 game, featuring North 1 winner Ridgewood (22-7) hosting North 2 winner Bayonne (25-6). That game is a 4 pm first pitch Monday.

Game Preview

Old Bridge finished second in the GMC Red Division to North Brunswick, despite having beaten the Raiders twice in the regular season, once in 10 innings. But they were bounced by South Plainfield – another Red Division team they’d beaten in the regular season – in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals. En route to the Central Jersey Group 4 final, they pitched three shutouts, and only allowed one run to North Brunswick in the title game, beating the Raiders for a third time this season, this time 2-1 for the Knights’ first sectional title since 2015. That year, they lost to Williamstown in the semifinals.

Old Bridge is a veteran group. Thomas Papeo is the top hitter at .407, driving in 18 runs, while Kyle McSorley has a team-leading 27 RBIs and six home runs; both are seniors. Fellow senior Mike Villani is hitting .382 with 14 runs batted in, third on the team.

And if you did the easy math earlier, Old Bridge has allowed a grand total of one run in four playoff games, as the pitching duo of Justin Hascup and Frank Papeo has been lights out, and nearly unhittable. They’ve split the starts, and along with reliever Justin “J.T.” Meyer, they have allowed a combined nine hits in those four games.

Eastern is the surprise 11-seed out of South Jersey Group 4, on their longest winning streak of the season, at six games, having entered the state playoffs at just 12-10-1. (They had a regular season win between their first round and quarterfinal games over Camden Catholic.) They’ve also had three shutouts in these playoffs, only allowing two runs to Southern in the sectional semifinals. Their win over Rancocas Valley – the fifth seed – in the final came after a pair of regular season losses, 7-0 on April 24th and 8-7 on May 16th.

The Vikings are led offensively by Jack Bauer, who’s hitting .450 with four runs batted in, but he won’t be in the starting lineup against Old Bridge; he could see time as a pinch hitter or late-game substitution. Next up is senior catcher Bill Bentliff, hitting .354 with 10 RBI, and freshman Vinny Mellilo, hitting .328 on the year.

Is it 2019 all over again?

After two off years following COVID – at 14-9 in 2021 and 12-13 last season – the Vikings are back where they left off prior to the pandemic year shutdown. In 2019, they were 23-9, won South Jersey Group 4, and beat Manalapan in the Group 4 semis, before losing 2-1 in the Group 4 final to Ridgewood. Eastern had won 20 or more games every year from 2015 through 2019, and though this is the longest they’ve gone in the state tournament since, they can’t get to 20 this year. They’re at 17 wins now, with only a maximum two more games remaining.

That 2019 season was the last year Old Bridge had made a sectional final; they lost to Manalapan. And Ridgewood is in the other Group 4 final, with first pitch set for 4 pm today in Bayonne.

Is Central 4 the real deal?

The winner of Central Jersey Group 4 has won four of the last seven statewide Group 4 titles. That includes Hunterdon Central in 2016 and 2018, Middletown South in 2021, and Howell last season.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF OLD BRIDGE:

by Mike Pavlichko

North Brunswick rallies, then wins see-saw fourth quarter battles to survive and advance

It could have been an early night for the third-seeded North Brunswick Raiders.

But head coach Mike Cipot had talked to his team during the week about playing from behind. Certainly not hoping for it, but preparing for that eventuality with a group of players who – if they’ve ever been in the playoffs at all – maybe saw time as sophomores in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the NJSIAA playoffs last season.

Whatever the discussion, it paid off. After two touchdown connections from Frankie Garbolino to Marquis Perry in the first quarter to erase a 14-0 deficit, the Raiders survived a back-and-fourth final quarter to beat 6th-seed Eastern at home 39-30 Friday night in the Central Group 5 first round.

Perry and Garbolino also each had a touchdown run, while Brandon Harrison had a 20-yard pick six for a score.

North Brunswick next will travel to second-seed Cherokee in Marlton for a second-round game. They beat 7-seed Egg Harbor Township Friday night 38-37.

Click below to hear North Brunswick head coach Mike Cipot talk about the Raiders’ come-from-behind victory over Eastern: