Tag: Florence

June 10, 2021September 6, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Instant Replay: Middlesex gains another CJ1 final with 11-0 “walkoff” against Florence

It’s another trip to the Central Jersey Group 1 Championship Game for Middlesex.

The top-seeded Blue Jays beat 12th-seed Florence in the sectional semifinals Wednesday afternoon at Mountainview Park by a score of 11-1, behind solid pitching from sophomore Aidan Kozak, and two big innings offensively.

Kozak got the last-minute start in place of Raiden Yost on what head coach Justin Nastasi called a “gut feeling.” And the sophomore didn’t disappoint.

In a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, Kozak struck out ten and allowed just two hits. He allowed just four baserunners in his five innings of work.

Most importantly, it leaves Yost and ace Stephen Young free and clear of pitch count limits for Friday’s sectional title game against 6th-seed Point Pleasant Beach, the third straight meeting in the sectional final between the Blue Jays and the Garnet Gulls.

At the plate, Middlesex banged out nine hits, including a two-run homer from catcher Mark Geist in the fourth inning, and a three-run homer by Ryan Vollmer later in the frame.

The Blue Jays had gotten out to a three-nothing lead in the second on a bases loaded walk by Ty Nicolay, and a two-RBI double by Young.

Then, the Blue Jays put the game away in the fifth, with a small, but strong, thunderstorm approaching.

In the midst of two pauses when thunder forced the umpires to get together for a quick discussion, Geist drove in a run to make it 9-0 with an RBI single before Vollmer delivered the decisive blow, a two-RBI single over the head of centerfielder Nick Corsi – who had started the game on the mound – that invoked the mercy rule.

Click below to listen to the complete Central Jersey Group 1 semifinal game broadcast:

June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Blue Jays fly into fourth straight CJ1 title game with 11-0 win over Florence

Scroll down to hear postgame reaction from pitcher Aidan Kozak and head coach Justin Nastasi.

On what looked like it would be a great day for baseball, the skies opened up like a waterfall at Mountainview Park in Middlesex.

Just in time, Raiden Yost’s blast to deep centerfield went over the head of Nick Corsi, driving in Mark Geist and Stephen Young, and the Blue Jays walked off with an 11-0 mercy rule win as a wall of rain swept in from the Watchung Mountains beyond left field to douse the celebratory proceedings.

It was quite the day at the plate for Middlesex, which scored three runs in the second, five more in the fourth, and capped it off with three in the bottom of the fifth.

Not to be outdone by a gem from sophomore starting pitcher Aiden Kozak. Raiden Yost was supposed to start this game when it was scheduled for yesterday. But on a “gut feeling” head coach Justin Nastasi told Central Jersey Sports Radio before the game, he gave the ball to Kozak.

And all he did was throw five innings of two-hit shutout ball, striking out ten Florence hitters, while walking one, and hitting another batter. It was as good an effort as you could dream of, and it keeps Yost and Stephen Young free of any pitch limitations Friday when Middlesex hosts 6th-seed Point Pleasant Beach Friday at 1 pm for the Central Jersey Group One title.

You can hear the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Justin Sontupe and Chris Tsakonas calling all the action. Pregame is tentatively set for 12:40 pm. Click here to listen.

In the second, A.J. West got on with a two-out single, and Matt Venutolo moved him to second on a ball in the hole to short that Artie Piotrowski couldn’t decide where he wanted to throw. His toss to second for the force was too late. Geist Walked, then so did Ty Nicolay to drive in the first run, while Young knocked in two more with a double to give Middlesex a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Jays would get five more runs, but not before about a 15-minute delay, as the home plate umpire complained he wasn’t feeling well in the heat. He left the game, and one of the other umps moved behind the plate.

When they came back, Venutolo led off with a triple, then Geist cranked a homer off a fan’s tent just beyond the left field wall to make it 5-0. Following a bunt by Ty Nicolay that resulted in the first out, Young hit a double, Anthony Long walked, and Ryan Vollmer blasted a three-run homer to right field to make it 8-0.

That was all for losing pitcher Nick Corsi, who swapped places with centerfielder Dillon Sanfillipo. After a single to Raiden Yost, he got out of the inning.

But then in the fifth, Venutolo led off with a double, and Geist’s signle drive him in, making it 9-0. Nicolay flew out to left, and Young walked. After long flew out to center, Vollmer launched one over Corsi’s head. He looked like he might make a play, but didn’t, and the final two runs came in.

Now, Middlesex will play in the Central Jersey Group 1 title game for the fourth straight season.

After a sectional semifinal loss to South River in 2016, Middlesex beat Metuchen for the title in 2017, then Point Beach in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. So, this will be the third straight meeting with the Garnet Gulls with the championship on the line.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s postgame reaction with Middlesex sophomore pitcher Aidan Kozak and head coach Justin Nastasi:

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Thuderstorms push CJ1 semifinals to Wednesday; Middlesex and Florence never started

In the end, it was probably the best-case scenario for both teams.

Before Florence could even get off their long, yellow bus, the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals, originally scheduled for today at 4 pm, were called off.

Lightning and thunder could be seen and heard in the distance around 3:00 as the Middlesex players were warming up. Then a loud crack and a flash sent them off the field, and into the school for what head coach Justin Nastasi hoped would be a “wait it out” situation.

*Middlesex players warm up before the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals against Florence Tuesday. It will now be played Wednesday at 1 pm.*

In the end, the forecast was not good, and the game was called.

Top-seed Middlesex (17-4) and 12th-seed Florence (8-8) now are scheduled to play at 1 pm tomorrow at Mountainview Park in Middlesex, in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame is scheduled for 12:30 pm. Click here to listen.

Middlesex is seeking its third straight crown in Central Jersey Group 1, and it fourth straight appearance in the title game. The Blue Jays have won it in four of the last five seasons, and have also won two Group 1 statewide championships in that stretch.

As of this writing at 4:45 pm, the other GMC team left in the state tournament, Old Bridge, was in a rain delay at Marlboro. The 12th-seeded Knights trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the third, with the Mustangs getting the leadoff man aboard with a walk.

Both starters – Justin Herbstman for Old Bridge and Alex Jankowski for Marlboro eclipsed the 31 pitch mark, so neither would be available if the game had to be continued tomorrow.

Keep checking this website, and follow us on Twitter at @cjsportsradio, for the latest on both games.

June 8, 2021June 9, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Complete Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinal Preview: Middlesex vs. Florence

This afternoon at 1:00, top-seed Middlesex takes on 12th-seed Florence for a trip to the Central Jersey Group 1 title game.

DETAILS:

(1) Middlesex (18-4) vs.
(12) Florence (8-8)
1:00 pm Wednesday at Mountainview Park in Middlesex, NJ (rescheduled from Tuesday)
Click here to listen live.

STARTING PITCHERS:

Middlesex – Raiden Yost (3-2, 1.18 ERA)
Florence – Nick Corsi (1-1, 3.50 ERA)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Middlesex
1st Round: def. (16) PiAscataway Tech 16-1
Quarterfinals: def. (8) South Hunterdon 6-0

Florence
1st Round: def. (5) Perth Amboy Tech 15-4
Quarterfinals: def. (4) South Amboy 7-4

WHO THEY PLAY NEXT:

The winner of the Middlesex-Florence semifinal will play 6th-seed Point Pleasant Beach. The Garnet Gulls won at 2nd-seed New Egypt (14-7) in the other semifinal yesterday, 7-0.

Matt VanBrunt (2-4, 3 RBI) and Bryan Matuschat (3-3, 2 doubles, 2 RBI) did most of the damage for Point Beach, which got out to a 2-0 lead in the second, then exploded for five runs in the fifth.

VanBrunt and James Larson teamed up to four-hit New Egypt, striking out six and walking two.

If Middlesex wins, they would host the Central Jersey Championship Game on Friday afternoon. If Florence wins, they would play the title game Friday down the Shore.

AUDIO COVERAGE LINKS:

Middlesex a win away from fourth straight sectional final, fifth in six years

Vollmer wants to go out like he came in – with a Blue Jays’ championship

Florence feels it’s battle-tested enough to play with perennial power Middlesex in CJ1 semis

KEY STATS:

With the exception of an 8-1 loss to South Brunswick in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals a couple of weeks ago, the Blue Jays have scored no fewer than six runs in every game dating back to a 17-3 win May 18th against Dunellen. In that timespan, Middlesex has scored ten or more runs in five of their last nine games.

In two games in the state tournament, Ryan Vollmer is tearing the cover off the ball. He’s 5-for-7 with three RBIs, a triple and a home run. The Jays are hitting .449 as a team, while the team ERA is a paltry 0.58. If they can limit Florence to a run or two, they should win this game.

For the Flashes, they have scored ten or more runs in five of their eight wins. But they have also allowed double digit runs in all eight of their losses.

They are hitting the ball in the state tournament, though, with a team batting average of .433, and a propensity for the long ball. Today’s DH, Matt Himm, has homered twice already, while Matt Adkins and Jake Fajgier (pronounced like “Frazier”) have each gone yard.

And though their pitching is not as good as Middlesex’s staff, they’re no slouch. In the first two tournament games, they have a team ERA of 2.85. Starter Nick Corsi pitched in the opening game against Perth Amboy Tech, and allowed four earned runs in a complete game, six inning effort. Control was a problem, as he struck out five, but walked eight.

An interesting part of the game to watch will be when Middlesex gets on the bases. They drew eight walks and stole 11 bases in the first round win over Piscataway Tech, with five swipes coming from the fleet-footed Stephen Young, who would likely get the start in Friday’s title game, should Middlesex be victorious today.

MIDDLESEX SUCCESS:

The Blue Jays are no stranger to this spot in the state playoffs, especially of late under head coach Justin Nastasi. His teams are 120-39 overall (.755) and 28-9 in the postseason since he took over in 2015, including a whopping 25-3 in the states.

Here is a look at their seasons under Nastasi:

2015 (17-7):
2-1 in GMC Tournament (reached the quarterfinals)
Beat Shore 15-3 for the Central Jersey Group 1 title
Lost 3-1 at Emerson in the Group 1 title game

2016 (14-12):
Eliminated in GMC Tournament preliminary round
Lost in Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals

2017 (26-5):
GMC Tournament quarterfinal exit
Beat Metuchen 3-2 for Central Jersey Group 1 title
Beat Emerson 5-4 in the Group 1 title game

2018 (24-4, GMC Blue Division Co-Champs):
GMC Tournament first round exit
Beat Pt. Pleasant Beach 2-0 for the Central Jersey Group 1 title
Beat Park Ridge 3-0 in the Group 1 title game

2019 (22-7, GMC Blue Division Champs):
GMC Tournament first round exit
Beat Pt. Pleasant Beach 6-1 for the Central Jersey Group 1 title
Lost 3-0 at Glassboro in Group 1 semifinals

2020 – No season

2021 (17-7, GMC Blue Division Champs):
Reached GMC Tournament Quarterfinals
Currently in Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Florence feels it’s battle-tested enough to play with perennial power Middlesex in CJ1 semis

The Florence Flashes have only managed to play 16 games this season

And while they’re just 8-8, head coach Kyle Ballay believes they have been tested by some tough teams in Burlington County.

Whether that experience yields positive results today in the CJ1 semifinals is another story.

This afternoon at 4:00, the 12th-seeded Flashes will take on top-seed Middlesex (18-4) in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals at Mountainview Park. You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling all the action. Pregame begins at 3:30 pm.

Florence is an interesting study by the numbers.

They allowed ten or more runs in all eight of their losses, yet they scored at least ten in five of their eight wins.

In all their defeats, they averaged about three runs. So, the idea would be to put up some crooked numbers against Middlesex pitching, if they can.

Don’t forget to check back here after the game for postgame reaction on cjsportsradio.com.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Florence head coach Kyle Ballay about today’s Central Jersey Group 1 semifinal:

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Vollmer wants to go out like he came in – with a Blue Jays’ championship

Ryan Vollmer didn’t go to school in Middlesex until high school, but he was welcomed with open arms when he joined the Blue Jays’ program in 2018.

That’s because he knew several players from his time in Little League in neighboring Green Brook.

That year also brought Middlesex its second straight Group 1 championship under Justin Nastasi, as the Blue Jays beat Park Ridge to win the statewide crown.

So, Vollmer has seen the ultimate championship in Middlesex, and he hopes to see it again this year, one last time before he graduates.

He had a chance in 2019, as the Blue Jays claimed their third straight sectional championship, but fell in the Group 1 semifinals to Glassboro.

Tuesday, he’ll try and get his team back to the Central Jersey Group 1 title game, as top-seed Middlesex (17-4) hosts 12th-seed Florence (8-8) at Mountainview Park, in a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling the action.

First pitch is set for 4 pm. Pregame will start at 3:30 pm; you can listen for free by clicking here.

Don’t forget to check back here after the game for postgame reaction on cjsportsradio.com.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Ryan Vollmer about his career with Middlesex, his best friends on the team, and the CJ1 title game against Florence:

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex a win away from fourth straight sectional final, fifth in six years

The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Middlesex High School baseball team.

While the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the 2020 season, and the Blue Jays – like many – look a lot different in 2021 than they did in 2019, the results on the field have been pretty much the same.

The formula is this: a solid postseason, maybe a win in the GMC Tournament – where they end up facing much larger schools – and a deep run in the state tournament.

To wit: Middlesex was 103-35 in Justin Nastasi’s first five seasons as head coach. That includes 22 or more wins each of the last two seasons.

His Blue Jays have won four sectional titles and two Group 1 titles in that time. And while he’s 3-6 as a head coach in the GMC Tournament, his teams are a whopping 25-3 in the states, twice losing in the Group 1 final.

Tuesday, he will lead top-seed Middlesex (17-4) into the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals against 12th-seed Florence (8-8) in a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling the action.