Junior Ryan Auten struck out 13 hitters en route to a no-hitter, helping second-seed Immaculata get past 11th-seed Franklin, 1-0, to get to its first Somerset County Tournament final since 2019, when it won the second of back-to-back championships, and its record 14th SCT title overall.
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 19, 2025:
For the first time since before COVID – and back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019 – Immaculata is going back to the Somerset County Tournament semifinals.
And a big reason why is Ryan Auten, a much-ballyhooed transfer in from Delaware Valley, who threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out 13 in a 1-0 victory for the second-seeded Spartans over upset-minded 11-seed Franklin, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
The Warriors (10-8) actually got eight baserunners against ‘Lata, but a few were errors, a couple fielders choices, and a couple of walks. But they could get nothing across.
Immaculata (13-7) got its only run in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Luca Catanzarite singled, then Jayden Capindica hit a ball of starting pitcher Dylan Shah’s glove, that was picked cleanly in front of second base by the shortstop, Mike Schiermayer. Capindica beat the throw, but it was in the dirt and got up the line, allowing Catanzarite to score.
But that was all they’d get, thanks to good Franklin defense. After a pop up out, Owen Schilling reached on a fielder’s choice to third, where Stanley Madera made a great throw to the plate, and backup catcher Jacob Gordon applied the tag to Capindica for the second out.
Auten struck out 13 in the no-hitter, and improved to 5-1. Dylan Shah took the loss to fall to 1-4.
Immaculata will face top-seed Ridge – the team they shared the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with – in Wednesday night’s 6 pm final at TD Bank Park, which you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Red Devils beat fourth-seed Rutgers Prep 11-0 in five innings in Monday’s second semifinal.
Click below for postgame reaction with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust and pitcher Ryan Auten, presented by Sportsple at Metuchen.
It’s a story of two teams with vastly different histories in the Somerset County Tournament.
One of them has won 14 times in 22 trips to the finals. Those are the Immaculata Spartans.
The other has been just once – in 1980. Those are the Franklin Warriors.
But just ask the 2023 edition of the Rutgers Prep baseball team how much that really matters? Four games below .500 at the time of the seeding meeting – which, to be fair, was just two weeks into the season – the Argonauts upset everyone in their path, and knocked off Ridge to win it all as the 12 seed.
So why can’t 11th seed Franklin get there?
To do it, they’ll have to stop second-seed Immaculata, which shared the Skyland Conference Delaware Division with top-seed Ridge.
Monday afternoon, Franklin and Immaculata will go at it at 1 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, followed by the other semifinal at 4:00 between Ridge and fourth-seed Rutgers Prep.
Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen. You’ll also be able to watch the game with our play-by-play on our YouTube channel.
Here’s a closer look at the first semifinal game of the day:
(2) Immaculata (12-7) vs. (11) Franklin (10-7)
1 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio (LISTEN LIVE) (Watch on YouTube)
PROBABLE PITCHERS:
Immaculata: Ryan Auten (4-1, 4.00 ERA)
Franklin: Dylan Shah (1-3, 3.00 ERA)
PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Immaculata: The Spartans had a bye to the second round as one of the top four seeds, and had to rally from three runs down in the seventh to beat seven-seed Hillsborough, 10-9 back on Thursday at Diamond Nation. And they did it all without the benefit of a hit, with a combination of walks, batters hit by a pitch, and a passed ball.
Franklin: After winning its opening round game, 16-1, over 14-seed Bound Brook in five innings, the Warriors pulled off two upsets to get here. First, they beat six-seed and defending champion Bridgewater-Raritan, 4-3 on Monday. Then, it was a dramatic, 12-10 victory over third-seed Watchung Hills that took eight innings, and three hours and 40 minutes, according to Franklin head coach Derrick Castillo.
TOP HITTERS:
Immaculata: As a team, the Spartans are hitting .287, with five regulars over .300, led by Owen Schilling at .365 with 23 runs batted in. But a number of other players also lead in key statistical categories. Justin Labrador (.344) leads the team with four doubles. Schilling and Connor Quinn each have three home runs, And senior Colin Kassai, batting .271, leads the team in walks with 12. Immaculata also is known for the timely hit – or even walk – so they can take advantage in a big situation,
Franklin: The Warriors are hitting just a bit better – .295 – than the Spartans, and they have even more guys hitting better than .300, showing a balanced lineup from top to bottom. Mike Schiermayer is the top-hitting regular at .385, with a team best 20. Izaiah Robinson – Castillo calls him “perhaps the most impressive player we have” – leads the team with two home runs and 23 stolen bases. Stanley Madera and Rodrick Ray each are tops with 15 runs batted in.
LAST FINALS BERTH:
Immaculata hasn’t been to the finals since before COVID – in 2019, when they won the second of back-to-back titles, but they’ve won the most SCT titles in the event’s history, with 14 in 22 appearances. They won ten of 12 in a stretch from 1997 to 2008, the most dominant run of any program in Somerset County.
Franklin has only made it once, in 1980, falling to Ridge, 7-1.
PAST COVERAGE:
Somerset County Tournament Coverage
Immaculata
Franklin
The semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament are set, as three of the top four seeds won their quarterfinal games on Wednesday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, with 11-seed Franklin knocking off third-seed Watchung Hills in extra innings..
Due to the rain, all games were moved out to Hunterdon County, and somehow, they managed to get them in between the raindrops.
It sets up Monday’s semifinals at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, where second-seed Immaculata and 11th-seed Watchung Hills will meet in the 1 pm opener, while top-seed Ridge will battle fourth-seed Rutgers Prep in the 4 pm game. Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live coverage with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen, presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater.
The finals will be at 6 pm next Wednesday at TD Bank Park, and can be heard live on CJSR as well.
Read on for a recap of Wednesday’s quarterfinal action.
(1) Ridge 7, (8) Bernards 1: Seemingly every time Aiden Stieglitz takes the mound, it’s a stellar performance, and Wednesday was no different. The Red Devils’ senior scattered three hits and allowed one run in six innings of work, striking out 12, to improve to 6-2 on the year. The Red Devils scored in the bottom of the first on a bases loaded walk by Sawyer Paul. Bernards tied it in the top of the second when Casey Hoeckele came home from third on a daring double steal with two outs. But from there, the rest of the night belonged to Ridge. As Stieglitz mowed down the Mountaineers, Ridge (15-4) got two more in the bottom of the third, another in the fourth, and three more insurance runs for good measure in the sixth. Paul ended up with a 2-for-3 day with three runs batted in, a walk and a stolen base. Bernards falls to 9-10 with the loss.
(2) Immaculata 10, (7) Hillsborough 9: In one of the wildest finishes of the day, the Spartans (12-6) trailed 9-6 heading into the seventh inning, and rallied for four runs to walk it off in a gut-punch to the Raiders (8-10), all without the benefit of a hit, and without making a single out. Owen Schilling got hit by a pitch from Samuel Malone to lead it off, then Jayson Labrador walked, and his brother Justin got plunked as well. That brought in Shane Borer for ‘Boro, who walked Collin Kassai to make it 9-7. With Aidan English at the plate, a passed ball allowed Dan Brea to score to cut it to 9-8. English ended up getting on via a walk to reload the bases, then Connor Quinn got hit by a pitch to tie the score. Jackson Lewis then came to the plate with a chance to win it, and that he did, working a five-pitch walk to bring in Kassai.
(4) Rutgers Prep 6, (5) Somerville 4: The Argonauts (10-7) scored five times in the third, to take a 5-1 lead over the Pioneers, then held them off for the win, avenging an 8-7 regular season home defeat just last Saturday. Somerville (10-8) got on the board first with a run in the top of the second when Ethan Flynn scored on a wild pitch. But Prep stormed back in the third with a run that came in on a walk, a two-run single by Li Perez, and RBI single by Alex Perez, and a groundout by Micah Kruger-Serrano. Somerville looked to rally in the fifth. They got a two-run single to left from Owen Melchione, then an Andrew Kessler single to center, all with two out, but Ethan Flynn flew out to center to end it, stranding two, leaving it 5-4 Argos, before Prep got one more insurance run for good measure in the bottom of the sixth. Starter Li Perez got the win for Rutgers Prep, striking out ten in four innings of work.
(11) Franklin 12, (3) Watchung Hills 10 (8): In a battle of Warriors, Franklin (9-7) erased an early 1-0 deficit and took a 7-0 lead that eventually evaporated, only for them to rally with three in the top of the eighth, then hold off Watchung Hills (11-8) in the bottom of the inning for the win. Hills got one back in the bottom of the fourth to cut it to 7-2, then Franklin added two in the fifth to go up 9-2. From there, Watchung Hills got two in the fifth, two more in the sixth, and tied it at 9-9 with three in the seventh on three RBI singles by Stefano DiGeronimo, Jake Kierstead and Max Eder. In the top of the eighth, though, Franklin took the lead back, and did it all with two outs. Stanley Madera singled to center to make it 10-9, then Jacob Gordon did the same to left to drive in two and make it a three-run lead. Still, Watchung Hills wasn’t done. A bases loaded walk with two outs brought up Max Payne. On a 2-2 count, Landon Pudlak scored on a passed ball, with the other runners advancing to second and third. Pudlak worked the count to 3-2 against reliever Izaiah Robinson, but Robinson got him looking to end the game. Franklin is a win away from just its second finals berth ever, and first since 1980.
MONDAY’S SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater
1 pm: (2) Immaculata (12-6) vs. (11) Franklin (9-7)
4 pm: (1) Ridge (15-4) vs. (4) Rutgers Prep (11-7)
Both games can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here.
As wild a day as the GMC had in its Championship Tournament Monday – with several upsets, five one-run games, and four that went to extra innings – things went a little more by the book in Somerset County.
Higher seeds Bernards, Somerville and Hillsborough all advanced, while 11-seed Franklin knocked off six-seed and defending champion Bridgewater-Raritan. That sets up the quarterfinals Wednesday at higher seeds – weather permitting – as the four top seeds all begin play with home games.
Here’s a recap of Monday afternoon’s Somerset County Tournament second round action.
(8) Bernards 12, (9) Gill St. Bernard’s 2 (6 inn.): The Mountaineers walked this one off in the sixth with a three-run inning that gave them a mercy-rule win. Casey Hoeckele got the win for Bernards (9-9), which got seven runs in the first inning, then added another each in the second and fifth, but also tore it up at the plate with a 3-for-4 day, knocking in five runs with two doubles and a triple. Gill falls to 9-9 with the loss. The Mountaineers will visit top-seed and Skyland Delaware Division co-champion Ridge (14-4) on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
(5) Somerville 6, (13) Pingry 4: The Pioneers scored five times in the bottom of the first to take a 5-0 lead the Big Blue would chip into, but never recover from. Andrew Kessler drove in three runs for Somerville (10-7), which got a complete game three-hitter from Michael Meyers, who allowed four unearned runs, and struck out two, walking just one. Pingry falls to 5-15 with the loss. The ‘Ville will visit fourth-seed and Skyland Valley Division champ Rutgers Prep (10-7) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
(11) Franklin 4, (6) Bridgewater-Raritan 3: A tight game throughout, all seven runs scored in this one came in different innings. Franklin (8-7) scored in the top of the first, Bridgewater (11-14) tied it in the bottom, and Franklin went ahead 2-1 in the top of the second. The Panthers tied it 2-2 in the third, then both teams scored in the fifth. The decisive blow came in the sixth, a solo home run by Elijah Zavatsky, to put the Warriors up 4-3. Then, Defraily Sosa – who came on in relief of Dylan Shah, who pitched the first four innings – pitched a 1-2-3 sixth, and closed out the seventh after back-to-back walks with a ground out and two strikeouts to pick up the win. The defending SCT champs have had some tough luck this year, losing four one-run games and two by two runs. The Warriors will play in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at third-seed Watchung Hills (11-7).
(7) Hillsborough 6, (10) Manville, 0: The Raiders (8-9) got a stellar outing from starting pitcher James Drinkwater, who threw seven innings of three-hit ball, fanning 13 and walking just two. Andrew Advani was red hot at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and three RBIs, while also picking up a walk and a stolen base, one of five for Hillsborough on the day. They picked up a run each in the first and second, then added four more insurance runs in the sixth. Manville drops to 9-9 with the loss, while the Raiders will play in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round at second-seed and Skyland Delaware co-champion Immaculata, out at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS – WEDNESDAY:
(8) Bernards (9-9) at (1) Ridge (14-4)
(5) Somerville (10-7) at (4) Rutgers Prep (10-7)
(11) Franklin (8-7) at (3) Watchung Hills (11-7)
(7) Hillsborough (8-9) at (2) Immaculata (11-6)
The opening round of the 2025 Somerset County Tournament is a split, with one game Wednesday and one Thursday, since 12th-seed Montgomery already had a regular-season game scheduled the day the tournament was supposed to start.
But the Cougars will hope to bottle whatever their secret sauce was against Manville Wednesday in a 5-2 win at TD Bank Park heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio when they take on 13-seed Pingry at 4:30 Thursday afternoon out at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
(11) Franklin 11, (14) Bound Brook 1
The Warriors got out to an early lead in this one, scoring twice in the bottom of the first on a double-steal and a groundout. After Bound Brook got one in the top of the second on a double by Jon Coiro to cut the deficit in half, the Warriors plated seven in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-1 lead.
Dylan Shah drove in two, two errors by the Crusaders led to the next two runs, and a Manny Vasquez bases-clearing double drove in three.
Franklin added six more in the fourth on a sac fly by Elijah Zavatsky, two walks, two hard ground balls in the infield, and a sac fly by Stanley Madera.
Starter Shayne Rooney got the win, allowing five hits and one run in four innings of work, with a very efficient 70-pitch outing as Franklin improves to 6-7. The Warriors will play at 6-seed Bridgewater-Raritan Monday in the first round, the round of 16.
Montgomery (4-11) vs. Pingry (3-13)
Thursday, 4:30 pm at Diamond Nation, Flemington
Montgomery had about as solid a win as they had all season Wednesday in a 5-3 regular-season victory over Manville. They played great defense, executed two sac bunts including a suicide squeeze, got solid pitching and timely hitting, even caught a runner stealing who had reached on an tough error in the second. What else could you ask for?
Now, they’ll need to bottle that up against the Big Blue.
Montgomery had been hitting just a shade over .200 coming into Wednesday’s game, but they scored six runs on five hits to get the win, an efficient effort. Senior John Donahue has been their big bopper, hitting .436, but even more impressive was that the bottom third of the order went 3-for-6 against the Mustangs with two walks, three runs scored, two sac bunts, and two RBIs.
Pingry’s top hitters include sophomore Riley Wong (.469, 9 RBI) and senior Joaquin Stevenson (.432) while senior Matt Carrieri is hitting .346 with three home runs, and freshman Sam deLaurier (.342) has knocked in a team best 12 runs.
UPCOMING SCT SCHEDULE:
First Round – Monday, May 12
(9) Gill St Bernard’s at (8) Bernards, winner at (1) Ridge
(12) Montgomery/(13) Pingry at (5) Somerville, winner at (4) Rutgers Prep
(11) Franklin at (6) Bridgewater-Raritan, winner at (3) Watchung Hills
(10) Manville at (7) Hillsborough, winner at (2) Immaculata
The quarterfinals will be played Wednesday, May 14, at higher seeds.
Central Jersey Sports Radio’s live coverage – presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater – will begin on Monday, May 19 with the semifinals at 1 and 4 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater.
When your team spots you a 7-0 lead In the first two innings of a baseball game, it should be a cruise of the rest of the way for the starting pitcher.
And it was mostly that for Defraily Sosa of Franklin, who allowed just one run the rest of the way and scattered five hits in a complete game, 8-1 win over visiting Phillipsburg that gave the Warriors a split in their Skyland Conference division series.Â
Franklin (4-5) got four runs in the first and three more in the second before adding another in the fourth for insurance that it turned out they wouldn’t nearly need.
After a 1-2-3 first by Sosa, in the bottom of the inning, Franklin got a bunt single from Izaiah Robinson and a single by Mike Sciermeyer, then a two-RBI single by Stanley Madera to make it 2-0. Jacob Gordon walked and after a popup by Rodrick Ray, Shayne Rooney drove in two more with a single to make it 4-0.
In the second, Shaylen Patel hit a one-out single, while Robinson followed with another. Schiermeyer then singled past shortstop into left field, and when the ball was misplayed, two more runs came in. Madera and Jacob Gordon followed with walks, and one more to Ray made it 7-0. That was all for Phillipsburg (5-5) starter Evan Carter, and reliever Wyatt Gordon induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Franklin got another run in the fourth when Ray singled with one out to bring in Madera, who’d led off the inning with a single of his own.
The Stateliners got one back in the fifth, when Gordon got hit by a pitch. Felix Matos walked, and a groundout to first moved the runners up, with another by Mike Bracco plating the run to make it 8-1.
Phillipsburg’s biggest threat came in the fourth, when a sac fly by Jett Genovese to right with runners at first and second put runners at the corners and Amman Bokhari walked to load the bases with two out. But Sosa got Chase Doering to fly out to center to end the inning.
Sosa picked up his first win of the season to improve to 1-2, while Carter fell to 2-2 with the loss.
Click below to hear postgame reaction with Franklin head coach Derrick Castillo, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
Having won its first-ever state championship – and the first by any public school in the nearly five-year history of Central Jersey Sports Radio – the Hillsborough Raiders are the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.
‘Boro finished 26-6, and won the Central Jersey Group 4 title over Monroe – which landed at No. 5 – their second straight sectional title. They won their first last season, beating Elizabeth for the North 2, Group 4 championship.
And while they finished fourth in one of the toughest divisions in the state – five of their six losses came in the division – they also featured senior Cesci Schiro, who finished her stellar career with 2,106 points, the leading scorer in school history among girls or boys. For perspective, the entire team scored 2,066 points this season.
Hillsborough also picked up its most signature win in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, beating Rutgers Prep for the first time since 2006, before falling to Gill in the title game.
Check back this afternoon to hear our interview with CJSR’s 2025 Girls’ Basketball Team of the Year, the Hillsborough Raiders, including seniors Cesci Schiro, Mya Loniewski and Reghan Bice, as well as coach Courtney Tierney.
Coming in second was Gill St. Bernard’s. The Knights (23-5) were co-champs in the Skyland Delaware Division with Rutgers Prep – as they split their two regular season meetings – and won the Somerset County Tournament. They lost in the Non-Public North B finals to Montclair-Immaculate, in the school’s final season before it closes this summer, it was recently announced.
Rutgers Prep came in third at 20-7, also reaching a sectional final, bowing out to Gloucester Catholic in the Non-Public South B Final. They shared the Delaware Division title with Gill St. Bernard’s.
GMC Tournament champion St. Thomas Aquinas (23-7) finished fourth, also winning the Red Division in the Greater Middlesex Conference, with Monroe right behind them. The Falcons (20-10) finished second in the division to the Trojans and lost to them in the GMC Tourney final. They also reached the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game, falling there to Hillsborough.
Bernards (23-6) checks in at No. 6, the Skyland Conference Mountain Division champions, while Valley Division winner Somerville (23-6) finished seventh.
In eighth is GMC White Division champion Middlesex (21-9), with Spotswood (18-10) at No. 9.
Franklin – despite an 11-16 record, but having two losses each to Rutgers Prep and Hillsborough and three to Gill St. Bernard’s – finishes in tenth. They reached the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, where they lost to the Raiders.
Below is the complete Final 2024-25 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:
Last year, the Hillsborough girls’ basketball team won its first state sectional title in school history, beating Elizabeth to win North 2, Group 4.
One more win, and they’re going to go back-to-back.
Senior Cesci Schiro scored a game-high 29 points – including 15 from the free throw line – as the top-seeded Raiders beat fifth-seed Franklin, 68-55, Wednesday night in Hillsborough in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals. The teams had split their two regular season meetings, ‘Boro winning by three, the Warriors later winning by four.
But this Hillsborough team has gotten even better since the start of the season, and they were already pretty good to begin with. They beat Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament semis to make their first county final since 2006.
Now, they’re in the sectional finals for a second straight year, albeit in a different section.
Hillsborough had trouble hitting from beyond they arc, but they made up for it getting in the paint, drawing fouls, and hitting free throws. They were 29-of-38 from the stripe.
Hillsborough (23-6) will take on second-seed Monroe (20-9) Saturday at 1:30 pm in the final, after the Falcons topped third-seed Hightstown, 53-30.
(Note: The Central Jersey Group 4 final had been announced at Hillsborough High School as a noon start, but the game was moved to 1:30 pm to accommodate SAT testing.)
Franklin’s season ends at 11-16.
Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough senior Cesci Schiro and head coach Courtney Tierney, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
Of the four girls’ basketball teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area to advance in the NJSIAA state tournament Monday night, three moved on in the same section.
Central Jersey Group 4 will have a distinct Central Jersey flair, and at least one is guaranteed to make the finals. That’s where top-seed Hillsborough and second-seed Monroe advanced, while fifth-seed Franklin pulled an upset win at fourth-seed Princeton to move on.
And in North 2, Group 2, the fourth-seeded Bernards girls topped five-seed Voorhees to tie a program record for wins with 23.
Below is our roundup of the night’s action, including all results in sections where local teams remain. Scroll further down for tomorrow’s schedule for Groups 1 and 3, along with semifinal schedules for Wednesday – in Groups 2 and 4 – and Thursday’s non-publics.
Central Jersey Group 4: Top-seed Hillsborough advanced with a 74-40 win over 8-seed East Brunswick, getting double figure scoring from four players. Mya Loniewski led the way with 15 points, while Alexa Gaspar added 13, and Francesca Schiro and Isbella Ruh added a dozen each for the Raiders (22-6). ‘Boro led big early, up 20-11 after one and 36-19 at the half. East Brunswick (13-14) got a team-high 11 points from Zoey Aleixo. The Raiders now will host fifth-seed Franklin in the semifinals this Wednesday at 5:30. The teams split this year, with Hillsborough winning 64-40 on December 19th, but the Warriors returning the favor, 63-30, on January 23rd.
Franklin routed fourth-seed Princeton on the road, 65-34, and has won its first two playoff games by an average of 27 points. The Warriors got 22 points from Aleah Sunkins to lead the way, along with 11 from Alivia Stewart. Franklin led 21-12 after one, but locked down on defense in the next eight minutes, outscoring the Little Tigers 17-3 to take a 38-15 halftime lead. The win gets them to just 11-15, but it’s notable that of their 15 losses, three came to Gill St. Bernard’s, two to Rutgers Prep, and one to Hillsborough, which they split with.
On the other side of the bracket, second-seed Monroe got by seventh-seed Freehold Township at home, 49-43. Monroe was paced by Kiera Longo with 19, while Evangelina Francisco added 14. Also contributing was Sophia Rivas, who scored 11 in her first full game back from an injury that kept her out almost all of February. Monroe (19-9) now will host third-seed Hightstown Monday in the semifinals.
(1) Hillsborough def. (8) East Brunswick, 74-40
(5) Franklin def. (4) Princeton, 65-34
(3) Hightstown def. (11) Hunterdon Central, 56-46
(2) Monroe def. (7) Freehold Twp., 49-43
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: The last two remaining teams in this section were knocked out Monday. Seventh-seed Piscataway lost 64-32 at second-seed Westfield 64-32, ending their season at 12-14. Meanwhile, 12th-seed JP Stevens fell 47-33 at home to 13th-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood, ending its season at 13-5.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Fourth-seed Bernards – the only area club in this 16 team field – set a new program record for wins with 23 with a 59-45 home victory over fifth-seed Voorhees. And they avenged a 39-38 loss to the Vikings back on February 10th. The game was tight – only ten points at the half – until the Mountaineers outscored Voorhees 15-9 in the third to pull away. Aletha Reynolds led all scorers with 22 points, and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Jasmine Kelleher added ten points and six boards. They’ll travel to top-seed Caldwell Wednesday night for a semifinal matchup.
(1) Caldwell def. (8) Becton, 55-42
(4) Bernards def. (5) Voorhees, 59-45
(3) Rutherford def. (6) Science Park, 40-23
(2) Madison def. (7) Snyder, 55-30
Non-Public North A: Fourth-seed Pingry was knocked out of the state tournament, losing 63-60 to fifth-seed DePaul in Martinsville. The Big Blue – whose season ends at 19-8 – led 40-28 at halftime, but DePaul rallied to get it to a one-point deficit heading into the fourth, where they won it down the stretch.
Non-Public South A: Sixth-seed and GMC Tournament champion St. Thomas Aquinas saw its season come to an end down the shore, falling 67-39 to third-seed and powerhouse Red Bank Catholic, which picked up its 20th straight win, since starting the season 6-4. The Caseys played solid defense, limiting the Trojans’ leading scorer – Leah Crosby – to just nine points. St. Thomas ends its season at 23-7.
Non-Public North B: Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s learned its Thursday opponent, and will open state tourney action in the semifinals against fourth-seed Hudson Catholic, which beat fifth-seed Roselle Catholic, 64-42 Monday.
(4) Hudson Catholic def. (5) Roselle Catholic, 64-42
(3) Saddle River Day def. (6) Villa Walsh, 73-46
(2) Montclair-Immaculate def. (7) Hawthorne Christian, 87-27 (Friday)
Non-Public South B: Top-seed Rutgers Prep – which has won this section three years running, and played its quarterfinal game Sunday, beating 7-seed Holy Cross Prep – learned it will play third-seed Wildwood Catholic in the semifinals, after they beat 11th-0seed Stuart Day at home, 78-43 Monday night.
(1) Gloucester Catholic def. (9) Koinonia, 84-37
(4) Ranney def. (5) Holy Spirit, 81-64
(3) Wildwood Catholic def. (11) Stuart Day
(2) Rutgers Prep def. (7) Holy Cross Prep, 89-31 (Sunday)
TUESDAY SCHEDULE
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 – Semifinals
(4) Mendham at (1) Chatham, 6 pm
(6) Cranford at (2) Somerville, 6 pm
Central Jersey Group 1 – Semifinals
(4) Middlesex at (1) New Providence, 5 pm
(3) Bound Brook at (2) Thrive Charter, 5 pm
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
Central Jersey Group 4 – Semifinals
(5) Franklin at (1) Hillsborough, 5:30 pm
(3) Hightstown at (2) Monroe, 5 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 – Semifinals
(4) Bernards at (1) Caldwell, 6 pm
(3) Rutherford at (2) Madison
THURSDAY SCHEDULE
Non-Public North B – Semifinals
(4) Hudson Catholic at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5:30 pm
(3) Saddle River Day at (2) Montclair-Immaculate
Non-Public South B – Semifinals
(4) Ranney at (1) Gloucester Catholic
(3) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Rutgers Prep
