Tuesday’s game between Woodbridge and East Brunswick on the diamond featured two offenses that had been tearing the cover off the ball of late, as each team shook off slow starts to jockey for position in a tough GMC Red Division. Both coaches expected offense to reign supreme, even with the top arms on the bump for each side.

So, naturally, the Barrons (6-7) came away victorious in walk-off fashion, 3-2, in a good-old-fashioned pitcher’s duel.

As they say in the Tri-State area, “That’s baseball, Suzyn.”

The Bears (6-8) trailed the entire way until they were down to their final out, tying the game in the top half of the seventh on a passed ball with the bases loaded. Third baseman Javier Casacuberta scored easily to tie it at 2-2, but the throw from Woodbridge catcher Anthony Lyczkowski skidded past pitcher Kevin Arroyo’s glove, and the ball rolled back into the infield.

Pinch runner Sean Christie advanced to third on the play, then tried to snag home plate after the low throw to give East Brunswick the lead. But Barrons’ star shortstop Gavin Slicner fielded the ball cleanly, fired a laser home, and Arroyo applied the tag to end the inning and keep the game deadlocked.

Then in the bottom half, Woodbridge pinch-hitter Endy Soto grounded a single into right field, flipping the lineup back to Slicner. He reached on an error after a pitching change, putting second baseman Josh Hines on the mound, and first baseman Xavier Diaz walked on four pitches to load the bases. Left fielder Michael Gurovich — five days removed from a five-inning no-hitter in a 14-0 victory over Edison — drew a five-pitch walk to end it in walk-off fashion.

Now time to catch your breath.

Before the wild seventh inning, both teams were locked into a classic pitchers’ duel. Arroyo and Bears’ starter Tyler Ditzel controlled the pace for much of the first half of the game, with just a single run coming through in the first four innings.

The bottom of Woodbridge’s order came to play on Tuesday, and they helped open up the scoring. Right fielder Hogan Boyd — batting seventh — reached on a single to lead off the bottom of the third after Ditzel had retired the Barrons’ first six batters in order. He then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and came around to score after Lyczkowski reached on an error.

Slicner then threatened with a two-base error, after a long fly ball bounced off the glove of East Brunswick centerfielder Joe Spinello, to put runners on second and third. Ditzel held strong, though, inducing an infield fly and a lineout to end the inning with only one run on the board.

Arroyo continued to breeze through his outing, as Woodbridge added a second run in the fifth, also helped by the bottom of the order. Boyd worked another leadoff single and stolen base, and centerfielder Jack Kobylakiewicz walked to put two runners on with nobody out. The Barrons tried a double steal, and Boyd got caught at third, but Kobylakiewicz found his way there anyway on a passed ball as Lyczkowski walked.

With runners on the corners, Ditzel got the ground ball he needed, but Slicner legged out an RBI fielder’s choice, beating the double-play throw at first.

The Bears finally got on the board in the sixth, as they started to figure out Arroyo’s stuff and varied pitch mix. Catcher Brandon Bastek lined a double down the left-field line, and Spinello reached on an infield single. Hines brought courtesy runner Jaiden Valdez in on an RBI groundout, but with the tying run one base away, Arroyo froze DH Cole Zebro on a two-strike breaking ball to end the inning.

Woodbridge looked to score once again in the bottom half, with back-to-back one-out walks, but Ditzel found his mojo with a pop-out and strikeout of Kobylakiewicz to keep the game within a run.

Then the seventh inning madness came into play.

By the time the dust — or turf pellets — settled, the Barons’ offense manufactured the game-winning run when they needed it most, on the back of a patient approach after a slow start to the game.

Arroyo earned the win with seven innings of two-run ball, surrendering five hits while striking out five with one walk. Ditzel was given the loss despite a standout outing, allowing three runs in six innings on four hits, five walks, and two strikeouts.

Woodbridge also notched a big win in GMC Red Division play, bringing the standings even closer. Edison leads the pack at 9-2, but second place through sixth place sit just two games apart.

The Barons won their fifth game in seven tries, and even on a day where the bats took a bit to heat up, they’re proving they can win the close ones.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Woodbridge head coach Mike Monaco and shortstop Gavin Slicner about the Barrons’ 3-2 victory over East Brunswick on Tuesday: