Tag: GMC Invitational

by Mike Pavlichko

Early two-runs, solid pitching boost Piscataway to 3-0 win over Dunellen in Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final

Even when you have two of your best pitchers toss a combined two-hit shutout, it’s mathematically impossible to win a baseball game without scoring.

But on Friday afternoon in the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final on Edison High School’s red turf, second-seed Piscataway took care of that part as early as they could, staking starter Sumedh Shingala to a 2-0 lead.

Shingala started, Jared Butler finished it in relief with the help of an insurance run, and the Chiefs (11-10) took their first-ever invitational title, beating fifth-seed Dunellen (18-7) to bring home Piscataway’s first county tournament hardware since winning the full tournament in 2003.

After Shingala started the game giving up a leadoff single to Dunellen, he struck out the next three batters to end the inning.

In the home half, Jason Mann walked to lead it off, then Dom Summonte slugged a triple on a 2-2 pitch to drive in Mann – who’d stole second – to make it 1-0 Piscatway. Then Patrick Novak knocked him in with a sac fly to center to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.

Piscatway got an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Novak reached on an error by the Dunellen shortstop, allowing Summonte – who’d reached on one-out single and stole second – to score.

Shingala went 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, striking out 12, and got the win, improving to 5-2 on the year. Then came Butler, who only struck out two the rest of the way, but also only allowed just one more hit.

Dunellen starter Joseph Reyes took the hard-luck loss, his first of the season, going the full six innings, allowing four hits and three runs – two earned – to fall to 6-1 on the year.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway starting pitcher Sumedh Shingala and head coach Rob Stoddard:

Both teams now move on to the state tournament.

Piscataway is the 15-seed in North 2, Group 4, and will visit second-seed Bayonne at 4:30 pm Wednesday, while Dunellen is the sixth-seed in Central Jersey Group 1, and will host 11-seed Florence at Columbia Park at 4 pm Wednesday.

by Alec Crouthamel

Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Finals Preview: Dunellen, Piscataway looking to scrap their way to a title

A Championship Friday is descending upon New Jersey baseball this weekend.

One of them, the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational, will have its final on Friday at 4pm at Edison High School, between second-seeded Piscataway and fifth-seeded Dunellen.

Both teams have taken different paths to reach the meeting point. After respective first-round byes, the Chiefs defeated the seven-seed South Amboy, aided by a seven-run sixth inning, including a grand slam from Dominick Summonte. The Destroyers put up big-time runs across the board in a 14-3 win over four-seed East Brunswick Magnet.

In the semifinals, Dunellen kept its offensive attack at a ten in a wild 22-17 win over top-seeded Perth Amboy that took four hours, while Piscataway once again got some clutch hitting in a 5-4 walk-off victory over third-seeded North Brunswick.

But both have the same goal in mind, winning a title on Friday.

Each team brings its best to the bump. For the Chiefs, they have two, top junior Sumedh Shingala — the team’s leader in wins and strikeouts — will start, with No. 2 arm Jared Butler ready and waiting, who head coach Rob Stoddard described as “a bulldog” in both starting and high-leverage relief spots. For the Destroyers, Joe Reyes will get the ball as the leader in wins and ERA among the main rotation arms.

They both have battled through respective stretches of up-and-down play — as nearly every team does — but they’re playing their best ball as of late, and will do battle for the GMC Invitational title in Edison.

RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL FINAL AT-A-GLANCE

Teams:
(2) Piscataway Chiefs (10-10, 6-8, GMC Blue)
(5) Dunellen Destroyers (18-6, 9-2, GMC Gold)

Head Coaches:
Piscataway: Rob Stoddard (6th season, 46-81)
Dunellen: Connor Lindsay (3rd season, 45-31)

Probable Starters
Piscataway: Sumedh Shingala (4-2, 3.73 ERA)
Dunellen: Joseph Reyes (6-0, 2.65 ERA)

Date and Time: Friday, May 22, at 4 pm
Location: Edison High School

PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:

Dunellen head coach Connor Lindsay
Piscataway head coach Rob Stoddard

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Piscataway:
First round bye
Quarterfinals: def. (7) South Amboy, 11-5
Semifinals: def. (3) North Brunswick, 5-4

Dunellen:
First round bye
Quarterfinals: def. (4) East Brunswick Magnet, 14-3
Semifinals: def. (1) Perth Amboy, 22-17

TEAM LEADERS:

Dunellen:

  • Batting Average: Juan Luis Rodriguez (.425), Michael Dow (.417), Joseph Reyes (.397)
  • RBI: Kristian Roman Lopez (34), Colin Reynolds (26), Joseph Reyes (25)
  • HR: Cesar Andres Fermin Alarcon (1), Kristian Roman Lopez (1)
  • Walks: Kristian Roman Lopez (24), Jackson Portik (18), Joseph Reyes (14), Juan Luis Rodriguez (14)
  • Stolen Bases: Juan Luis Rodriguez (38), Michael Dow (22), David Torres (17)
  • Wins: Joseph Reyes (6), Cole Mayer (5), David Torres (4)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): David Torres (2.12), Joseph Reyes (2.65), Colin Reynolds (4.77)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): David Torres (53), Cole Mayer (49), Joseph Reyes (28)

Piscataway:

  • Batting Average: Jason Mann (.444), Dominick Summonte (.423), Patrick Novak (.370)
  • RBI: Patrick Novak (15), Dominick Summonte (14), Kevin Kovach (13)
  • HR: Dominick Summonte (3), Jason Mann (1)
  • Walks: Kevin Kovach (20), Sumedh Shingala (12), Jason Mann (8)
  • Stolen Bases: Jason Mann (17), Bryce Payne (14), Dominick Summonte (7)
  • Wins: Sumedh Shingala (4), Jared Butler (3), Brady Gallogly (2)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Brady Gallogly (2.51), Jared Butler (3.35), Sumedh Shingala (3.73)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Sumedh Shingala (72), Jared Butler (46), Brady Gallogly (29)

TEAM NUMBERS:

Dunellen:

  • Runs Scored: 264
  • Runs Allowed: 138
  • Batting Average: .350
  • Home Runs: 2
  • Stolen bases: 124
  • ERA: 4.19

Piscataway:

  • Runs Scored: 133
  • Runs Allowed: 132
  • Batting Average: .291
  • Home Runs: 4
  • Stolen bases: 56
  • ERA: 4.59

PREVIOUS COVERAGE of the RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL

by Mike Pavlichko

Dunellen wins marathon in GMC Invitational semis, topping Perth Amboy 22-17 to gain Friday finals berth

Reporters – whether print or broadcast – hardly are at a loss for words.

But they might be after this one.

In the second Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational semifinal game – following second-seed Piscataway’s win Monday night – fifth-seed Dunellen beat top-seed Perth Amboy Tuesday night.

Hold on to your hats… 22-17.

That’s not a typo, folks.

It was a game that took four hours, starting at 6 pm and ending around 10:00 under the lights at Rudyk Park.

Perth Amboy (5-19) used eight pitchers, who walked 17 Destroyer hitters, and another intentionally. The Panthers worked out nine walks off three pitchers, and had two batters get hit. Perth Amboy plunked eight Dunellen hitters.

And the scoring. Each team put up a five-spot in the first, starting with Dunellen (18-6), which – believe it or not – never trailed in the game. They led 9-6 after three, Perth Amboy cut it to 9-8 in the third, but the Destroyers got fur in that next at bat, and led 13-9 after four. Again, each team scored five runs in the sixth to make it 18-15, and for good measure, Dunellen added four more insurance runs in the seventh, then allowed two Amboy runs in their final at bat to win by five.

With freshman starter David Torres going down to injury last week, Dunellen head coach Connor Lindsay knew his team would have to piece it together on the mound.

Starter Cole Mayer went 4 2/3 and allowed ten runs, but kept his team in it as the offense piled up runs, also helped by Mayer himself, who knocked in five runs: two on a double in the first, one on a single in the second, and two more – one each – on a pair of walks in the sixth and seventh innings.

Senior Jackson Portik – the team’s nine hitter – had two RBIs on an 0-for-1 day, working out five – count ’em – five walks.

Dunellen will now face second-seed Piscataway in Friday afternoon’s Ray Cipperly Invitational title game at Edison High School. first pitch is set for 2 pm, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will provide live coverage, with our usual audio stream at cjsportsradio.com, as well as a video stream on our You Tube channel.

Click below for postgame reaction from Dunellen head coach Connor Lindsay with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bryce Payne walks it off for Piscataway as Chiefs rally late again, top North Brunswick, 5-4, in Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational semis

Call the Piscataway baseball the Comeback Kids.

Four days after the second-seeded Chiefs rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 5-4 deficit and beat seven-seed South Amboy 11-5, they were back at it again, scoring two in their final at bat to pull out a 5-4 win over third-seed North Brunswick and advance to their second GMC Invitational title game in five seasons.

This one was back and forth all game long, with each team nickel-and-diming the other.

The Chiefs scored first, getting a run in the bottom of the second on a bunt down the third base line by Kevin Kovach, with Sumedh Shingala scoring on an error by third baseman Willy Pena. He atoned in the top of the third, leading off the inning with a solo home run to tie the game at one. But Piscataway came right back in the home half of the inning with an RBI double by Patrick Novak to make it 2-1 Chiefs.

Again, the Raiders would counter, and this time, they took the lead with two in the top of the fourth, when Marte Reyes came home from third on a passed ball. Starter Jared Butler covered, then overthrew third trying to get a second runner advancing, Aiden Keiser, who came home to score, giving North Brunswick a 3-2 lead.

And they increased it to 4-2 in the fifth, with an RBI single by Reyes. But Piscataway chipped away in the fifth and closed the gap to 4-3 on a Novak single, for his second RBI of the day.

After a scoreless sixth, and with Shingala now on in relief of Butler, Shingala shut down North Brunswick in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for another bout of late-game Chief heroics.

North Brunswick reliever Mateo Gianni came in to close it out, and he got the first two batters on a strikeout and ground out, but then had control problems. He walked Dominick Summonte on six pitches, then plunked Novak on a 3-1 pitch to put runners at first and second. Shingala walked on four pitches to load the bases.

With a 1-1 count on Kovach, Summonte came in to tie the game on a wild pitch. He eventually walked to load the bases again, and Payne ripped a 3-0 pitch into right for a base hit to win the game.

Shingala got the win in relief for Piscataway, tossing three innings of two-hit, one-run ball, striking out six, keeping the Chiefs in it until they could secure the win.

Piscataway moves on to the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final on Friday afternoon at 2 pm at Edison High School. They’ll face the winner of Tuesday’s 6 pm semifinal, featuring five-seed Dunellen at top-seed Perth Amboy. You can hear the final live on cjsportsradio.com, or watch it on our YouTube channel.

It’ll be the Chiefs’ second trip to the GMC Invitational. They went in 2021 – also as the second seed – but lost 10-4 to top-seed Sayreville.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway head coach Rob Stoddard with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC’s Ray Cipperly Invitational resumes this week with semifinal games; CJSR will air Friday’s final

The Greater Middlesex Conference’s Ray Cipperly Invitational tournament continues this week, with a pair of semifinal games at higher seeds. Winners will move on to Friday’s championship game, scheduled for 2 pm at Edison High School, with a live broadcast of the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

We’ll present our usual “radio” coverage, which you can listen to here, as well as a live video stream on our YouTube channel; there is no paywall to listen or watch. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will be on the call, with coverage starting at 1:45 pm.

Here’s a look at both semifinals, one scheduled for Monday, the other for Tuesday:

(3) North Brunswick (7-16) at (2) Piscataway (9-10), Monday 4 pm:

These two teams split their regular season matchups in the GMC Blue Division, and ended up right next to each other in the standings, the Chiefs finishing fourth, the Raiders fifth in the seven-team division. North Brunswick won the first meeting 7-0 at home on a combined two-hitter from Mateo Gianni (who went 4 2/3 innings) and Isaias Estrrella. Gianni also had quite the day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Piscataway took the second game, 8-6, with Sumedh Shingala and Brady Gallogly each knocking in two runs, while Jared Butler picked up the win in relief, thanks to a five-spot by the Chiefs in the fifth inning.

Both teams had byes to the quarterfinals. North Brunswick got to the semis with a 7-0 win over sixth-seed Somerset Tech. Willy Pena and Isaias Estrella knocked in two runs apiece, while Jasiah Hogans went the distance, allowing six hits, striking out five in the shutout.

Piscataway was an 11-5 winner over seven-seed South Amboy last Thursday in the quarterfinals. The Chiefs have won three straight coming in, including two games prior to the start of the Tournament, and has outscored those three opponents 42-6, with a 13-0 shutout of Highland Park, and an 18-1 win over Timothy Christian. Dominick Summonte drove in nearly half his team’s runs, going 2-for-3 with a home run and five runs batted in. Butler again got the win in relief, despite allowing five runs – four earned – in three innings of work; he and starter Sumedh Shingala combined for 17 strikeouts.

(5) Dunellen at (1) Perth Amboy, Tuesday 6 pm:

This is a rare White-Gold Division matchup, as these two schools haven’t played in baseball since at least prior to 2011. The Destroyers have won three straight coming in, while the Panthers have won two in a row.

Just like the other semifinal, both teams had byes to the quarterfinals. Amboy blew past nine-seed New Brunswick – which had picked up its first and only win of the season in the opening round, in a 5-1 win over eight-seed Highland Park. The Panthers scored early and often, with 12 men crossing the plate in the first inning; they added another in the third and six in the fourth, and finished with a five-inning run-rule victory, as starter Darwin Medina allowed just one hit, striking out eleven to get the win.

Dunellen knocked off the four-seed East Brunswick Magnet by run-rule, 14-3 in the quarterfinals. Cole Mayer drove in three runs for the Destroyers, while David Torres and Juan Luis Rodriguez each had 2-for-3 afternoons. Starter Cole Mayer struck out eight and allowed just one earned run on four hits in five innings of work.

by Mike Pavlichko

South Amboy, defending champion New Brunswick win first round GMC Invitational games, move to Thursday’s quarterfinals

The quarterfinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference Ray Cipperly Invitational are set, with seventh-seed South Amboy and ninth-seed and defending champion New Brunswick moving on to the quarterfinal round, which will see eight teams in action this Thursday.

Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s action, followed by Thursday’s quarterfinal schedule.

(9) New Brunswick 5, (8) Highland Park 1: The Zebras won their first game of the season after coming into the Invitational 0-15, scoring all five runs before the Owls (5-13) could even get on the board, getting two in the third inning and one each over the next three, despite getting outhit by Highland Park, 5-3.

In the third, Ryan Diaz two-out single drove in Yendeber Olivella for the first run, and Arisniel Mota came home with the second run on a balk. Jefferson Olivella stole home in the third to make it 3-0, Ryan Diaz did the same in the fifth to make it 4-0, and Jayson Garcia scored in the sixth to make it 5-0 when Jacob Henderson got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Highland Park got an RBI single in the bottom of the inning on a single by Dorian Crocco, who drove in Julio Rodriguez.

Jacob Henderson – who closed out last year’s title game – got the win for New Brunswick in a truly inspired performance, going the distance and striking out 18, while scattering five hits over seven innings, throwing 81 of his 111 pitches for strikes.

New Brunswick will face top-seed Perth Amboy (4-18) on the road Thursday in the semifinals. The teams have only met twice in the past 15 years, with the Panthers taking an 11-1 decision the GMC Invitational quarterfinals in 2023, and a 7-3 victory in 2013 in the GMCT play-in round.

(7) South Amboy 15, (10) Timothy Christian/Roselle Catholic 4: In a six-inning ten-run rule game, the Governors (9-8) scored in every inning but they second, with junior Robert Senape leading the charge, going 4-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Micah Nemeth went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a double and three runs batted in.

The Tigers (1-16) – a co-op this year with Roselle Catholic – actually led the game 3-0. They got three runs in the first on an RBI single by John Thiero and a two-RBI double by Vincent Moncada. Amboy got two in the bottom of the inning on a double by Micah Nemeth and a single by Madden Bizzaro.

And Timothy took a 4-2 lead with another run in the top of the third on an error on a fly ball to right. But that was the last run they’d score, as the Governors took a 5-4 lead with three in the bottom of the fourth, the first of 13 unanswered runs, with the Guvs walking it off in a wild sequence.

Up by eight runs, 12-4, with two out, Senape scored from third with the bases loaded on a passed ball. On the next pitch, Joseph Foreman doubled to right field to score two and end the game.

Starter Madden Bizzaro went four innings and got the win, allowing two earned runs and eight hits, striking out eight, and walking no one, while Robert Conklin closed out the game with two no-hit innings and five strikeouts.

South Amboy moves on to play at second-seed Piscataway Thursday. In their only two meetings since at least 2011, the teams split a pair last year, with each team winning on the road – the Chiefs by a 5-4 score, and the Governors 14-4.

THURSDAY’S RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL QUARTERFINALS

  • (9) New Brunswick at (1) Perth Amboy
  • (5) Dunellen at (4) East Brunswick Magnet, 2 pm
  • (6) Somerset Tech at (3) North Brunswick, 4 pm
  • (7) South Amboy at (2) Piscataway

The semifinals will be held at higher seeds on Monday, May 18.

The championship will be held at 2 pm at Edison High School on Friday, May 22, and the game will be broadcast live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with a video stream on our YouTube channel.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  Jim Muldowney GMC Championship: (5) St. Joseph-Metuchen 7, (11) Edison 4

Fifth-seeded St. Joseph of Metuchen won its league record ninth GMC title – and third in the last five years – with a 7-4 walk off win over 11th-seed Edison, thanks to a grand slam from senior JP Zayle.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick on May 24, 2025:

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: Here’s the full game broadcast as seen on Central Jersey Sports Radio’s YouTube channel!

FULL COVERAGE:

Grand Zayle! St. Joseph wins Jim Muldowney GMC Championship, 7-4 over Edison, on walk-off grand slam by JP Zayle

St. Joseph head coach Dennis McCaffery on wild GMCT title win, plus the “glue” that held it all together: longtime assistant Jerry Rippori

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final: (5) New Brunswick 5, (2) East Brunswick Magnet 2

New Brunswick won its first tournament championship of any kind since taking the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 1 title in 1985 and 1986, as the fifth-seeded Zebras beat second-seed East Brunswick Magnet, 5-3, to win the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Edison High School on May 23, 2025:

GAME STORY: New Brunswick claims Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational with strong mound work from starter Garcia, Henderson closing it out

by Mike Pavlichko

East Brunswick Magnet, New Brunswick earn trips to Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final with Monday semifinal wins

The finals of the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Tournament are set for this Friday, with 2023 champion East Brunswick Magnet set to take on New Brunswick, after both teams won their semifinal games on Monday afternoon.

(3) East Brunswick Magnet 8, (2) North Brunswick 7: The Tigers rallied from a 7-3 deficit heading into the seventh to win behind a five-spot in the top of the inning at North Brunswick. The Raiders (5-14)trailed 2-1 after 3 1/2 innings, but got two in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, and after East Brunswick Magnet tied it at three in the top of the fifth, the Raiders added three in the fifth and one in the sixth to lead 7-3 after six on an RBI double by Connor Levine and two RBI singles that followed.

In the decisive top of the seventh, Tommy O’Neill – who ended up getting the win in relief – led off by reaching on an error on the centerfielder, getting all the way to second. Nomar Carreras struck out, and Jack Clements grounded out, bringing in O’Neill with the first run after he’d stolen third, cutting it to 7-4.

The rest of the rally all came with two outs. Braeden Cullen followed with a double, and Stephen Zappola reached on an infield hit that scored courtesy runner Braeden Chase Myers. Another double by Joshua Carreras moved Zappola to third, then a walk to Anthony Bienvenue loaded the bases. Andrew Teleposky got plunked to make it 7-6, Jedwin Crespo reached on an E6 to make it tie the game, and O’Neill walked to make it 8-7, before Nomar Carreras struck out looking to end the inning.

O’Neill – who got the last two outs in the sixth, threw a 1-2-3 seventh – with a strikeout, groundout and a strikeout – to preserve the win.

(5) New Brunswick 4, (1) JP Stevens 2: The Zebras (14-2) took a four-nothing lead with two runs apiece in the second and fourth, and held off the Hawks, who managed two runs in the sixth, but that was all.

In the second, Jose Encarnacion reached base on an E3, driving in Ronaldy Peralata, then Joel Ramos scored from third on a wild pitch with Jose Omar Abreu batting. The runs in the fourth came from Ramos on a dropped third strike, and another wild pitch that brought home Encarnacion.

JP Stevens got its runs in the sixth on a single by Collin Casey, and a balk.

First Pitch for Invitational Final moved up…

Baseball tournament director Mike O’Donnell told Central Jersey Sports Radio that Friday’s final – originally set for 4 pm at Edison High School, has been moved up to a noon start. O’Donnell says a number of schools – including East Brunswick Magnet and New Brunswick – had unused snow days, and this Friday happens to be one of the days both schools now have off. So, the game was moved earlier, likely a good idea also since the forecast calls for some rain Friday. And while it’s too early to tell, better to try and start early if there’s a window to play, than to sit around and wait for a later start that might not happen.

Central Jersey Sports Radio has tentative plans to broadcast the final, so long as it doesn’t conflict with the Somerset County Tournament final. That’s scheduled for Wednesday at 6 pm at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, but the weather Wednesday – and Thursday, too – doesn’t look great, and the rain date is Friday. If that doesn’t happen, the SCT might not get to have it’s title game until next week, with backup site Diamond Nation in Flemington often full of youth baseball events on weekends. Their Memorial Day classic, featuring seven different age groups from 9U to 15U, is schedule for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

by Mike Pavlichko

Piscataway Magnet, Somerset Tech win Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational First Round games, but rain continues to wreak havoc on schedule

Two of the three first round games in the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational tournament finally were played Thursday, after rain obliterated the schedule Tuesday and Wednesday. But one more has yet to kick off tournament play, as Dunellen and Timothy Christian were scheduled to go Friday at 4 pm at Columbia Park.

That game has now been moved to 4:15 pm Friday at Edison High School.

But that will still throw off the schedule a bit, with quarterfinal games also set to be played Friday, which means East Brunswick Magnet will have to wait until Saturday to play its quarterfinal round game against either the Destroyers or Tigers. And the other question is where, since the Tigers are the high seed and should host, but Ray Cipperly Field is being used at noon and 2:30 for the Championship Tournament semifinals, and grounds crews will need to get the field ready, with even possible Saturday morning showers to contend with.

But, on to the baseball that was played Thursday:

(8) Piscataway Magnet 11, (9) Highland Park 6: The Raiders (10-9) banged out 14 hits in the win, as both Brody Guthrie and Vincent Canavan went 3-for-3, while Canavan and Derek Scotillo each knocked in three runs, and A.J. Skara had two RBIs. The Owls (3-14) actually got on the board first with three in the first inning, but Piscataway Magnet got two back in the bottom of the inning, then took a 5-3 lead at the end of two. That quickly evaporated, as the Owls went ahead 6-5 in the top of the fourth, but the next two innings proved costly, as Magnet got two in the bottom of the inning, and four more in the fifth. Guthrie got the start for the Raiders and struck out nine in four scoreless innings to get the win. Piscataway Magnet will play at top-seed JP Stevens (6-14) in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.

(7) Somerset Tech 10, (10) Perth Amboy Magnet 1: The Jaguars (8-6) worked out seven walks and stole ten bases in the win, while Alex Morales and Nate White drove in runs for Tech. Nate White scattered four hits and gave up just one unearned run, while walking only two and striking out 12 in the complete game effort. Somerset Tech led 3-0 after two, gave up their only run to Perth Amboy Magnet (3-13) in the third, then scored seven more over the next three innings, including a five-run fifth. The Jaguars now face second-seed North Brunswick (3-13) in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE:

First Round
(6) Dunellen vs. (11) Timothy Christian, 4:15 pm at Edison High School)

Quarterfinals:
(8) Piscataway Magnet at JP Stevens, 2:30 pm (*lightning delay)
(5) New Brunswick at (4) Piscataway, 4 pm (Saturday, 9 am at North Plainfield)
(7) Somerset Tech at (2) North Brunswick, pp’d

North Brunswick head coach Jake Rosenberg says they are looking for alternate sites with Community Park unplayable. Check back here for updates as we get them.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE:

Quarterfinals:
(3) East Brunswick Magnet vs. (6) Dunellen/(11) Timothy Christian winner, location and time TBA