Tag: GMC

Woodbridge shortstop Gavin Slicner (6) hits a ball.
by Alec Crouthamel

Woodbridge walks off East Brunswick, wins pivotal GMC Red slugfest 3-2

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:

by Alec Crouthamel

Woodbridge readies for yet another key matchup in rugged GMC Red division against East Brunswick

As the adage in sports — and much of life — goes, the numbers don’t lie.

But sometimes, they don’t tell the whole story.

Woodbridge baseball sits at 5-7 on the year, but don’t be mistaken. The Barrons boast a run differential of +32, and have put up eight runs or more in all but one of their victories.

They’ve also rebounded from a 1-5 start — where all five losses came by three runs or fewer and the lone win was a 10-0 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas — to win four of their last six games.

The losses have all come late in games, where Woodbridge was in each one of them, and even had a lead in many, while the wins have come with impressive offensive outputs.

Now to close April, the Barrons open a two-game set against East Brunswick, another team with a similar story: high-powered offense with some close losses at the beginning of the year, playing in an extremely tough GMC Red division.

You can hear the first division game live from Woodbridge High School at 4 pm Tuesday, with pregame at 3:45. Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart will call all the action; click here to listen.

Woodbridge brings both returning veterans and younger talent to the lineup, and the production speaks for itself. Five players with regular at-bats are hitting over .300, and the lineup as a whole has combined for 33 extra-base hits.

Senior shortstop Gavin Slicner has set the table at every turn, as the head of the Barrons’ metaphorical offensive snake. He sports a .486 batting average, with 11 extra-base hits of his own. After him, the rest of the lineup is dangerous as well. The coaching staff has put full trust into anybody that steps into the batter’s box, and more times than not, that trust is validated.

And with the season nearing the midway point, now is the time to start playing your better baseball, and the Barrons have done that. Their last two series against St. Joseph (Met.) and Edison — one of the favorites for the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament’s top seed — saw the bats come alive with wins of 16-6 over the Falcons and 14-0 over the Eagles as they split each series. With the Red Division as tough as it is this year, each series and game means more and more.

But tournament seeding isn’t everything, and Woodbridge knows it. It earned the top seed last year and was upset by 16-seed South River in the first round. All that matters is putting together your best ball as the season continues along, and the Barrons will look to continue their upward trajectory against a division rival jockeying for momentum themselves in the Bears.

It all starts at 4 pm on Tuesday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Woodbridge head coach Mike Monaco:

by Nick Hart

East Brunswick looks to extend win streak to four games in GMC Red road matchup against Woodbridge

After an up-and-down start to the season, East Brunswick is on the brink of a four-game win streak as it travels to face Woodbridge. A win Tuesday afternoon would bring the Bears back to .500 on the season as they approach the home stretch of the 2026 regular season campaign.

It has been an offensive outpouring for East Brunswick over the past three games, outscoring opponents 36-19, while recording 31 hits during the stretch, something that head coach Chris Kenney always knew his guys were capable of.

“We’ve always been a pretty good hitting team,” he said. “Our top four or five guys really put the ball in play, very selective, good bat speed.”

You can hear that GMC Red Division game live from Woodbridge High School at 4 pm Tuesday, with pregame at 3:45. Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart will call all the action; click here to listen.

While production has come from throughout the lineup, it has been the veterans who have shined bright for the Bears. The top four players with the highest batting average this season are all seniors. 

Two players in particular, Julian Satterthwaite and Jaidon Coello have stood out the most as both are sporting a batting average over .400 through 13 games. 

On the mound, it still has been the upperclassmen who have flourished this season, but instead of seniors, it has been by way of a pair of juniors. Tyler Ditzel and Jordan Rudolph both are spotting a sub-three ERA on the season and have played a key role in their team’s success. With seven starters returning from last season, it is no surprise that East Brunswick has seen most of its production from familiar faces. 

Despite now playing twice a year, the Bears have only faced Woodbridge five times dating back to 2025 and have fallen to the Barrons in four of their last five matchups. Coming into Tuesday’s contest, Woodbridge has won three of its last five games, with the biggest victory being an impressive 1-0 win over Edison, the number one team in the GMC Red division. 

With both teams teetering around the .500 mark, the upcoming home-and-home series could be the difference between a winning and losing record this season. At the same time, both squads sit towards the middle of their division and will look to improve their seeding heading into the GMC tournament.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart talk with East Brunswick head coach Chris Kenney:

by Mike Pavlichko

Baseball Power Points Update: Edison, Middlesex, Rutgers Prep and Immaculata in line for top seeds with three weeks left before NJSIAA cutoff

With only one Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team on the baseball schedule this Sunday, a rainy one at that, it’s time to take our first look at the power point standings in New Jersey, with the cutoff date of May 17 exactly three weeks away.

And there are two publics and two non-publics who are on the right track for top seeds in their respective sections.

Interestingly, the two publics are in Middlesex County – Edison in Central Jersey Group 4, and defending state Group 1 champion Middlesex in CJ1 – while the two non-publics are from Somerset. Immaculata sits atop South A at the moment, while Rutgers Prep tops North B.

This year’s change to the power point formula is that only the top 16 results will count toward qualification. Group points again are no longer a part of the equation, and OOWP remains in the formula. That’s the Opponent’s Opponent Winning Percentage, and for each game, that winning percentage gets .500 added to it, and the total is multiplied by the quality and residual points to get the value for each game.

For example: Team A beats Team B with 6 wins. Team A gets 6 quality points and 18 residual points. The OOWP is the average winning percentage of all of Team B’s opponents. So if that turns out to be a .520 win percentage, the OOWP is 1.020 (.520 plus .500), meaning the 24 power points (6 plus 18) is multiplied by 1.020 to get 24.48 power points.

The top 16 power point values are averaged to get the team’s power point average used for qualification.

(In a story we’re still researching from basketball season, early findings have shown OOWP does little to change power point standings compared to not using it at all, and just using quality points and residuals.)

In any event, here’s a section by section look of power point standings in sections with CJSR-area teams, with links to official standings as posted on NJ.com as of 9:45 am on Sunday, April 26th:

Central Jersey Group 4: This section has the biggest concentration of GMC and Somerset County teams anywhere, and after the top seed, many are bunched together. With the GMC Red and Skyland Conference Delaware Divisions stacked with top teams, don’t get fooled by records; strength of schedule is going to be a big factor here. Currently, Edison (8-3) is leading the pack, with easily the best winning percentage in the section at .727 and a power point average of 18.742, more than a full point ahead of second-place Hightstown (8-4, 17.726). After Hunterdon Central and Marlboro, there’s a trio of GMC Red Division squads, with Monroe (7-6, 14.867) in fifth, followed by South Brunswick (6-6, 14.252) in sixth and Old Bridge (6-6, 14.252) in seventh. The Red Division has been very good, but mostly beyond Edison – which is in first by two games over Old Bridge and, 2.5 over Monroe and three over Soouth Plainfield – everyone has been beating everyone else up. We think the Falcons, Vikings and Knights have a good shot at finishing in the top eight, but don’t count any of those teams out, even if they get an eight or a nine-seed. That’s because Hillsborough (5-6, 13.458) won this section as a nine-seed last year; currently, the Raiders sit in tenth, right above three more area teams. They’re a sliver ahead of Montgomery (7-8, 13.444), followed by Franklin (2-5, 12.663) in 12th, then East Brunswick (5-7, 12.465) in 13th. We think anyone from 11 up is going to be pretty safe here if they can continue without a dropoff in play, though even Franklin and East Brunswick are on the right side of things for now. Sayreville (5-7, 11.382) is a bubble team, but with some cushion; Trenton is right behind them, and North Brunswick in 17th (5-8, 9.967) has some real distance to make up between them and the Tornadoes (6-6, 11.003).

Central Jersey Group 2: While they may not be undefeated as they were last year, State Group 2 champion Governor Livingston is at the top of the pack this year, but not by much. But last year, Rumson-Fair Haven had a bit of an off-year. This year, not so much. The Highlanders are 10-3 (21.505) with the Bulldogs 11-2 (21.251), behind them by a pretty slim margin. This race could come down to the wire. For the first CJSR-area team, you have to get by Johnson, Point Pleasant Boro and Wall to get to South River (10-4) at No. 6 with 17.978 power points, and they’re not far out of fourth. But Allentown (7-6, 17.852) and Delran (10-4, 17.504) are also well within striking distance of the Rams from behind, so they’re not exactly guaranteed a top eight seed (and first-round home game) either. After Manasquan and Robbinsville, Spotswood (6-7, 15.381) is in 11th, but they’re just .006 points behind the Ravens, and could make a move here late. After a 1-5 start, the surging Chargers have won five of their last seven. East Brunswick Magnet (3-10, 8.573) sits in 18th place, but only about 1.2 points out of the 16th and final playoff spot.

Central Jersey Group 1: Defending State Group 1 champion Middlesex (13-1, 20.175) is right at the top of the pack again here, with Point Pleasant Beach (13-1, 20.175) in second. Those two always seem to hook up in the playoffs, including in last year’s sectional final here, a 7-1 win for the Blue Jays en route to Hamilton (then Wood-Ridge). Not far behind is Piscataway Magnet (13-0, 17.698), the only undefeated team left in the CJSR coverage area, and one of just seven statewide with an unblemished record heading into Sunday play. One of the other six, Keyport (9-0, 16.398) is very close behind, too, but with fewer games, could pass the Raiders. Then, there’s Metuchen (8-4, 16.207) and Dunellen (9-2, 14.842) who could also make a run from fifth and sixth, respectively. After Shore and South Hunterdon round out the top eight, South Amboy is just a shade back of the Eagles at 7-2, with 11.317 points, just .136 behind. The Guvs should have a shot at the top eight, but that’s likely all. The next team from the area is Manville (5-6, 8.138) at 14, followed by Somerset Tech (5-4, 7.873) and Highland Park (4-7, 7.313), rounding out the top 16. The Owls could make it with a couple more wins, with likely Keansburg (3-8, 6.22) in 17th their only real competition for that final playoff spot.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Fewer than two power points separate the top four from each other here, but there’s a little more distance to the next four. Currently, Bayonne (11-2, 22.007) holds the top spot, followed by Scotch Plains-Fanwood (8-3, 21.6), then two Skyland Delaware Division squads: Ridge (11-4, 21.335) and Watchung Hills (7-3, 20.037). We like both teams’ chances to finish in the top four, especially considering their strength of schedule. JP Stevens (9-4, 18.835) might have a shot, but they might also need some help from the teams ahead of them. Defending champion Westfield – which beat Ridge in last year’s sectional final – sits in seventh, and the next area team down is Woodbridge (5-6, 13.733) in tenth, with Bridgewater-Raritan (4-8, 13.505) in tenth, with their strength-of-schedule keeping them in the hunt right now. They should safely be in the playoffs at their current pace, but Piscataway (6-8, 12.859) is squarely on the bubble in 14th, albeit on the right side. A few more wins, maybe a run in the counties, and we think they’re a good bet to be in.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: South Plainfield is the defending champ here, but the Tigers find themselves in ninth place at the moment, with a 7-7 record, and 12.917 power points. Have they been a little inconsistent? Maybe. Or maybe it’s more the nature of the GMC Red, where everyone has been feasting off one another. Swept by Edison, they swept Woodbridge, but have since split with St. Thomas Aquinas and Old Bridge, before losing a pair of high scoring games to East Brunswick. Point is, wherever they land, and they still have a good shot at a top eight seed, they could be dangerous. The highest team here is Carteret (10-3, 20.221), but it might be a stretch with their schedule to say they have a good shot at Chatham (11-2, 1st, 23.932). It’s a good deal of ground to make up, and likely not out of the realm of possibility, but the odds are likely a little on the longer side. Still, finishing top two would be an accomplishment, and guarantee home field through at least the sectional semifinals. Behind the Ramblers, North Hunterdon is almost three points back (9-5, 17.663), and Colonia (9-3, 16.622) – last year’s sectional runner-up – sits in fourth. This isn’t an easy section: Cranford (7-7, 16.502( is a shade behind in fifth, and resurgent North Plainfield (10-5, 15.233) is right there in sixth, and could also have a crack at the top four. Somerville (6-6, 12.953) is the team South Plainfield is chasing for the eight spot; how high the Tigers can go will depend if they can string some big wins together. After that, it’s all the way down to 14 for bubble team JFK (5-8, 10.657), but looking at the competition behind them, we think they’re more likely to be in than out.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Caldwell (12-1, 16.509) has a sizable lead here for the top seed over second-seed West Morris (10-3, 22.591), with the only area team here being Bernards (6-6, 10.894). The Mountaineers sit in 14th, and while nothing is set in stone (far from it), they look like they should be in the final 16 when things shake out.

Non-Public North A: The only area team here is the new co-op Timothy Christian/Roselle Catholic, which is last out of 13 teams at 0-8. Defending champ Don Bosco is second, behind No. 1 DePaul, currently the No. 3 team in the state.

Non-Public North B: Rutgers Prep (9-2, 20.574) leads the pack here, with a sizeable lead over St. Mary-Rutherford (9-3-1, 17.51). Mother Nature cost the Argonauts a shot at South Plainfield Saturday, with rain moving their game against the Tigers at TD Bank Park until after the cutoff. But they’re still in an enviable position, in front by more than three power points. After those two, and Morris Catholic, Morristown-Bears and the Hawthorne Christian/Eastern Christian co-op, Gill St. Bernard’s (5-6, 11.489) and St. Thomas Aquinas (4-9, 10.73) sit in sixth and seventh. At best, this should be a eight- or nine- team field, with 11th place Golda Och only 0-4, and who knows if Pope John will opt-out, currently at 1-10.

Non-Public South A: Immaculata (9-3) has been lights out all year, and could sweep top-seeds this season, as they are on track to be the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament. They’re in first-place in this section with 22.906 power points, but they are less than one point ahead of St. Augustine (11-4, 22.099). After that, it’s all the way down to eight for St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-8, 11.743), but keep in mind, they rallied in the GMC Tournament to win it last year after entering the tournament at 10-6, and never led, winning each game in their final at bat. The Falcons even beat Immaculata – which won last year’s SCT – in the opening round here. There are 12 teams here in what could be an 11-team field, if Camden Catholic (1-9, 12th) decides not to play. Pingry (5-6, 9.689) is in tenth, ahead of 11th-place Donovan Catholic.

by Mike Pavlichko

True team play has powered Piscataway Magnet to record season, but Raiders – the last unbeaten GMC team standing – may be just getting started

The Piscataway Magnet baseball team won ten games in 2014. The Raiders finished 10-15 and had a six-game losing streak and a seven-game losing streak during the year, but in terms of victories, it was their best season ever.

They won ten again in 2023, going 10-6 under Jake Rosenberg, but he left for North Brunswick the following season.

Fast forward to 2026, and the Raiders have set a new program best for wins just four weeks into the 2026 season. They have won 12 games, but more importantly, haven’t lost once.

With a 12-0 mark, this year’s club seems far from done. And while next year is still way down the road, consider that the 2026 edition has just one senior who’s had just four at bats all year.

This could be the start of something bigger at the school nestled between the Kilmer industrial area in Edison and the Rutgers Livingston Campus.

But one year at a time, and one game at a time from head coach Greg Sampson and his squad.

It all starts with the team’s top everyday hitter, junior Kyle Malchiodi, who catches, plays first base, and pitches. He’s hitting .512 with 16 RBI and two home runs on a club that’s hitting .401 as a team, is scoring nearly 13 runs a game, while allowing just 2.4 per contest.

On the mound, Malchiodi is 4-0, with a 1.67 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched, against just seven walks. But he’s not the only one. Sophomore Brody Guthrie had fanned 47 in 24 innings and is 4-0 with an ERA of 0.88, while junior Colton Lyerly is 3-0, and hasn’t allowed a single run – earned or unearned – in 17 innings pitched.

And back to the plate, freshman Trey Leyerly is hitting .500 with nine runs batted in, junior Vincent Canavan is at .487 with 13 RBI, while Trey’s brother – Colton, a junior – is batting .364 with eleven walks. Andrew Skara leads the team with seven extra base hits: four doubles and three triples.

In Sampson’s third year, a “team first” approach has seen the Raiders with “a great freshman class” progress from 6-8 his first year, to 10-12 last year – matching that previous best win record – to 12-0 in 2026, with what likely are many wins to come.

Click below to hear from Piscataway Magnet head coach Greg Sampson and junior Kyle Malchiodi with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Woodbridge hands first-place Edison second GMC Red defeat with 14-0 outburst, and a five-inning no-no for Gurovich

The GMC Red Division so far this season has been Edison leading the pack, and everyone else beating everyone else.

But on Thursday afternoon, Woodbridge brought the Eagles right into the scrum.

The Barrons pounded out 15 hits over five innings – while senior Michael Gurovich threw a no-hitter – in a 14-0 shutout win over Edison in GMC Red Division play, and the opener of their two-game regular season series.

This wasn’t one where the opposition kicked the ball around the infield either. The Barrons jumped on Edison early with four runs in the top of the fourth. They added another in the third, two in the fourth, and put it away in the top of the fifth with seven more. Overall, 12 of the 14 runs were earned.

Gurovich wasn’t overpowering. He was efficient, and pitched to contact, tossing just 62 pitches – an average of just over 12 per inning – striking out one, and allowing just two baserunners, both on walks.

In fact, he was so efficient, head coach Mike Monaco said he’d thought of pulling him when he was at 48 pitches to keep the option of using him as a closer Saturday against Edison in the second game, if needed. But having not given up a hit yet, he and his coaching staff quickly decided against it.

The Barrons had a heck of an afternoon at the plate. Billy Mansfield went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in, including a two-RBI triple in the first, an RBI triple in the third, and a solo homer and a two-RBI single in the in the fifth. Gavin Slicner also homered and went 3-for-4, as did Gurovich, who knocked in one run.

The Barrons are now 5-6 on the year, and since starting the season 1-5 – with a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas and two each to Old Bridge and South Plainfield – have won four of their last five, including a sweep of Monroe, a split with St. Joseph-Metuchen, and Thursday’s win over Edison, which falls to 8-3, 8-2 in the GMC Red, but still in first place by two games over South Plainfield (7-5, 6-4) and Old Bridge (6-7, 6-4).

The Barrons and Eagles close out the series Saturday in Woodbridge at 10 am – weather permitting – then will make an appearance on Central Jersey Sports Radio on Tuesday afternoon at home against East Brunswick at 4 pm, the opener of their final division series of the season.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Woodbridge head coach mike Monaco about the win over Edison and the season so far:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big day for No. 8 South Plainfield, as McCarthy no-hits No. 7 Old Bridge in 4-1 win, Massaro sets Tiger all-time hit record

Put this one under the category of the old adage “Nobody cares how, just if.”

The South Plainfield baseball team didn’t have the best day in the field, committing four errors, one of them leading to a run, but the Tigers still won their GMC Red Division matchup against Old Bridge Tuesday afternoon at home, 4-1 – and they did it in style.

Aidan McCarthy threw a complete game no-hitter with nine strikeouts, while Dom Massaro went 3-for-4 and set the school’s all-time hit record, with the 127th of his career.

For McCarthy, it was his first no-no that he could recall – at least at the high school level – while Massaro broke a record that stood for 14 years, set by Steven Petriello in 2012.

The 8th-ranked Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a passed ball that scored Massaro, and a sac fly by Ed Budzinski. Massaro scored again in the fourth on a ground out to short by McCarthy to make it 3-0, then made it 4-0 in the fifth on a bases loaded walk to Joe Stanzione that scored Andrew Bena.

The 7th-ranked Knights got their lone run in the top of the sixth. Matt Chin hit a grounder to short that got behind Anthony Cicenia, allowing Nicholas Agostino to score.

And despite the fourth South Plainfield error in the game coming with two outs in the top of the seventh, allowing Brady Meyer to get to second, McCarthy got Harry Denney to fly out to Massaro in center field to end it.

South Plainfield (7-5, 6-4, tied for 2nd GMC Red) and Old Bridge (5-6, 5-4, 3rd) split their series, with the Knights winning 9-3 on their home field back on Friday.

Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield seniors Aidan McCarthy and Dom Massaro – as well as head coach Scott Gleichenhaus – with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: North Plainfield 2, South River 0

Senior Bennie Sokowlowski scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out 11, while fellow senior Vic Ceda hit a sol home run in the sixth to give North Plainfield a 2-0 win over South River, earning a split of their two-game, home-and-home, GMC Blue Division series.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play live from Krausche Field in North Plainfield on April 20, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Sokolowski dominates on the mound with 11 Ks as North Plainfield edges South River, 2-0, to split series

The only run Bennie Sokolowski needed in support from his teammates in maroon pinstripes on a sunny-but-chilly, windy Monday afternoon at Krausche Field came in the first inning.

Give him a run – a single, solitary run – and he’ll take it from there.

The North Plainfield senior threw his third complete game of the young season, striking out eleven while allowing just two hits, in a 2-0 win over visiting South River, in a GMC Blue Division game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Sokolowski was dominant and efficient for the Canucks (8-5, 4-5 GMC Blue). Even though he hit four batters in the game – all of whom were as close to the plate as they could legally be – his control was on point, as was his changeup, fooling hitter after hitter. At one point, Sokolowski had recorded eight straight outs via the K, spanning the third, fourth and fifth innings, with just an infield hit, walk and hit batsman scattered in between.

He almost got in trouble in the first, plunking the Rams’ leadoff hitter, Josh Devers, in the back. But Devers was erased on a fielder’s choice, then Jimmy Sanchez got picked off, and Sokolowski induced a ground ball to first by Hunter Krainski to end the inning.

And North Plainfield got all it needed in its half of the first. Mark Fultz led off with a hard single down the right field line, and after Jake Zotollo got hit by South River starter Julien Borusevic, and a ground ball to shortstop moved the runners to second and third, a groundout to third by Ian Lamiera made it 1-0 Canucks.

With Sokolowski dealing and Borusevic fairly cruising as well – scattering just two more hits, a single and a double, over the next four innings – that’s how it stayed until the bottom of the sixth, when Vic Seda led things off with a first-pitch solo home run to left centerfield, just in case.

Not that Sokolowski needed it. The top of the seventh was like just about any other inning he threw Monday evening. Fly out, ground out, hit batter and a strikeout – his eleventh of the game – to end it.

The insurance homer was Seda’s first of the season, and the second in his varsity baseball career.

Both pitchers threw complete games: Sokolowski got the win to improve to 4-0, while Burosevic is now 2-2 with the loss. Sokolowski also lowered his already-minuscule ERA down to 0.42, allowing just two earned runs all season in four appearances and 33 innings pitched.

South River falls to 8-4 with the loss, 7-3 in the GMC Blue.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with seniors Bennie Sokolowski, Vic Ceda, and head coach Ben Donaghy:

by Mike Pavlichko

South River, North Plainfield wrap up GMC Blue Division set Monday night, under the lights

Back on Friday, South River welcomed North Plainfield in to town for a GMC Blue Division matchup and sent the Canucks home with a 16-0 victory.

But even with that win, the Rams’ fifth straight, head coach Mike Lepore, Jr., hasn’t won over 300 games in his career by having his teams sit back and relax. He knows that when his team visits Krausche Field Monday night for a 6 pm game under the lights to wrap-up the two-game series, they won’t go into it with a 16-0 lead.

No, it’ll be 0-0.

You can hear Monday night’s game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action. Pregame is set for 5:45. Click here to listen.

On the other hand, North Plainfield and new head coach Ben Donaghy knows the same thing. His team is starting on a blank scorecard, not down 16-0.

South River (8-3, 7-2 GMC Blue) is just a half-game behind first-place Carteret – which they split with earlier this month – and North Plainfield (7-5, 3-5) may be three spots back in fifth, but the two have somewhat similar overall record, and both can do some damage at the plate.

The Rams are led by sophomore Julien Borusovic, both in the batter’s box and on the mound, and he’ll be in both places Monday night. He’s 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA, part of a staff that has been throwing efficient complete games early on, and has a team ERA of just 0.39. Meanwhile, Borusovic is hitting .500 on the year through 32 at bats with 15 runs batted in. Hunter Krainski (.379) and Noah Barrero (.333, 11 RBI).

Meanwhile, North Plainfield is hitting .309 as a team, led by sophomore Ryan Soto at .455 and senior Helson Sosa at .417 with eight runs batted in, while senior catcher Jake Zotollo is hitting .385 with 12 RBIs.

On the mound, senior Bennie Sokolowski will get the ball Monday, 3-0 with a scant 0.54 ERA. And the veteran can hit, too: .385 with a team-best 12 RBIs, as well as nine stolen bases, part of a Canuck offense that has stolen 53 on the season so far.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

South River head coach Mike Lepore, Jr.
North Plainfield head coach Ben Donaghy