Tag: high school baseball

by Alec Crouthamel

Hillsborough falls 11-0 to Cherokee in Group 4 semifinal, ending resurgent season

Hillsborough baseball head coach Matt Mosko, addressing his team after the Raiders’ 11-0 loss to Cherokee in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals, gave a poignant message to his players despite the defeat.

Remember this, because you will be remembered.

As the nine seed in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional tournament, Hillsborough went on a run not seen in 13 years, winning the Raiders’ first sectional title since 2012. Their season came to an end on their home field Monday at the hands of the Chiefs, who are looking to break a drought of their own, looking for their first state title since 1985.

Cherokee got going in a hurry, using an eight-run second inning to take a lead it would never relinquish, and won in five innings, also thanks to a record-breaking outing from its star pitcher.

As is customary for postseason time, the game saw a battle of two top arms. Brayden Fox took the mound for Hillsborough, while the Chiefs gave the ball to top southpaw and Rutgers commit Henry Radbill.

Fox had a solid start, retiring the first two batters he saw with soft contact. Left fielder Alex Odud hit a double to the centerfield wall with two outs, but Fox kept his composure and struck out shortstop Jason Brown swinging to get out of the inning clean.

Radbill immediately set the tone for his outing from the start, striking out his first two batters and inducing a flyout to send the side down in order. His velocity was not overwhelming, but his pinpoint accuracy and placement left little to no room for the Raiders’ hitters to get good contact.

In the top of the second inning, Cherokee spelled trouble for Hillsborough immediately. Second baseman Brett Jackson drew a five-pitch walk, and catcher Mason Kelleher launched a home run to left-center field to strike first and take a 2-0 lead. Two more Chiefs reached base after, with first baseman Nate Linden and Radbill both legging out infield singles.

Fox struck out right fielder Steve Barbagiovanni to record the first out, but he did not get much relief from there with the lineup card flipping over.

Leadoff batter and centerfielder Cooper Burti singled to score Linden, and third baseman Brett Chiesa reached on a fielder’s choice at third base to keep the runners on first and second with two outs.

They did not stay there for long.

Odud hit his second double of the day, this time bringing in two runs, to push the lead to 5-0. Brown – the ninth batter of the inning – reached on an error after a trio of Raider fielders could not come up with a fly ball in shallow left field, scoring Odud. Then Jackson, in his second at-bat of the frame, hit a long home run to straightaway center field to make it an eight-spot in the second inning and force Fox out of the game.

Sam Malone came out of the bullpen and allowed a double from Kelleher before getting Linden to ground out to end the inning. Cherokee scored eight runs on seven hits in the second inning and cruised from there.

Much of the cruising was done by Radbill, who continued his strong outing even with the big offensive cushion. Fox reached on an error to start the bottom of the second, but Radbill retired the next three batters with a groundout, strikeout, and flyout.

Malone rebounded nicely in the third, facing the minimum after a leadoff single, double play, and strikeout, while Radbill went back to his usual intensity in the bottom half. Hillsborough right fielder Shane Khurana walked to lead off, but the next three batters went down by way of a strikeout.

The first, right fielder Jason Williams, went down on a full count, giving Radbill his fourth strikeout of the game and his 93rd of the year, breaking the school’s single-season record. He struck out four more Raiders in the outing, giving him eight for the day and 97 on the year. Radbill got behind multiple batters in the inning, but battled back each time and came out on top.

In the top of the fourth, the Chiefs did even more damage and set themselves up to head home early. After Chiesa grounded out to start, Odud and Brown both walked in back-to-back plate appearances, putting two runners on base with one out. Malone got Jackson to fly out to center, but that put him up against Kelleher with two outs.

Cherokee’s All-Olympic Conference catcher made Hillsborough pay once again, crushing a long three-run home run down the right-field line, and giving the Chiefs an 11-0 lead.

Aidan Cooper came in to relieve Malone after the home run and got a walk and a flyout to get out of the fourth. In the bottom half, Fox notched the Raiders’ first hit of the game with a one-out single, but never made it past first base after a strikeout and groundout.

Cooper retired the side in order in the top of the fifth for the first time in the game, giving Hillsborough one last chance to bat.

With the game in hand, Mosko gave some of his seniors a chance to bat. Catchers Garrett Herndon and Mark Ward both reached base with a walk and a fielder’s choice on back-to-back at-bats, and outfielder Rahil Shah grounded out to end the game.

Radbill finished yet another shutout outing – his third of the season – and moved to 8-0 with a five-inning victory, allowing just one hit and no runs with two walks and eight strikeouts. He moved to 8-0 on the year.

Fox took the loss for Hillsborough, allowing eight runs – five earned – in one and two-thirds innings, with seven hits, two strikeouts, and a walk. In relief, Malone pitched two innings, allowing three runs on three hits, with two walks and a strikeout. Cooper closed his season pitching a shutout inning and a third without a hit, with a walk and strikeout.

The Chiefs improve to 26-3 and advance to Saturday’s Group 4 championship against North 2 Group 4 champion Westfield, after the Blue Devils defeated Passaic Tech 4-1 on Monday.

The Raiders’ surprise run and season come to an end at 14-11, snapping a six-game winning streak since the Somerset County Tournament loss to Immaculata. In those six games, however, Hillsborough baseball’s 2025 team became one that will be remembered throughout the halls on Raider Boulevard.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Alec Crouthamel

Best served… hot and sunny? Middlesex gets revenge on Point Pleasant Beach, wins Central Jersey Group 1 title 7-1 for the first time since 2021

In a battle of elite offenses who can tally up runs in the blink of an eye, it had seemed like the Central Jersey Group 1 championship between top-seeded Middlesex and three-time defending champion Point Pleasant Beach – the seventh year in a row the two teams faced off in the sectional tournament – was headed for a barn-burner.

Even more so after one inning, where both teams put a run on the board in the near-ninety-degree weather in central New Jersey.

That’s where Blue Jays star pitcher Dominic Long stepped in.

After a shaky first inning, Long dazzled the Garnet Gulls, retiring fifteen straight batters at one point, finishing a complete game while allowing only one run, with two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts in seven innings to lead his team to a decisive 7-1 victory.

Point Pleasant Beach did some damage to start the game with its top of the order, with pitcher Tommy Conroy reaching on an error to lead off the game. Second baseman Brody Powers singled to advance Conroy to third, but was caught stealing second. Star catcher Daniel Lubach reached on a fielder’s choice to score Conroy, before Long struck out centerfielder Daniel Storch looking to end the inning.

The Blue Jays’ bats were revving to get started, and they did just that. Shortstop Dom Parenti drew a leadoff walk and stole second. After a flyout from right fielder Dylan Ianiero, Long stepped up to the plate and helped his own cause with a scorching RBI single down the third base line to score the Blue Jays’ first run of the game. Conroy eventually settled in, allowing another single before getting two flyouts to end the first inning.

It seemed like the offensive momentum would continue into the second inning, but Long shut that down immediately with a nine-pitch frame, punctuated by a strikeout looking.

Middlesex kept its offensive effort moving, this time with the bottom of the order. Centerfielder Chris Kozak singled, and left fielder James Matula reached on an error to put two runners on. After a flyout from Parenti, Ianiero went the opposite way with a flare shot to shallow right field to take the lead.

Like clockwork, Long retired the side in order yet again in an eight-pitch third inning with a lineout and two flyouts, putting the red-hot Middlesex offense right back at the plate. Conroy settled down in the bottom of the third, however, with only one batter reaching base with two outs before an inning-ending flyout.

After another eight-pitch frame from Long, the Blue Jays’ offense started humming once again. Kozak and Matula each singled to start the bottom of the fourth, followed by a hit-by-pitch from Parenti to load the bases and nobody out. Ianiero got plunked on the ensuing at-bat, bringing in a run and forcing Conroy out of the game.

Freshman pitcher Thomas Slobiski had a solid inning in relief, given the high-pressure situation he was put in. Kozak scored on a wild pitch, but Slobiski induced a ground ball from Long later in the at-bat, recording an out at the plate but keeping the bases loaded. First baseman Owen Reynolds launched a sacrifice fly to left field to score Parenti, and with runners on the corners with two outs, Long got caught stealing second to end the inning.

Can you guess what happened next?

Long retired the side, in order, once again, taking 11 pitches to do so in the top of the fifth.

Reliever and first baseman Noah Banick came into the game and walked two batters with two outs, before eventually escaping with a shutout frame.

In the top of the sixth, the Gulls finally got something to work off Long. Powers launched a fly ball to centerfield and over the head of Kozak, but a good recovery and throw back in limited Powers to only a single. Banick grounded out in the ensuing at-bat to keep the score at 4-1, with a fired-up Long racing back into the dugout to high-fives from his Blue Jay teammates.

Middlesex used that momentum and took its shot once again, scoring three insurance runs from the top of the order. Parenti, Ianiero, and Long all reached to load the bases with nobody out. Point Pleasant Beach made another pitching change, inserting shortstop Antonio Acevedo in a tough spot. Reynolds hit a ground ball to second base, but the throw home sailed over Lubach’s head to score a run. Designated hitter Luke Jones added a two-RBI single to push the lead to 7-1, all with one out.

In the top of the seventh, Long remained on the mound, looking to end the game and win the title.

Once again, he trusted his stuff and his defense, drawing two flyouts to Ianiero in right field, and a ground ball to third baseman Sean Hughes to clinch the title.

Remarkably, after the first frame that saw the Gulls put multiple runners and a run on the scoreboard, Long combined to throw just 54 pitches in the following six innings.

Conroy took the loss for Point Pleasant Beach, allowing four runs (all earned) in three innings with six hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.

Middlesex (21-5) advances and snaps the Gulls’ three-year championship streak, and will face South Jersey Group 1 champion Schalick in the Group 1 state semifinals. The Cougars upset top-seeded Audubon in Thursday’s sectional final.

Point Pleasant Beach ends its season at 20-8.

Click below for postgame reaction from Middlesex pitcher Dom Long, right fielder Dylan Ianiero, and head coach Blaze Iannetti, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Long and Ianiero
Head Coach Blaze Iannetti
by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia looks to stay unbeaten in GMC White in home doubleheader against cross-town rival Woodbridge

Though Colonia is just 2-2 in the early part of the 2021 high school baseball season, the Patriots have two out-of-conference losses, to Sparta and Immaculata.

That means they’re unbeaten in the GMC White Division, with a pair of wins over North Brunswick. And they’ll hope to continue that trend Saturday morning when they play a 10 am twin bill against Woodbridge, after rain wiped out their game in the third inning Thursday night.

The Patriots were leading 4-3 in the bottom of the third with Woodbridge at bat, and the Barrons had two runners on when the game was called.

The cancellation means they’ll restart that game from scratch Saturday, though the teams’ aces – who started Thursday’s game – won’t be able to pitch. Both Josh Vazquez for the Barrons and J.T. Kroner for the Patriots threw more than 50 pitches, which means two days rest is required and they wouldn’t be available until Sunday at the earliest.

WOODBRIDGE PREVIEW: Woodbridge takes four-game win streak into Colonia for twin-bill following rainout

Listen to Central Jersey Sports Radio for pregame coverage starting at 9:45 am as Mike Pavlichko will call all the action of both games. You can listen by clicking here. The game is sponsored by Woodbridge Township.

Click below to hear Colonia coach Mike Scialfo talk about his team’s season so far, and the matchup against Woodbridge:

by Mike Pavlichko

Woodbridge takes four-game win streak into Colonia for twin-bill following rainout

Their aces were on the mound Thursday night, but Mother Nature had other plans.

Josh Vazquez of Woodbridge and Rutgers commit J.T. Kroner of Colonia were duking it out when the rains came, and stopped their game after 3 1/2 innings with the road Patriots ahead 4-3.

In the world of baseball, the stats don’t count, but at the high school level, the pitches do.

Since both eclipsed the 50 pitch mark, neither is available for what will now be a 10 am doubleheader Saturday at Colonia, which you can hear in its entirety on Central Jersey Sports radio by clicking here.

COLONIA PREVIEW: Colonia looks to stay unbeaten in GMC White in home doubleheader against cross-town rival Woodbridge

Coverage begins at 9:45 am with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action. The game is sponsored by Woodbridge Township.

The Barrons (4-2) enter the game on a four-game winning streak after two season-opening losses to Edison, while the Patriots (2-2) are looking to end a two-game skid, having dropped a pair of our-of-conference games to Sparta and Immaculata.

Click below to hear Woodbridge head coach Mike Monaco discuss the season so far, and preview Saturday’s doubleheader against in-town rival Colonia:

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio will debut LIVE H.S. baseball coverage on Opening Day next Monday

Monday, April 19th, will be the first Opening Day for high school baseball in New Jersey in two years, with last year’s entire season wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And when the 2021 season begins, Central Jersey Sports Radio will be on hand, kicking off its season coverage.

We’ll begin the slate with a matchup of GMC White Divsion teams, when Edison entertains Woodbridge at 4:00 Monday afternoon. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the live play-by-play at, which you can hear by clicking here. Tentative air time is 3:50 pm from the Boulevard of the Eagles, at the school’s brand-new red turf field.

Athletic Director David Sandaal says the field was under construction last winter and would have been ready to go during the 2021 season.

That season that never materialized. Though some Last Dance baseball tournament games were played there, Monday will be the first time Edison High School’s baseball team gets to take the field.

Sandaal says several dignitaries will be on hand.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will add additional games to the broadcast schedule throughout the season, and Mike Pavlichko will report from other games throughout the year as well.

CJSR also plans to broadcast live from Ray Cipperly Field for the Greater Middlesex Conference Torunament Semifinals and Finals, to be held in late May and early June.

For local businesses interested in sponsoring and supporting live high school baseball coverage on Central Jersey Sports Radio, please contact founder and owner Mike Pavlichko via email, at mike@cjsportsradio.com.