South Plainfield’s 2024 and 2025 seasons have one thing in common, and one big difference. The similarity? The Tigers defeated Colonia both years in the North 2 Group 3 tournament. The difference?

South Plainfield took home the hardware this year.

It took some more effort to close out the game than it seemed at first, but the Tigers survived the Patriots’ seventh inning rally to win 5-4 and clinch the sectional title.

It came with plenty of small-ball, using the team’s speed and contact ability to move runners over and get into scoring position.

With southpaw Kevin Penny taking the mound for South Plainfield and righty Colin Kroner on the bump for Colonia, it was a battle of standout arms, but Penny came away victorious.

After a quiet first inning that saw both teams go down in order, the Tigers struck first in the second inning. Shortstop Dan Kapsch singled, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from DH Lorenzo Fuscoletti. Third baseman Chris Loniewski laced an RBI double to score the game’s first run. Kroner recovered, however, retiring the next two batters to end the inning.

Penny kept up his strong start, retiring the Patriots’ first nine batters through three innings, giving his offense some breathing room. They took it in the top of the third, adding another run to the ledger with four consecutive singles from the lineup’s top four hitters. First baseman Aiden McCarthy singled in second baseman and leadoff batter Nick Irizarry to take a 2-0 lead.

But again, Kroner remained composed and escaped without any further damage. He struck out Fuscoletti looking and induced a groundout from Loniewski to end the inning with three runners stranded.

Colonia finally got a baserunner on to start the fourth inning with a leadoff walk from left fielder Cory Pascarella, but he never got past first base. A fielder’s choice and two flyouts later, Penny remained dominant.

Kroner brought the Patriots some more momentum by striking out the side, but the offense was unable to put together a rally.

In the ensuing top of the fifth inning, the Tigers’ offense woke back up. Irizarry singled to lead off – one of his three singles in the game – and stole second. After a swinging strikeout by McCarthy, Kroner got what looked like a routine fly ball from centerfielder Dom Massaro, but it bounced off Pascarella’s glove. Irizarry scored and Massaro advanced to third, and was driven in one batter later by Kapsch on an RBI groundout, giving South Plainfield a 4-0 lead.

Designated hitter Jayce Rodriguez finally notched the first hit off Penny with a ground-ball single to lead off the bottom of the fifth, but that baserunner was quickly erased by a flare shot to Penny, and a heads-up throw to first to double off Rodriguez. First baseman Tyler Chiola popped out to Irizarry to end the inning. Kroner allowed two baserunners in the sixth inning but they did not score.

With six outs left in their season, the Patriots loaded the bases – in large part due to a two-out single from third baseman Dylan Chiera and a walk by Kroner – but shortstop Matt Fasulo struck out looking on an inside fastball.

Penny was mobbed by his dugout, with the Tigers sitting three outs away from a sectional title.

Kroner remained in the game for the seventh inning, getting a flyout for the first out. Kapsch sent another fly ball to centerfield, but that one also bounced off the glove of centerfielder Nick Minue, putting Kapsch at third base. On the ensuing at-bat, he came around to score off a wild pitch to Fuscoletti. Kroner got two more flyouts, but South Plainfield notched yet another key insurance run.

Colonia – with three outs remaining in its season – put up one last gasp.

Tigers head coach Scott Gleichenhaus made a pitching change, swapping Kevin Penny for star reliever Jay Jimenez in the hot and humid conditions.

Jimenez did not have his best stuff, however, and the Patriots took advantage. Rodriguez led off with a groundout, but second baseman Jake Gotti walked to start off the rally. Chiola reached on a fielder’s choice, beating out a double-play ball. Catcher Jake Harvatt walked on a full count, and right fielder Joseph Massimino laced a single down the third base line to score Colonia’s first two runs.

With the lineup card flipped over, Pascarella hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-3, still with two outs. Chiera walked to put two runners on, and Kroner singled to load the bases. Fasulo got his redemption, drawing a bases-loaded walk to draw Colonia within a single run, and the game-winning run on second base.

Gleichenhaus made another change.

Pitcher Mike Castagna entered, looking for a save in as high-pressure a situation as a pitcher can walk into. With Rodriguez up for the second time in the inning, Castagna induced another groundout to McCarthy, stepping on the bag and winning the sectional title.

Kroner was given the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) in seven innings with nine hits, one walk, and nine strikeouts. He also had a solid day at the plate, reaching twice in the sixth and seventh innings with a walk and a single.

Colonia’s season ends at a strong 23-5 mark.

Penny earned the win in six shutout innings, allowing just two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Jimenez went two-thirds of an inning, allowing four runs (all earned) on three hits and four walks. Castagna got the final out and recorded the save.

South Plainfield moves on to the Group 3 state tournament, where it will face North 1 Group 3 champion Morris Knolls, who upset top-seeded Ramapo in Thursday’s title game.

Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield pitcher Kevin Penny and head coach Scott Gleichenhaus, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: