Tag: Mark Geist

by Mike Pavlichko

Instant Replay: Group 1 State Final – Middlesex 4, New Providence 3 (13 inn.)

The Middlesex Blue Jays won their seventh overall state championship – and sixth in the Group Final era – by beating New Providence 4-3 in 13 innings on a walk-off single by senior catcher Mark Geist.

Scorll down to hear the full game broadcast, as originally heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The victory was Middlesex’s third straight in walk-off fashion, fourth if you count their mercy-rule walkoff against Florence in the sectional semifinals.

Middlesex won the Central Jersey Group One title 2-1 over Point Pleasant Beach on June 11th on a bases loaded fielder’s choice, which turned out to be a throwing error on the Gulls’ second baseman. As thrilling as it was, the score was only tied at one, and the bases were loaded with nobody out, much less of a pressure situation than would come a few days later.

On the following Monday, trailing 5-3 after allowing a grand slam to South 1 champ Woodstown in the group semifinals, Middlesex was down to its final strike with junior Bobby Ulmer at the plate, and he hit an 0-2 pitch with two out over the left field wall for a grand slam of his own, to give Middlesex a stirring 7-5 win.

Which made it all the more intriguing when the Blue Jays took a slim, 1-0 lead into the seventh against New Providence in the state Group 1 final. Three outs away from a championship, the Pioneers nickeled and dimed Middlesex for three runs to take a 3-1 lead.

But as Middlesex had proven in the postseason, they may be down, but are never out.

They tied the game at three and sent it to extra innings.

Then more extra innings, then still more.

Ultimately, after Stephen Young came on in relief in the seventh and held New Providence scoreless for 6 and 2/3 innings, Middlesex got its shot.

Perhaps fittingly, it was Ulmer – the local legend born just a few days earlier – who got the rally started with a leadoff walk. A sac bunt moved him to second, and a groundout to the right side of the infield moved him to third.

That’s when senior catcher Mark Geist’s seeing eye single between third and short brought home Ulmer with two out, and set off a celebration that continued back in Middlesex with an escort from police and fire trucks when they arrived back home from Veterans’ Park in Hamilton.

Click below to hear the complete game broadcast, including the 45-minute pregame show featuring interviews with players and coaches, as well as Middlesex Athletic Director Mike O’Donnell. Listen as Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino bring you the call:

by Mike Pavlichko

Another walkoff! Middlesex wins Group 1 title on Geist’s 13th inning hit

It wasn’t as dramatic as the grand slam Bobby Ulmer hit Monday to send Middlesex to the Group 1 title game – after all, it was a seeing-eye single – but its importance, ultimately, was even greater, owing to the bigger stage,

Mark Geist’s two-out single to left just past a diving Dean Licari at third base won Middlesex their third Group 1 title in the last four seasons, as they beat New Providence 4-3 in 13 innings, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Middlesex got a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by Matt Venutolo, and it held til the seventh.

But in the top of the seventh, New Providence got to Jays’ starter Raiden Yost for 3 runs – one allowed by reliever Stephen Young – to take a 3-1 lead.

Still, as Middlesex has shown time and time again in the postseason, they’re never out of it.

Matt Venutolo led off with an infield hit, then Mark Geist – who would later be the hero – walked. A bunt by Ty Nicolay moved the runners up. Stephen Young’s walk loaded the bases, before a sac fly by Anthony Long got Middlesex within one, and Ryan Vollmer’s single tied the game.

That’s the way it would stay until the 13th, thanks to the brilliant pitching of Stephen Yong, who came in with two outs in the seventh, and finished the game to get the win.

In the 13th inning, Bobby Ulmer – the walk-off grand slam hero Monday in the semis against Woodstown – drew a leadoff walk.

A.J. West laid down a sac bunt that moved Ulmer to third, and a grounder to second by Venutolo pushed him to third. That’s when Geist pushed a pitch past the third baseman, bringing Middlesex the championship.

The Blue Jays finish 22-4, winning their seventh state title in program history, in ten tries.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Middlesex’s Group 1 title game win:

Mark Geist
Senior catcher Mark Geist, with the game-winning hit
Junior pitcher Stephen Young, who threw 6 1/3 innings of scoreless relief
Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi

by Mike Pavlichko

Listen to all 11 runs scored by Middlesex in CJ1 semifinal win over Florence

It was another offensive explosion for the Middlesex Blue Jays, the top-seed which has won two of its three state playoff games in 2021 by the 10-run mercy rule.

They beat Florence yesterday at Mountainview Park in the sectional semifinals of the state playoffs 11-0 on a walkoff two-RBI single by Ryan Vollmer. Vollmer also had a three-run homer in the Blue Jays’ breakout fifth inning.

Mark Geist hit a two-run homer, while Vollmer delivered the knockout blow, a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth that put Middlesex over the Mercy rule threshhold.

Stephen Young added a first-pitch two-RBI double in the bottom of the second.

Middlesex has now outscored its state playoff opponents 33-1 in three games.

The win puts Middlesex (19-4) in the Central Jersey Group One Championship Game Friday at 1 pm at Mountainview Park against 6th-seed Point Pleasant Beach (15-7). It’s their third straight title game against the Garnet Gulls, with the Jays having won both previous meetings.

In fact, Middlesex has won its last five against Point Beach, going back to the Jays’ drop down from Group 2 following the 2012 season. And they have outscored them 39-5, including a shutout in the 2018 title game.

Click below to hear highlights of all 11 Middlesex runs scored in their CJ1 semifinal victory over Florence: