There was a point midway through Monday’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title game that everything was coming up South Plainfield.

But in the end, seven runs in the final two innings gave Randolph the title, via an 8-3 win against the Tigers as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The top-seeded Tigers had taken a 2-1 lead over visiting second-seed Randolph in the third inning, on a groundout by Dan Kapsch that scored Stephen Studlack, and an RBI single by Zach Robinson that plated Dom Massaro.

In the top of the fifth, Randolph had a runner at third with two down, and on a bloop single to right, Brandon Bickunas made the catch and threw a perfect strike to Studlack to double up courtesy runner Ryan Kress tagging from third to end the inning with a 9-2 double play.

Then in the bottom of the inning, Massaro led off with a solo home run into the woods in left field.

What could go wrong?

Well, Randolph scored three times in the sixth, chasing starter Aldo Pigna from the game, to take a 4-3 lead, then scored five more times in the top of the seventh to put it out of reach.

The three runs in the sixth came on three hits and two walks. There were no big bombs. And the seventh was a nickel-and-dime affair, too.

It was a tough way for the season to end for South Plainfield, which finishes 22-6-1. They defied preseason prognosticators, winning the GMC Red Division over Old Bridge and Monroe, but lost in the GMC Finals to Old Bridge, and now in the sectional title game to Randolph.

Pigna took the loss, his first, to fall to 5-1, while ace Tommy Martin went the distance for the Rams, allowing six hits, striking out nine to improve to 7-1.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: