Tag: South Plainfield

by Mike Pavlichko

How has GMC Tourney first round, quarterfinals affected playoff race?  And there’s more to come Saturday

It’s the last week of play in New Jersey high school baseball before the NJSIAA cutoff, which is this Saturday.

All games played through Saturday, whether regular season or in county tournaments, are considered for qualification, with the top 16 power point values included in the formula.

Some teams will pick up extra games this week to try and improve their standing, but others are locked in to county Tournament play, like in the GMC, which had its first round on Monday, quarterfinals Wednesday, and will play its semifinals Saturday afternoon at East Brunswick Magnet School. 

You can hear those games live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here.

So, how did some of those games affect the top teams?  We take a look.

Edison, Monroe, Old Bridge in Central Jersey Group 4:  The Eagles had been atop the section for the past few weeks, but dropped to third last week while Old Bridge claimed the top spot partly on the strength of a 4-0 week.  But Edison took it back after Monday’s 10-0 first round win in the GMCT over then 20-1 Piscataway Magnet, giving them the maximum power points you could get (48) and netting 40 after their 8-point loss to Columbia (its lowest value among the best 16) dropped off as a result.  But with Monroe knocking off the Eagles Wednesday, and Old Bridge beating Metuchen, the Knights are back on top as of Thursday morning, at 16-8 (29.746).  Edison fell to second (15-6, 28.611), and now they may not be able to make up that ground, since Old Bridge will play Middlesex in the GMCT semifinals Saturday at 2:30 pm.  A Knights’ loss may not even do it, depending how other games go.

Monroe (10-12, 23.596) climbed a bit, from seventh to sixth, since our last update Sunday, but at a little more than three full points behind fourth-place Hightstown (15-5, 27.088), the Falcons probably can’t get that high, but have a good shot to finish in the top with, guaranteeing them home field at least through the sectional semis.

Middlesex, Piscataway Magnet in Central Jersey Group 1:  The Blue Jays (20-2, 32.482) remain in first – though it’s slightly narrower than before – over second-place Piscataway Magnet (21-2, 29.079), and we think they’re going to hold on regardless what happens Saturday against Old Bridge.  The Raiders weren’t hurt place-wise by their loss to Edison Monday on the GMCT first round, but they’re lead over third-place Point Pleasant Beach (13-4, 28.572) is down from over one point to 0.505.  the Garnet Gulls have 16-win Colts Neck Saturday in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday.

South Plainfield in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3:  The Tigers (13-10, 24.708) pulled ahead of North Plainfield (16.8, 23.373) since Sunday, no doubt helped by a 7-6 win Wednesday in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals over Metuchen, which was worth 41 points, their highest value for any game. Saturday, in the semifinals, a win over Monroe would be worth about 27 points, and a net gain of 16 (their lowest game is an 11-point defeat at the hands of Red Bank Catholic, which Monroe beat earlier this season). And with North Plainfield only having one more game before the cutoff against eight-win Warren Hills, and Middletown North (10-10, 21.842) almost three points back, we think South Plainfield should be able to hold on to the No. 4 spot.

by Mike Pavlichko

GMCT Quarterfinal Roundup: Monroe ousts top-seed Edison, Old Bridge wins pitchers duel, Middlesex tops Aquinas, South Plainfield holds off Metuchen

The Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament semifinals are set for Saturday after a wild quarterfinal round on Wednesday.

The biggest story line of the night was top-seed Edison getting eliminated by nine-seed Monroe, which now appears to be the tournament’s Cinderella, having beaten two higher-seeded teams to make it to Saturday’s semis at East Brunswick Magnet School.

Scroll through for full recaps of all games, including links to separate game stories on Edison-Monroe and Middlesex-St. Thomas Aquinas, including postgame interviews and a look ahead to Saturday’s matchups, which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call:

(9) Monroe 9, (1) Edison 0: Coming into the season, the Eagles had three starting pitchers headed to Division 1 schools, a nice luxury to have. And while Mounmouth-bound Connor Murphy has been outstanding, Robert Roma and Dom Innocenti – both of whom will play at Wagner – have been beset by injuries of late. Innocenti hasn’t taken the mound since a 14-0 loss to Woodbridge on April 23, and Roma – though his team won all four games – had only thrown five times for the Eagles, never going more than three innings in each of his last four appearances.

But he had trouble early on Wednesday, facing just four batters and giving up a single, two doubles and a walk, and two runs before being pulled by head coach Vinnie Abene. And Monroe did more damage with three int he second, one in the fourth, and three in the third.

The Falcons pounded out eleven hits, with Alex Marcus picking up four RBIs, while Justin Mangano went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.

Click here to read Nick Hart’s game story, with postgame reaction from starter Andre Love, catcher Justin Mangano and head coach Sean Field, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

(5) South Plainfield 7, (4) Metuchen 6: The Tigers (13-10) saw a 3-0 lead slip away early, and nearly saw a 7-3 lead go by the boards, but hung on in the end to pull off the upset at Metuchen (16-6).

Dom Massaro went 3-for-5, scoring twice, as did Aiden McCarthy and Andrew Bena, and South Plainfield also capitalized on five Bulldog errors. Bena went 5 2/3 innings and got the win, allowing six runs on eight hits, striking out five, while Jayden Jiminez closed it out.

Massaro led off the game with a double, and after a walk to McCarthy, Bena drove in a run with a double. A sac bunt and a strikeout followed, but a single by Anthony Cicenia to center drove in two to make it 3-0.

But Metuchen clawed right back. James Fenton hit a one-out two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to cut it to 3-2, and Matt Jelleme had an RBI single in the second to even things up.

The two played the next three innings scoreless before South Plainfield burst out with four runs in the top of the sixth. Alex Pigna reached on an error, and Dom Massaro replaced him, reaching on a fielder’s choice to second. McCarthy then followed with a single to right to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead.

But South Plainfield wanted more, and they got it. Bena hit a ball to second and reached on an error, bringing in McCarthy to make it 5-3. Chris Loniewski reached on an error by the shortstop. After Ed Budzinski struck out, Cicenia hit a ball to third, and yet another error allowed him to reach, scored Bena, and gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead. The seventh run came in on a line drive single to left by Gabriel Garcia.

Now, it was Metuchen’s turn to keep things interesting. After a fly ball out, Sean Dereka walked, Ryan Alessi singled, and Mason Messina was plunked by Bena. Joseph Tamburello popped out to short center, leaving the bases loaded with two outs. Jelleme got hit to cut it to 7-4, then James Fenton drove in two with a single to left to make it 7-6, before Cooper Crawford grounded into a fielder’s choice, with Cicenia tossing to second for the force.

South Plainfield had two on with two out in the top of the seventh, but failed to get an insurance run. Then, Metuchen got back to business. After a ground out, Lucas Malamug and Sean Dereka hit back-to-back singles. A line out to right by Alessi made the second out.

Then, with an 0-2 count on the next hitter, Jiminez – who came on in relief with two out in the sixth – stepped off the rubber. Dereka on first took off, and Jiminez threw to the shortstop covering. Now in a rundown, the Tigers saw Malamug off third base, and they threw to the third-baseman Pigna, who tagged Malamug for the final out.

Click here for postgame reaction from South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(2) Middlesex 3, (7) St. Thomas Aquinas 0: The Blue Jays are back in the semifinals for a second straight year, thanks in large part to yet another outstanding performance from Chris Kozak, who scattered three hits in a complete-game shutout, taking only 89 pitches to do it.

Scoreless through three, Middlesex broke through in the third with Sean Hughes scoring on a wild pitch, and pinch-hitter extraordinaire Dalton Michael driving in two with a single to left field; all three runs came with two outs, and it was all Middlesex needed.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, with postgame reaction from seniors Chris Kozak, Marcus Lavornia and head coach Blaze Iannetti, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

(3) Old Bridge 1, (6) Woodbridge 0: For the second straight game, the Knights (16-8) won a 1-0 game, but this time it was in extra innings, on a walkoff single by Erich Schickschneit. Hits were at a premium, as Old Bridge outhit the Barrons 6-3. And they almost broke the game open in the bottom of the first.

After a one, two, three top of the inning, Chris Crosta led off the home half getting hit by a pitch. Matt Chin struck out, Jared Volpe singled, Rocco Pluchino struck out, and Schickschneit was intentionally walked to load the bases. But Michael Chiarella struck out to end the inning.

All the while, the starting pitchers were dealing. Woodbridge’s Michael Gurovich pitched into the eighth, allowing just three more hits the rest of the game, striking out ten. Blake Dunleavy allowed just three hits and struck out four.

Tied at the end of seven, the game went to extras. Dunleavey threw a solid eighth, getting three groundouts. In the bottom of the inning for Old Bridge, Jared Volpe singled to center with one out. Diego Colon struck out, and Schnickschneit came up. Jared Volpe stole second – his second steal of the game – and on a 1-1 pitch, Schickschneit got the game-winning hit.

It’ll be a second trip to the GMC Tournament semifinals in three years for Old Bridge, which won it all back in 2024.

Click here for postgame reaction from Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, May 16, at East Brunswick Magnet School

  • 12 pm: (5) South Plainfield (13-10) vs. (9) Monroe (10-12)
  • 2:30 pm: (3) Old Bridge (16-8) vs. (2) Middlesex (20-2)

You can hear both games live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call by clicking here.

Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament Final
Saturday, May 23, at East Brunswick Magnet School (2 pm – LIVE on CJSR)

by Mike Pavlichko

GMCT Recap:  Monroe knocks off Colonia in only first round upset, as seven other higher seeds advance

Top-seed Edison and the rest of the top seven seeds advanced Monday in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament, with only eight-seed Colonia getting upset.

It was a chalk Monday in the tournament, which has been fairly lucky in the first two rounds with weather. Rain had been in the forecast at one point or another for the first three days of the event, including Saturday’s preliminary round.

But all those games got off without a hitch – even if a few raindrops fell, it was nothing major – and Monday turned out to be a gorgeous day, with temps in the low 60s under mostly cloudy skies until about an hour into the 4 pm games, when the sun shone for the rest of the later afternoon.

Here’s a recap of all eight games, followed by the schedule for Wednesday’s quarterfinals, which – as of 11 pm Monday – has a round a 50 percent chance of showers between the hours of 4 and 6 pm. Any games not played Wednesday likely move to Thursday, with temperatures around 67 degrees, showers in the morning, but a mix of sun and clouds by afternoon.

(1) Edison 10, (17) Piscataway Magnet 5: The Eagles (15-5) scored early and often, getting five in the first and five in the second, more than enough runs for senior Connor Murphy, who struck out 13 and allowed just one infield hit and three baserunners in the game.

Read a full recap of the contest here, along with postgame reaction from sophomore Sam Kentos (2 triples, 4 RBI), Murphy, and head coach Vinnie Abene, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

Piscataway Magnet took just its second loss of the season to drop to 20-2.

The Eagles – a GMCT finalist last season – will host nine-seed Monroe in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. They split their two-game set in early April, with Edison winning the opener 7-1 on the at home, and Monroe getting a 2-0 shutout in the rematch at home.

(9) Monroe 9, (8) Colonia 2: With ace Colin Kroner sidelined due to injury, the Falcons (9-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then added six more in the middle three innings to take a 9-1 lead, and allowed one sixth-inning run to the Patriots (10-7), who used four pitchers to get through the game. Starter Ryan Totin, who went 3 1/3 innings, took the loss, allowing five earned runs.

Matt Linke, Justin Mangamo and Michael Cinque drove in two runs apiece for the Falcons, who had dropped eight of nine coming in after a 7-4 start. Starting pitcher Ben Fagin was solid, scattering two hits and allowing just one unearned run, striking out 13 in a complete game effort.

Click here to listen to Monroe head coach Sean Field talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Falcons’ win over the Patriots.

In the quarterfinals, Monroe will be at Edison on Wednesday. The teams split this season.

(5) South Plainfield 2, (12) St. Joseph-Metuchen 1: For the Tigers (12-10), they don’t come up bigger than Aiden McCarthy in big spots. The senior pitcher scattered five hits in a complete game effort, allowing one earned run, striking out ten, to improve to 6-1 on the season.

South Plainfield got out to a 1-0 lead in the botom of the first on a sac fly to right by Chris Loniewski. St. Joseph (5-15) – the defending tournament champs – tied it in the top of the fourth with a single by Logan ring, but the Tigers got the lead back in the home half of the inning when Dom Massaro was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Ed Budzinski.

The win puts the Tigers in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at fourth-seed Metuchen (15-5), a team they have not faced since 2018.

(4) Metuchen 3, (13) Spotswood 0: Starter James Fenton went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out 15, and Matt Jelleme closed out the final two-thirds for the win. The Bulldogs (15-5) got an RBI from Matt Jelleme in ousting the Chargers (11-2), a GMCT semifinalist a year ago.

Metuchen will host 5th-seed South Plainfield (12-10) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, the first meeting between the teams since 2018.

(3) Old Bridge 1, (14) Sayreville 0:  In a pitchers’ duel, the Knights (14-8) got a four-hit shutout from Brady Meyer, and got the only run they needed in the bottom of the fourth inning – when Jared Volpe scored on a passed ball with Erich Schikchneit at the plate – in taking the tight victory over the Bombers (9-11).

Both starting pitchers went the distance in this one. Meyer walked four but struck out seven, while Jack Martyn of Sayreville allowed one earned run on five hits in six innings of of work. He threw just 70 pitches; while Meyer threw only 85.

In the quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Knights will host sixth-seed Woodbridge (12-7), a team they beat twice this year, but both by slim margins: 2-1 at home on April 2nd, and 9-7 on the road two days later.

(6) Woodbridge 7, (11) East Brunswick 1: The Bears (6-13) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, opening the scoring in the game, but it was all Barrons (12-7) from there on out, as they tied it in the bottom of the inning, then blew it open with five in the fifth before adding a seventh run in the sixth.

Jaidon Coello got East Brunswick on the board with a single in the fourth, but the lead was short-lived, as Xavier Diaz hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the inning, tying the game at one.

In the fifth, Woodbridge got another homer, this time a leadoff blast from Nate Langon to make it 2-1. Then, after a walk to Hogan Boyd, a single by Kevin Arroyo, and another walk to Jack Kobylakiewicz, a third walk – this time to Gavin Slicner – made it 3-1. Diaz singled to make it 4-1, Nick Lukachyk followed with one of his own to make it 6-1, more than enough to give the Barrons the win.

Arroyo got the win, scattering three hits across seven innings, needing just 98 pitches to finish, also recording seven strikeouts.

Next up, Woodbridge visits Old Bridge in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The Knights took both games from the Barrons this season, 2-1 and 9-7.

(7) St. Thomas Aquinas 3, (10) South Brunswick 2: After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Trojans (9-12) got three in the home half to take a 3-1 lead they’d never relinquish in beating the Vikings (9-8).

Louis Rizzolo was masterful, improving to 6-0 on the season thanks to a two-hit complete game in which he struck out 13 and allowed two runs, one earned.

The first came in South Brunswick’s first at bat after Ayden Antigua – who reached on an error – scored with two outs. Starting pitcher Collin Perna drove in the other run with a single in the third.

But Aquinas got all three of its runs in the bottom of the first. Nikash Patel singled to drive in Adrian Sanchez, who had reached on a one-out double, then after a single by Tyler Coello, Justin Brown drove in Patel and Coello with a single.

Perna took the loss for South Brunswick, throwing 5 1/3, striking out six and walking one. All three runs were earned.

St. Thomas will visit second-seed Middlesex (19-2) – a GMC semifinalist last year – in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The teams haven’t met this year, but split two games last season.

(2) Middlesex 12, (15) South River 2: The Blue Jays (19-2) won their fourth straight – and 15th in their last 16 games dating back exactly one month to April 11 – as they topped the Rams (16-6) in a five-inning, ten-run rule victory.

After getting a run in the first on a Luke Jones sacrifice fly that scored Marcus Lavornia – who’d stolen third after he reached on an error and sac bunt got him to second – Middlesex broke it open with five runs in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Lavornia singled to make it 2-0, Dylan Ianiero walked to bring in Chris Kozak, Jones flied out to right to bring in Lavornia, and Sean Hughes drove in two with a double to left to make it 6-0.

And after the Rams got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI double by Hunter Krainski and a sac fly by Noah Barrero, Middlesex simply added six more in the bottom of the inning, then held the Rams the rest of the way. Jones, who finished with four runs batted in, was key in that inning with a two-run double.

Dom long got the win for Middlesex, going four innings, striking out six, and allowing two earned runs. Dalton Michael closed it out in the fifth, allowing just a two out single.

The Jays will host St. Thomas Aquinas (9-12) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS

  • (9) Monroe at (1) Edison (follow Nick Hart on Twitter for updates and a game recap)
  • (5) South Plainfield at (4) Metuchen
  • (6) Woodbridge at (3) Old Bridge
  • (7) St. Thomas Aquinas at (2) Middlesex (follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates and a game recap)

SATURDAY, MAY 16 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS (at East Brunswick Magnet)

  • Semifinal #1: 12 pm
  • Semifinal #2: 2:30 pm (highest remaining seed)

SATURDAY, MAY 23 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINAL (at East Brunswick Magnet)

  • Final: 2 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

After much shuffling, stability returns to Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving baseball Top Ten

Division play is all done, county tournaments are underway, and crossovers and non-conference games took center stage last week in the GMC and Somerset County.

And while eight of the teams in last week’s top ten took at least one loss, that was a recipe for a break in the volatility of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Six.

In fact, only three teams moved around this week, one dropped out, and the top five remained the same, led once again by Immaculata (14-4) for a sixth straight week. The Spartans opened the week with a 10-0 loss on Tuesday at No. 5 Watchung Hills. But that didn’t knock them from the top spot, nor did it cost them the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament, which the coaches voted on that very night. But due to Skyland Conference scheduling, Immaculata never got a crack at the Warriors a second time before the seeding meeting, and with a 6-0 Immaculata win at Diamond Nation in Flemington Thursday over Watchung Hills, they split the series. The Spartans finished out the week with a 5-2 win Saturday over The Hun School. They’re next play Tuesday at DePaul.

Holding in second is Middlesex (18-2), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They beat two GMC Red Division teams in crossovers, topping St. Joseph-Metuchen 8-7 on Monday, then winning 10-8 at East Brunswick on Wednesday. Yet, it was not enough to give them the top-seed over Edison in the GMC Tournament, which was seeded Friday morning. Still, the Blue Jays beat then-No. 6 Rutgers Prep on Saturday at Mountainview Park, 7-1. Middlesex is back in action Monday afternoon against South River in the first round of the GMCT.

Speaking of Edison (14-5), the Eagles fell Monday to Metuchen, 6-5, but rebounded with a 16-2 win Tuesday over East Brunswick and a 1-0 win Wednesday over Spotswood. Edison did indeed get the top seed in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament, and will host Piscataway Magnet in the GMC’s first round Monday afternoon.

At No. 4 again this week is is Ridge (13-6), which dropped its first game of the week, 9-5, to Hillsborough on Tuesday, but rebounded with two home wins: 4-3 over Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday, and 8-0 over Somerville on Friday. The Red Devils are back in action Monday afternoon when they take on St. Peter’s Prep out of Jersey City.

Holding at No. 5 is Watchung Hills (11-5). The Warriors were just 1-2 in the week gone by, but their first loss came to defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston on Monday, 12-2. They bounced back with a 10-0 home win over Immaculata Tuesday, though it was not enough to give them the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament, having lost twice to Ridge, which in turn had lost twice to the Spartans. And the Warriors had to settle for a split with Immaculata after taking a 6-0 loss at the hands of the Spartans Thursday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington. Watchung Hills has a few days off before a Thursday Somerset County Tournament quarterfinal game, where they’ll host the winner of Monday’s second round game between Somerville and Franklin.

Moving up two spots on a the strength of a 4-0 week is Old Bridge (13-8), which rises to No. 6. The Knights won 10-4 at Colonia on Monday, then beat Metuchen, 8-0, on Wednesday. They welcomed in Bridgewater-Raritan from Somerset County on Friday and won 5-4, before taking down Jersey City’s St. Peter’s Prep Saturday, 3-1. Old Bridge is back in action at home Monday against Sayreville in the first round of the GMC Tournament.

That drops Rutgers Prep (12-4) one spot to seventh, after the Argonauts split four games in the past week. The beat Bridgewater-Raritan 12-8 on Monday, then lost a pitchers’ duel out at North Hunterdon, 1-0, on Tuesday. Prep bounced back with a 10-0 home win over the Lions Thursday to split the home-and-home, but lost Saturday at Middlesex, 7-1. Next up, the Argonauts play Newark Academy on Wednesday.

Also down a spot to No. 8 is Colonia (10-6). The Patriots only played two games this past week, and split. Monday, they lost 10-4 at home to Old Bridge, but they came back to beat St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday, 3-2. Colonia is back in action hosting Monroe in the first round of the GMC Tournament on Monday.

Holding at No. 9 is South Plainfield (11-10). The Tigers went 3-2 in a busy week gone by, winning their first three games: Monday 3-1 at Spotswood, Tuesday 10-5 at Monroe, and Thursday at home, 14-4, over JFK. But on Friday, they lost 5-4 at Sayreville in a crossover with the White Division, then fell 19-9 in a full seven innings to Red Bank Catholic on Saturday.

Making its season debut in the Top Ten is Metuchen (14-5). They enter at No. 9 after a 2-1 week that began in fine fashion with a 6-5 win over No. 3 Edison. They lost at Old Bridge, 8-0, on Wednesday, but bounced back with a 4-2 home win over Monroe on Saturday. The Bulldogs return to action Monday in the GMC Tournament’s first round when they host Spotswood.

Metuchen knocked out previous No. 10 Carteret (14-4), which on Tuesday, handed Piscataway Magnet a 10-0 loss, the Raiders’ first of the season, then beat Highland Park 10-0, but lost a GMC Tournament preliminary round game to Sayreville, 6-1.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Six:

by Mike Pavlichko

More movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, after No. 1 Immaculata and No. 2 Middlesex hold serve

The two two high school baseball teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten didn’t move at all this week, but most of the rest did.

And with division play mostly out of the way in the GMC, things could get really interesting this week with crossovers heading into Friday morning’s seeding meeting. Same in Somerset County with the last few games before Tuesday’s seeding by the league coaches.

Immaculata (12-3) remains No. 1, as it has been for the past four weeks, after a 3-0 week gone by. The Spartans picked up a Tuesday/Thursday sweep of Hunterdon Central, including a 4-1 home win Tuesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington, and a 14-0 road win just a mile or so away on Thursday. Saturday, they blanked Old Bridge 9-0 in the finale of Spotswood’s E4M showcase. Their last game before the SCT seeding will be Tuesday afternoon, a big one at Watchung Hills. It’s the first of two between the teams, but the only one before the meeting.

Then, it’s to the GMC at No. 2, where Midddlesex (15-2) remains in the same position as last week. The Blue Jays went 2-1, with a sweep of Colonia, both games 4-0 decisions, including a home win Thursday heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They lost Saturday at Westfield, 2-0, and have two big games this week, playing up against the GMC Red Division. They’ll welcome St. Joseph-Metuchen to Mountainview Park on Monday, and visit East Brunswick on Thursday. A win in either game could give the Blue Jays a strong argument for the No. 1 seed in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament.

The other team that will be considered for that top-seed is Edison (12-4), which went 4-1 this past week. They blanked Woodbridge 1-0 Monday, then lost at St. Thomas Aquinas, 3-2, on Tuesday, before returning the favor with a 5-0 home win Thursday. Then, they played two on Saturday, first beating North Brunswick 15-4, then topping JP Stevens, 7-2. The Eagles have three games before Friday’s GMC seeding: Monday at Metuchen, Tuesday at home against East Brunswick, and Spotswood at home on Wednesday.

At No. 4 is Ridge (11-5), down one spot from last week after playing just one game, falling 4-3 at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday. The Red Devils have lost four straight – including two to Immaculata and another at North Hunterdon – after starting the season 11-1. They will host Hillsborough on Tuesday.

In the five spot, it’s Watchung Hills (10-3), which re-entered the rankings at seven last week, and now is up two more spots after a 3-0 week. That included a 6-2 win over Hillsborough on Tuesday, an 18-8 win at Hillsborough on Wednesday, and a 6-2 home win Friday over South Plainfield. Monday, they get a crack at defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston at home, then host Immaculata on Tuesday less than four hours before the seeding meeting. They’re in the same division – the Skyland Delaware – but will only meet once before the meeting; their second is Thursday. Should the Warriors win, could that be enough – at 11-3, not counting what happens against the Highlanders, to earn a top-seed? Watchung Hills did lose twice to Ridge, and that could hurt them, but also consider if they beat GL how that might be seen by the coaches. It’s definitely not insignificant.

At No. 6 is Rutgers Prep (10-2). The Argonauts won their only game this week, an 11-1 drubbing of Phillipsburg, but they get a chance at two Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams before Tuesday’s SCT seeding meeting: Bridgewater Monday, North Hunterdon Tuesday. Both are on the road.

Colonia (9-5) falls two spots this week to No. 7 after an 0-2 week, both losses coming to No. 2 Middlesex. The first, on Tuesday, was a 4-0 home loss. Then, they lost on the road by the same score on Thursday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, they get crossover with a pair of Red Division opponents: Old Bridge Monday at home, then at St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday.

At No. 8 is Old Bridge (9-8). The Knights went 3-2 in the week gone by. They started with a 10-4 loss to East BRunswick, but came back to sweep St. Joseph-Metuchen with a 5-1 road win Tuesday and a 9-4 home win Thursday, sandwiched around a 12-1 win at Monroe Wednesday. The finished up with a 9-0 loss Saturday to Immaculata in Spotswood at the E4M Showcase.

Back in at No. 9 after a week out is South Plainfield (8-8). The Tigers split two games this week, beating Monroe on Monday, 12-3, then taking a 6-2 loss Friday at then-No. 7 Watchung Hills. They visit Spotswood Monday and are at Monroe Wednesday looking for a series sweep, before entertaining JFK on Thursday.

And holding at ten is Carteret (12-3). The Ramblers went 2-0 this week, with a 12-2 win over New Brunswick on Monday at home, then a 15-1 road win against the Zebras on Wednesday. This week, they visit Perth Amboy Magnet Tuesday and host Highland Park on Thursday.

Monroe dropped out from No. 9 after a 1-3 week, leaving the Falcons at 8-9. They lost 7-6 on Monday at Toms River South, at South Plainfield on Tuesday 12-3, and 12-1 to Old Bridge at home on Wednesday, before snapping the skid with a 6-3 win Saturday at home over Colts Neck.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Five:

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

Top teams roll on again in Week Three, but bottom-half turmoil brings Old Bridge, Rutgers Prep into Bellamy & Son Paving baseball rankings

For a second straight week, the top four teams continued to win – leaving Immaculata, Ridge, Middlesex and Edison right where they’ve been – but everyone else keeps beating each other up, and two new teams join the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Three.

Immaculata (7-2) remains in the No. 1 position after a 2-1 week. In Skyland Conference play, the Spartans swept Bridgewater-Raritan – 13-3 at home, and 5-2 on the road – Tuesday and Thursday, before falling 7-3 to Delsea in a non-conference game on Saturday.

Holding at No. 2 is Ridge (10-1), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They swept a Tuesday-Thursday series from Watchung Hills – 12-10 on the road, and 13-3 at home – before an 8-3 win over Bernards Saturday completed the perfect week.

Immaculata and Ridge square off this week in a huge two-game set that will have a lot of say in which team – at least at this point – takes the inside track for the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament. The seeding meeting is Wednesday, May 6th.

Middlesex (10-1) continues to roll as well. The Blue Jays went 5-0 this past week, sweeping Metuchen 2-1 on the road Tuesday, and 6-2 at home Thursday. Middlesex then beat Voorhees Saturday, 11-2, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game at North Brunswick Community Park, and took a 13-2 decision over JFK Saturday, before beating Wood-Ridge (Bergen County) on the road Sunday, 15-1.

Edison (7-2) holds at No. 4 this week, going 2-1 in the week gone by. The Eagles opened the week in fine fashion with a complete-game, 13-strikeout no-hitter from Connor Murphy in a 4-0 home win over St. Joseph-Metuchen heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They beat the Falcons again in Metuchen on Thursday, 5-3, before falling 10-4 to Columbia Sunday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

WATCH: The final out of Connor Murphy’s no-hitter against St. Joseph-Metuchen

Holding at five is Monroe (7-4). While the Falcons went just 2-3 this week, they closed the weekend with a huge win. After falling to Hightstown in a non-league game on Monday, they then got swept by Woodbridge, 8-0 and 2-1. But they rebounded nicely with an 8-4 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in North Edison on Saturday, then Sunday, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, Monroe knocked off the No. 18 team in the state, perennial power Red Bank Catholic, 5-2. To date, it’s the only win by a GMC school over a team ranked in the NJ.com statewide Top 20.

(Ridge has the only other one, a 7-4 Opening Day win over West Morris, currently ranked No. 14).

Staying in sixth is Colonia (7-2), which split four games this week. They started with a 14-4 win at Metuchen Monday, in a makeup from earlier in the year, then split with South Brunswick, taking an 8-6 home loss Tuesday before winning on the road Thursday, 13-4. The Patriots then lost to Spotswood on Saturday, 3-1.

Back in at No. 7 is Old Bridge (5-5), which was ranked in the preseason, but fell out in Week One. The Knights went 2-2 last week with a tough schedule. After beating East Brunswick 11-10 Tuesday, they came back Friday and beat South Plainfield 9-3 in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they lost to state No. 4 Seton Hall Prep, 3-2, then fell 4-3 to Westfield Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Down one spot to eight is South Plainfield (6-5), which also went 2-2 last week. The Tigers split with St. Thomas Aquinas, winning 6-4 on Tuesday, but losing on the road Thursday, 7-5. After Friday’s loss at Old Bridge, the Tigers rebounded with a 4-2 win over Millburn in the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick on Saturday.

Making its season debut at No. 9 is Rutgers Prep (7-2). The Argonauts climb into the rankings on the strength of a 4-0 week, which began with a pair of 10-0 wins over Montgomery Tuesday (away) and Thursday (at home). On Friday, they beat Union Catholic in the Autism Awareness Challenge, 17-10, then won at Hopewell Valley on Saturday, 12-4.

Carteret (9-1) holds in tenth, on the strength of a 3-0 week. The Ramblers swept Piscataway in a Monday-Wednesday two-game set – 9-2 at home on Monday, then 10-9 away in the second game – before beating North Brunswick 13-0 Saturday in the Autism Awareness Challenge at Community Park.

Two teams dropped out this week. No. 8 Watchung Hills beat Cranford Saturday 5-4, but took a pair of losses to Ridge, 12-10 and 13-3, while South Brunswick also went 1-2 in the week gone by. The Vikings split a pair with Colonia – winning an 8-6 road game Tuesday, but losing 13-1 at home Thursday – then lost Saturday to Metuchen, 8-3, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Three:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: Old Bridge 9, No. 7 South Plainfield 3

Erich Schikschneit won his first start of the season – while Matt Chin and Adrian Lutomski knocked in three runs each – to power Old Bridge over No. 7 South Plainfield, 9-3, in Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division action.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play live from Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge on April 17, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Timely hitting, pitching, send Old Bridge past No. 7 South Plainfield, 9-3, and put Knights ahead of Tigers in GMC Red

Matt Chin and Adrian Lutomski each knocked in three runs and Erich Schikschneit pitched 4 2/3 solid innings in his first start of the season Thursday, as Old Bridge got past South Plainfield, 9-3, in a GMC Red Division game at Fred Cole Field heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

It was that mix of the big hit in the right spot – including a four-run fourth where the Knights batted around – and pitching out of jams that gave the Knights the win, moving them just ahead of South Plainfield in the division with three weeks to go before the GMC Tournament seeding meeting on May 8th.

There’s a lot of baseball to be played between now and then, but in the Red, every win counts, and this one was a big one to open a two-game set between the teams that will finish in South Plainfield Tuesday afternoon.

The first inning was a prime example of getting big pitches in big spots, as South Plainfield got runners on first and third with two out before Schikschneit got a ground ball to second to end the inning.

In the bottom, Old Bridge pounced. Chris Crosta led off with a single, Brady Meyer followed, and Chin drove in his first two runs with an RBI double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers got one back in the bottom of the third on a groundout to second by Aiden McCarthy, scoring Dom Massaro to make it 2-1, but Old Bridge made it 3-1 during their turn at bat on a single by Chin.

Then, the Knights broke the game pen in the fourth, when they sent nine men to the plate.

Nick Natale hit a one-out single, Michael Chiarella did the same then Lutomski doubled down the left field line – just like Chin’s – to drive in both runs and make it 5-1 Knights. After a strikeout by Ryan Bannerman, Old Bridge added two more runs with two out. Crosta made it 6-1, scoring Lutomski with a triple, and Meyer knocked him in from third with a sac fly to right, giving Old Bridge a 6-1 lead.

South Plainfield got one back in the fifth on a single by Andrew Bena, who started the game on the mound for the Tigers but was lifted with two on and two out in the bottom of the fourth. But Old Bridge added two more in the bottom of the fifth, on back-t0-back sac flies by Lutomski and Bannerman.

The Tigers added one more in the top of the sixth, when Joe Stanzione scored from third on a 6-4-3 double-play ball hit by Gabe Garcia.

But all through the game, Schikschneit faced some tough situations and got out of them, stranding nine South Plainfield baserunners. Facing first and third with two out in the third he struck out eight-hitter Alex Pigna. And the rest? He made numerous Tiger hitters miss, chasing a wicked breaking ball.

Schikschneit got the win for Old Bridge (5-3 5-3 GMC Red) to improve to 2-1, while Bena took the loss for the Tigers (5-5, 5-4), falling to 1-1.

The win moved the Knights into second in the GMC Red Division by a half game over South Plainfield, tied with Monroe, both at 5-3 in Red play.

Click below for postgame reaction from Erich Schikschneit, Matt Chin and head coach Matt Donaghue, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

As GMC Red beats each other up, Old Bridge and South Plainfield tussle in Friday matchup at Fred Cole Field

With the exception of Edison – which is playing some excellent baseball right now – the entire Red Division in the Greater Middlesex Conference has been beating itself up.

After the first-place Eagles at 7-1, the next five games are no more than one or two games over or under .500 as we near the end of Week Three of the season. And the last two teams over .500 will meet Friday afternoon at Fred Cole Field off Route Nine, as Old Bridge entertains No. 7 South Plainfield.

You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 4 pm, with pregame set for 3:45. Mike Pavlichko has the call, and you can listen by clicking this link.

Old Bridge (4-3) took two losses to start the season to Edison, but is 4-1 since, their lone loss coming to St. Thomas Aquinas last Thursday, 3-2. But they split the series with the Trojans, picking up an 11-10 win in eleven innings last Friday, then won by the same score in East Brunswick on Tuesday in eight.

In fact, all but the Knights’ season opener have been decided by one or two runs, and they are 3-1 in one-run games, 2-1 in extra innings.

South Plainfield (5-4) had won three straight before a 7-5 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday. It’s been a series of streaks for the Tigers, who swept St. Joseph-Metuchen 11-1 and 6-2 to open the season, but they lost their next three: two to first place Edison, with a defeat at the hands of Cranford sandwiched in between.

They then swept Woodbridge and won the opener against St. Thomas at home before dropping Thursday’s matchup in North Edison, 7-5.

And all of that is just about what you expect in the GMC Red Division: quality teams, duking it out, all week long.

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

South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus
Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue