Baseball Friday Scoreboard, 5/22/15

Friday

Central Jersey Group IV

(14) Freehold 5, (6) Manalapan 3

Catcher Nick LaMorte went 3-for-3 with a first-inning home run and the Colonials held on to beat the Braves and advance to the sectional semifinals Tuesday at No. 2 Hunterdon Central.

LaMorte belted a two-run home run in the top of the first to give Freehold a 3-0 after shortstop Chris Cassandra singled, stole second and scored on a throwing error on a ball put in play by senior Dante Cuzzolino. Cassandra was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.

Cassandra later created a key insurance run for Freehold in the seventh. He beat out a routine ground ball to third base with two out, stole second, advanced to third on an error on the throw and darted home on a pitch in the dirt to make it 5-3.

Manalapan loaded the bases against Cuzzolino with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but the senior right-hander struck out two straight to end the game. Cuzzolino worked a scoreless seventh after James Manos tossed two scoreless frames of relief of winning pitcher Steve Rullo.

Chris Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and Stephen Hansen added an RBI double for Manalapan.

(4) Jackson Memorial 11, (5) Hillsborough 10 (10 Innings)

John Carello hit a game-winning double in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Jaguars overcame a five-run deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth to stun the Raiders and advance to the sectional semifinals against No. 9 Old Bridge. The win is also the 300th in the career of coach Frank Malta.

Carello finished 3-for-6 with an RBI single in a four-run Jackson Memorial sixth and a single in the seventh to set up Brandon Janofsky's RBI fielder's choice ground out that tied the game at 10 in the bottom of the eighth. Janofsky was 3-for-5 while getting the start at first base.

Kyle Lona started the winning rally with a single to lead off the 10th and Kyle Johnson followed by grounding into a fielder's choice and stealing second base to set Carello up for the winning hit.

Chris Hawryluk woke the Jaguars up in the bottom of the third with a three-run home run that sliced the Hillsborough lead in half, 6-3.

Matt Castronuova allowed a run on three hits over four innings to earn the win on the mound in relief.

Central Jersey Group III

(1) Northern Burlington 2, (8) Ocean 1

Blake DeMeter struck out seven to set a new single-season program record for strikeouts with 97, but two first-inning runs by the Greyhounds were enough to beat the Spartans and the senior right-hander.

DeMeter bested the previous record of 95 strikeouts, set by George Sofield in 1985. Adam Rapp hit a two-run single in the first inning to account for the two Northern Burlington runs and Marc Chernin later pushed across the lone Ocean run in the sixth with an RBI ground out.

Central Jersey Group II

(14) Matawan 5, (6) Manasquan 1

Nick Smith limited the Warriors to one run over five innings and went 2-for-3 with an RBI single at the plate as the Huskies knocked off Manasquan to advance to the sectional semifinals Tuesday against No. 2 Governor Livingston.

Adam Elliot was also 2-for-4 with an RBI for Matawan, which scored three runs in the top of the seventh on RBI by Billy Rodriguez, Kyle Chapman and Isaiah Phillip to put the game away. Matawan collected 11 singles and each starter had at least one hit.

Colin Thompson struck out two in a one-two-three fifth and Richard Joe retired the side in order in the sixth to close the game out for Matawan.

Matt Paturzo went 2-for-3 with a double for Manasquan, while Adam Schreck and Matt Edwards each added a double in the loss.

South Jersey Group IV

(2) Toms River North 6, (10) Egg Harbor 4

Joe Venditto was 2-for-4 with an RBI triple and two runs scored and Brett Hyers and Ryan Larsen combined to help pitch the Mariners past the Eagles and into the sectional semifinals Tuesday against No. 3 Williamstown.

Hyers scattered nine hits over the first four innings to earn the win and Larsen struck out seven over three one-hit, shutout innings to pick up the save.

Joe Rose went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and run scored and Jeff Ciervo finished 2-for-3 with an at the plate for Toms River North.

The Mariners scored four runs in the bottom of the third to break a 2-2 tie on RBI singles by Mike Tiplady, Larsen, Ciervo and Ownn Sulfrain.

South Jersey Group III

(3) Toms River South 7, (6) Triton 3

Senior Ray Liguori blasted a grand slam in the third inning to stake the Indians to a 5-0 lead and pitched the final 2 2/3 innings on the mound as Toms River South beat the Mustangs to advance to Tuesday's sectional semifinals against No. 2 and defending Group III champion Mainland.

Jake Ryan opened the scoring with an RBI infield single just before Liguori struck for his grand slam on a 3-2 pitch. Ryan also threw a runner out at the plate in the top of the third and hauled in a long fly ball off the bat of Triton starter Pat Ryder to end the sixth.

Corey Nase hit his first career home run in the bottom of the sixth, a solo shot inside the left-field foul pole to put the Indians ahead, 6-1. Austin Gonella finished 3-for-3 at the plate and scored the final Toms River South run on the front end of a double steal.

South Jersey Group II

(4) Glassboro 4, (5) Barnegat 0

Opening Round

South Jersey Non-Public A

(5) St. Augustine 6, (12) Donovan Catholic 1

Regular Season

Non-Division

Toms River East 7, Central 1