Baseball Monday NJSIAA Scoreboard, 5/18/15

Tweets by @Matt_Manley

NJSIAA Tournament

Central Jersey Group IV

(4) Jackson Memorial 3, (13) Brick Memorial 2

Nick Rocco broke a 2-2 tie with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth and the Jaguars edged the Mustangs to advance to the sectional quarterfinals Thursday against No. 5 Hillsborough.

Ryan Takacs pitched a complete-game three-hitter with seven strikeouts to improve to 5-0. Brick Memorial right fielder James Donlon put the Mustangs ahead, 2-1, with a solo home run in the top of the fourth before Takacs locked up the opposition the rest of the way.

Kyle Lona knocked in John Carello with an RBI single to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth, while Brandon Janofsky plated Kyle Johnson with a sacrifice fly for Jackson Memorial's first run in the first inning.

Steve Schockett went 2-for-3 for Brick Memorial.

(16) West Windsor-Plainsboro South 1, (1) Colts Neck 0

(5) Hillsborough 8, (12) Howell 3

Justin Steel and Dan Matrisciano staked Howell to a 3-1 lead by the bottom of the third inning, but the Raiders scored seven runs over their final four turns at the plate to beat the Rebels.

Steel went 1-for-4 with an RBI double, while Matrisciano was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Rob Napolitano also doubled and scored a run in the loss. Hillsborough will play No. 4 Jackson Memorial on Thursday in the sectional quarterfinals.

(14) Freehold 4, (3) Monroe 1

Dante Cuzzolino pitched a two-hitter to outduel North Carolina recruit Robbie Peto and Tom Holdorf capped the Freehold scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh off of the future Tar Heel as the Colonials knocked off the Falcons to earn a trip to play No. 6 Manalapan in the sectional quarterfinals.

Cuzzolino struck out seven, walked two and did not give up a run until the bottom of the seventh, after Freehold had taken a 4-0 lead. Peto struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings and all four Freehold runs against him were earned.

Marco Meleo opened the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the second inning and Cuzzolino protected the one-run lead until the Colonials added three in the top of the seventh. Dom Matteo pushed home Freehold's second run with a safety squeeze bunt.

(6) Manalapan 6, (11) Montgomery 2

Matt Klepper and Mike Mollica each had an RBI single in Manalapan's five-run fourth inning and Nick Serra tossed a complete game to help the Braves top the Cougars in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs. Manalapan will host No. 14 Freehold in the sectional quarterfinals on Thursday.

Montgomery jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Manalapan with two runs in the second inning, but the Braves got one back on a solo home run by Jake Sadowitz in the bottom of the frame. Catcher Stephen Carbonara also helped save a run in the top of the first by running down a wild pitch and flipping to Serra covering home plate to catch Michael Patrizio trying to score from third.

Serra allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out three to improve to 4-0. Sadowitz and Mollica each had two hits to lead the Manalapan offense.

(7) Marlboro 5, (10) East Brunswick 1

Senior left-hander Andrew Nardi went the distance while allowing one unearned run on seven hits to pitch the Mustangs past the Bears and into the sectional quarterfinals against Hunterdon Central. Nardi struck out five, walked four and did not give up an extra-base hit.

Jeremy Gerringer hit a three-run double in the third inning to spark the Marlboro offense. Mike Santaromita was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Brian Reilly went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the win.

(2) Hunterdon Central 7, (15) Freehold Twp. 0

Central Jersey Group III

(8) Ocean 4, (9) Jackson Liberty 0

Senior right-hander Blake DeMeter struck out 17 in a two-hit shutout to lead the Spartans to a win over the Lions, setting them up with a trip to top-seeded Northern Burlington on Thursday.

DeMeter struck out the side three times and struck out at least two batters in each of his seven innings. He issued three walks in the game, two of which came after he struck out the first two batters of the seventh inning on six pitches. The 17 strikeouts topped DeMeter's previous career-high of 13 and broke the single-game school record of 15, set by Rick Brown in 1982, according to Ocean coach Cip Apicelli.

Ocean staked DeMeter to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Anthony Bartolomei doubled, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a Brian Olesen ground out. Olesen also had a hand in the second Ocean run when he singled through the middle with a runner on second base in the fourth. The ball got away from Jackson Liberty center fielder Kyle Tavaska, allowing courtesy runner Bo Britton to score.

Barltolomei also plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Frank Henry added an RBI single in the sixth for Ocean.

Senior Howard Taylor allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight in a complete-game loss for Jackson Liberty.

(4) Middletown South 5, (13) Middletown North 4 (11 Innings)

Johnny Zega delivered a walk-off single to score Jeff Lewandowski with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning and the Eagles outlasted the crosstown rival Lions to advance to the sectional quarterfinals against No. 12 Hightstown on Thursday.

Zega also threw four scoreless innings of relief to earn the win and finished the game 2-for-5 at the plate. Nolan Pereless was 3-for-6 with two RBI for Middletown South, which took an early 4-1 lead before Middletown North rallied to tie the game with three runs in the top of the fifth.

The Lions used an illegal runner in the fifth when the same runner who served as the courtesy runner came on to run for catcher Walter Schopf in the fifth, according to Middletown South coach Ryann Spillane. Phil Pecherski followed that out with a two-out RBI single that could have potentially given Middletown North the lead, but instead tied the game at 4.

(11) Allentown 8, (6) Wall 6

Dan Wondrack homered and drove in four runs during a 2-for-4 day at the plate, but the Redbirds outscored the Crimson Knights to advance to the sectional quarterfinals against No. 3 Somerville.

Nick Martinez and Nick Maciejewski also went 2-for-4 each, with Martinez scoring three runs. Ryan Orender and Brendan Barcas each went 1-for-2, with Orender driving in two and Barcas scoring two.

(1) Northern Burlington 8, (16) Red Bank 0

Central Jersey Group II

(1) Cinnaminson 12, (16) Point Boro 9

(8) Delran 2, (9) Manchester 1

Junior Jon Meaney hit his third home run of the year to give Manchester a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but that was all the offense the Hawks would muster in a loss to the Bears.

(14) Matawan 4, (3) A.L. Johnson 2

Junior starter Adam Elliott homered to help his cause on the mound and the Huskies plated two runs in the top of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and knock off the Crusaders in the opening round. Matawan will play No. 6 Manasquan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Kyle Chapman started the winning rally in the seventh with a single and Billy Rodriguez laid down a bunt single to set the Huskies up with runners on first and second and no one out. Chris Vetter dropped a sacrifice bunt and Joe Piscopo gave Matawan the lead with a sacrifice fly to score Chapman. Matt Esposito capped the inning with an RBI double.

Elliot hit his third home run of the season to cut Johnson's lead to 2-1 in the fourth and Chapman tied the game with an RBI double later in the inning.

Elliott worked six innings to earn the win and Nick Smith pitched the seventh to nail down the save.

(6) Manasquan 13, (11) Monmouth 3 (5 Innings)

Tanner Cowley went 3-for-3 with five RBI and one of three Manasquan home runs that helped propel the Warriors to a win over the Falcons.

Monmouth jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Manasquan starter Tommy Sheehan before the Warriors erupted for 13 unanswered runs. Cowley hit a two-run home run in a five-run third inning, which also included a solo shot by Jack Sheehan. Ty Hawkins later hit a three-run home run to highlight a five-run fourth inning.

Shortstop Matt Edwards finished 2-for-2 with a double, three runs and two RBI, while catcher Tyler Bradley went 2-for-2 with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI. Max Hawkins was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the win.

Tommy Sheehan struck out six in earning a five-inning, complete-game win.

(7) Bordentown 4, (10) Raritan 3 (8 Innings)

Central Jersey Group I

(5) Metuchen 4, (12) Keyport 1

(14) Bound Brook 11, (3) Point Beach 1

(6) Shore 10, (11) Highland Park 0 (5 Innings)

Devin McLaughlin pitched four shutout innings while striking out seven and allowing two hits as the Blue Devils coasted past the Owls and into Thursday's sectional quarterfinals against No. 14 Bound Brook.

McLaughlin and Sam Parrino each went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, with McLaughlin also scoring a run and Parrino scoring two. Dhillon Barbetti was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI and James Kelly added a two-run double for Shore.

South Jersey Group IV

(1) Eastern 9, (16) Brick 5

(3) Williamstown 7, (14) Toms River East 4

(2) Toms River North 3, (15) Shawnee 2 (8 Innings)

Ryan Larsen dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt to score Joe Rose with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth and the Mariners survived a first-round scare from the Renegades. Toms River North will host No. 10 Egg Harbor in the sectional quarterfinals on Thursday.

Rose started the eighth with a single to left field and raced from first to third on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Tiplady when third base was left unoccupied on Shawnee's bunt defense. Rose also drove in a run on a fielder's choice ground out in the third, which followed an RBI single by Joe Venditto to open the scoring earlier in the inning.

Doug Molnar threw an eight-inning complete-game to earn the win, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four.

South Jersey Group III

(3) Toms River South 8, (14) Oakcrest 4

Anthony Carfora worked 3 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win and also added two hits at the plate to help lead the Indians to an opening-round win over the Falcons. Toms River South will host No. 6 Triton in the sectional quarterfinals.

Trailing 4-3, Toms River South took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ray Liguori tied the game with an RBI double and jumpe in front on a sacrifice fly by Ben Montenegro.

Liguori finished 2-for-3 with an RBI triple in the second to go with his run-scoring double in the fourth. Jake Ryan was 3-for-3 with two runs scored, and Ryan Shiffer singled hme Carfora in the fifth after Carfora doubled.

(6) Triton 6, (11) Pinelands 0

Mitch Merrill broke the Pinelands career hits record, but the Wildcats fell to the Mustangs in the SJ III opening round.

(5) Delsea 8, (12) Central 1

South Jersey Group II

(5) Barnegat 4, (12) Overbrook 1

John Corbett allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts over five innings and the Bengals scored four runs in the fourth to top the Rams in the opening round. Barnegat will travel to No. 5 Glassboro in Thursday's sectional quarterfinals.

Jared Kacso pulled Barnegat even with an RBI double and Ed Rogan followed with an RBI single to put the Bengals on top, 2-1. Max Ritner also plated a run in the four-run rally with a safety squeeze to push Kacso across.