NJSIAA Tournament

Sectional Semifinals

Central Jersey Group IV

(9) Old Bridge 3, (4) Jackson Memorial 2 (13 Innings)

The Knights scored the winning run on a balk with one out in the top of the 13th inning and the Jaguars squandered a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the inning as the Rams unseated the defending Group IV champion in extra innings.

Old Bridge starting pitcher Tyler Hopman hit a game-tying solo home run to left field in the top of the sixth inning and later hit the first of back-to-back two-out doubles that gave Old Bridge a 2-1 lead in the top of the 12th. Hopman - an ambidextrous pitcher and left-handed batter - stung a line drive over the head of center fielder Joe DeMaio with two out in the 12th and designated hitter Jordan Fetterman followed with another line drive to deep center that chased Hopman home with the go-ahead run.

Jackson Memorial answered in the bottom of the 12th when DeMaio reached first base on a strike-three wild pitch with one out and later scored on a fielder's choice ground out by shortstop Kyle Johnson. Designated hitter Nick Rocco had the lone hit during the 12th-inning rally.

Johnson threw out the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the ninth inning on a relay from left fielder Rich Rountree on a double by Vin Donofrio.

Senior Brandon Janofsky - playing second base on Tuesday - went 3-for-5 with a walk and two stolen bases to account for half of Jackson Memorial's hits.

Senior right-hander Ryan Takacs allowed one run on six hits and two walks while striking out 10 in 8 2/3 innings. Matt Castronuova - the winning pitcher in Jackson Memorial's 11-inning, come-from behind win over Hillsborough in Friday's sectional quarterfinals - pitched the final 4 1/3 and took the loss.

Hopman - throwing right-handed on Tuesday - allowed one unearned run on four hits and three walks while striking out 10 over eight innings of work. Luis Cruz, who logged only two innings all season prior to Tuesday - earned the win with five innings of relief.

Old Bridge will play at No. 2 Hunterdon Central in the Central Jersey Group IV final on Friday.

(2) Hunterdon Central 5, (14) Freehold 1

 

Central Jersey Group III

(1) Northern Burlington 5, (4) Middletown South 1

Austin Markmann homered and took over for starter Johnny Zega on the mound in the bottom of the third, but the Greyhounds scored three unearned runs over their final three turns at bat to put away the Eagles.

 

Central Jersey Group II

(2) Governor Livingston 12, (14) Matawan 2 (5 Innings)

 

Central Jersey Group I

(6) Shore 3, (7) Florence 2

Michael Jelliff hit a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning and Devin McLaughlin won it with a walk-off RBI single in the seventh as the Blue Devils rallied to beat the flashes and advance to their third straight sectional final appearance. Shore will host No. 8 Middlesex on Friday in a meeting of the last two Central Jersey Group I champions.

Michael O'Halloran drove in the first Shore run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and scored the tying run after singling to start the sixth.

James Kelly earned a complete-game victory on the mound by allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out a career-high 14. At one point during a span between the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, Kelly struck out eight consecutive batters.

Justin Halper also doubled and scored a run for Shore.

 

South Jersey Group IV

(3) Williamstown 6, (2) Toms River North 0

 

South Jersey Group III

(2) Mainland 1, (3) Toms River South 0

Kyle Gerace struck out 13 in a four-hit shutout and the Mustangs edged the Indians to advance to their second straight sectional final after winning the overall Group III championship last year.

Singles by Anthony Carfora and Jake Ryan combined with a throwing error gave Toms River South runners on the corners with one out in the seventh inning, but Gerace struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Junior Trevor Wagner allowed one run on two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over five innings in taking the hard-luck loss. Wagner also led off the third inning with a double, the first hit of the game for Toms River South against Gerace. Spencer Kapp also had a hit for the Indians.

Mainland scored its run on a squeeze bunt by Jack Loefflad in the bottom of the third after Nick Droboniku led off the inning with a double. Mainland will host No. 5 Delsea in the sectional final on Friday.

 

Sectional Quarterfinals

South Jersey Non-Public A

(4) CBA 4, (5) St. Augustine 3

Will Morgan delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Colts walked off with a win over the Hermits to advance to the sectional semifinals Friday, when they will host No. 9 Immaculata.

Luca Dalatri allowed three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks over seven innings to improve to 8-0 and 19-0 over the last two seasons. Dalatri also went 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the first inning to give CBA a 2-0 lead.

Brandon Martorano gave CBA a 3-0 lead with his eighth home run of the season, a solo shot in the third inning. Martorano also finished 2-for-3.

St. Augustine chipped away at the lead and tied the game on an RBI single by Anthony Meduri in the top of the seventh.

(6) Bishop Eustace 5, (3) Red Bank Catholic 1

 

South Jersey Non-Public B

(4) Marist 9, (5) Mater Dei Prep 0

Mike Christopolous threw six shutout, two-hit innings and went 2-for-4 with three RBI and three stolen bases to lead the Royal Knights past the Seraphs and into the sectional semifinals Friday against top-seeded Moorestown Friends.

Nick Roditis and Ruben Rodriguez each had a hit for Mater Dei, which won its first division title since 2002 this season and won 17 games for the first time since 1995.

(10) Holy Spirit 2, (2) St. Rose 1

Travis Cloney went 2-for-4 with a triple, but the Purple Roses could not come up with enough offense as they fell to the Spartans, who will face Gill St. Bernard's in the sectional semifinals on Friday.

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