Baseball Wednesday NJSIAA Scoreboard, 5/31/17

Tweets by @Matt_Manley

NJSIAA Tournament

Sectional Semifinals

Central Jersey Group IV

(3) Hunterdon Central 6, (2) Manalapan 1

John Pudder took a shutout into the fifth inning, but the Red Devils (22-5) scored in each of the last three innings - including four in the seventh - to pull away from the Braves (17-10) and advance to Friday's sectional final against No. 4 Freehold Boro.

Giovanni Ciaccio singled home Dan DeBlasio to cut Hunterdon Central's lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Vinny Lanza set up the scoring opportunity by doubling DeBlasio to third base.

Pudder allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Central Jersey Group III

(4) Allentown 4, (1) Toms River South 3

Pitching

Top Hitters

Allentown struck for four runs in the top of the sixth, including a wild play that scored the tying and go-ahead runs with two out, and the Redbirds rallied to knock off the top-seeded Indians.

Toms River South starter Justin Fall left after 111 pitches with a 3-0 lead and runners on second and third and one out in the top of the sixth following a double off the left-field wall by Allentown catcher Chris Reeder. Matt Shiffer came in and got a fly out to deep center by Jordan Winston that scored Allentown's first run and moved the runner at second over to third.

Shiffer then hit Giuseppe Arcuri and the Redbirds pulled within 3-2 on a wild pitch while also pushing the tying run into scoring position. No. 9 hitter and shortstop Jackson Fogarty battled Shiffer to a 3-2 count and slapped a single through the left side. Arcuri slid in with the tying run and Jared Kwicinski's throw took a high hop over catcher Connor Leatherman, which gave Fogarty clearance to advance to second base.

Shiffer backed up the play and threw the ball to second in a futile attempt to cut off Fogarty and his throw sailed into center field, which Dylan Danelson vacated while pursuing the batted ball in left field. Fogarty steamrolled all the way around the bases with the go-ahead run and Allentown had erased a 3-0 lead in a matter of three batters.

Tom Campo singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and Danelson walked on four pitches to give the Indians an opportunity to tie or win the game in the seventh. Shiffer dropped down a successful sacrifice bunt to give Toms River South second and third with one out an the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in the order coming up against Winston. The senior left-hander struck out Fall on three pitches and punched out T.J. Scuderi to seal the game.

Toms River South jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by Matt Fitzpatrick and Ben Montenegro - both of which came with two out and on 1-2 counts. The Indians added a run in the fourth when Fitzpatrick doubled to deep left-center and scored on a steal of home. Toms River South put on the suicide squeeze and Fitzpatrick scored standing up when the pitch from Redbirds starter Ryan Huth sailed to the backstop.

Allentown will host No. 14 Neptune in the Central Jersey Group III championship game on Friday.

South Jersey Group III

(2) Highland 5, (3) Lacey 2

Brandon Haggerty went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, but three errors doomed the Lions (21-6), whose 20-win season came to an end on the road against the Tartans (18-6).

Anthony Elefante allowed five runs in five innings of work for Lacey and only two of those runs were earned. The senior right-hander surrendered five hits and three walks while striking out six. Elefante also drove in the other Lacey run.

Highland will host No. 4 Deptford in the sectional final on Friday.

Sectional Quarterfinals

South Jersey Non-Public A

(4) CBA 9, (5) St. Joseph Metuchen 8 (10 Innings)

Joe Sparber hit a game-tying two-run single with two out in the bottom of the 10th and Jack Harnisch followed with a game-winning RBI single as the Colts (18-9) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to pull out a thrilling, extra-inning win over the Falcons (20-10).

Brandon Warrick gave St. Joe's the 8-6 lead in the top of the 10th with a two-run home run after the Falcons scratched a run across in the top of the seventh to send the game to extra innings tied at 6.

Andrea Dalatri gave the Colts a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run double down the left-field line.

CBA bounced back from an early 3-0 deficit by scoring four in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run double by Nick Hohenstein that made it 4-3 after Joe Duffy's RBI single got CBA on the board.

Matt Barnes improved to 5-0 by earning the win in relief.

CBA will travel to play top-seeded Bishop Eustace in the South Jersey Non-Public A semifinals on Friday.

(2) St. Augustine 9, (10) St. John Vianney 1