Baseball Wednesday Scoreboard, 4/19/17

Tweets by @Matt_Manley

Class A North

Manalapan 5, Neptune 3

Pitching

Top Hitters

No. 7 Freehold Boro 9, Howell 3

Junior Mark Costanzo was 2-for-3 with his second home run in as many days and the Colonials (6-4, 5-3) jumped on the Rebels (2-6, 1-6) early to spark an A North win. Constanzo knocked in a run with an RBI single in a four-run first for Freehold and added a solo home run in the fourth.

Senior Isaiah Howard was 2-for-2 with a double, a run scored and an RBI and senior Tom Holdorf went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Senior Chris Cassandra also went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored, while junior Matt Granato was 2-for-3 with a run scored in the win.

Granato also pitched the final inning to seal the win for Dan Della Valle, who allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks over six innings of work. He struck out four and threw 101 pitches.

Senior Grant Hackett was 2-for-4 with two RBI for Howell.

Colts Neck 9, Marlboro 2

Pitching

Top Hitters

Junior Joe Kohm hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning and added another RBI double in the bottom of the sixth and the Cougars surged to a win over the Mustangs.

Class A Central

Matawan 1, Raritan 0

Pitching

Top Hitters

Senior Mike Trapani created the game's lone run with his bat and his legs and senior right-hander Kyle Gamble did the rest during a six-hit shutout as the Huskies handed the Rockets their first A Central loss and pulled even at the top of the division standings.

Trapani doubled to lead off the bottom of the second inning, stole third and scored when the throw bounded into left field.

Holmdel 6, Shore 0

Pitching

Top Hitters

St. John Vianney 3, Red Bank 2

The Lancers (3-4, 2-4) plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning and that was all they would need to hold off the Bucs (4-4, 2-4).

Junior Logan Marter and sophomore Brendan Martin combined to hold Red Bank to a pair of runs on five hits. Marter gave up an unearned run on two hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over three frames and Martin surrendered an earned run on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts over four innings. Marter threw 82 pitches and Martin threw 80, with Martin picking up the win.

Senior Matt Santos was 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored for Red Bank, while Bucs starter Jack Povey helped his cause by going 1-for-2 and driving in both Red Bank runs.

Povey allowed two earned runs on only two one hit while walking five and striking out nine. He threw 95 pitches in the loss and surrendered a fourth-inning single to Matt Cerniglia.

Class B North

Wall 6, Long Branch 4

Pitching

Top Hitters

Freshman Teddy Sharkey lined an RBI single to break a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh and junior Anthony Velazquez tacked on an insurance run with an RBI double as the Crimson Knights escaped with a win over a pesky Green Wave team still in search of its first B North win.

Long Branch scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull even, capped by a two-run single by junior Jalen Walls.

Middletown North 4, No. 6 Red Bank Catholic 0

Pitching

Top Hitters

No. 2 Monmouth 3, No. 9 Ocean 1

Pitching

Top Hitters

Senior Paul Birzin opened the scoring with a third-inning RBI single and junior Justin Scotto added two key insurance runs with a two-run double in the sixth to make a winning out of junior Charlie Kelly.

Manasquan 9, No. 10 Middletown South 2

Pitching

Top Hitters

Senior Adam Schreck and junior Tommy Antonucci both launched home runs and senior Connor Muly spun a complete game on the mound to lead the Warriors (6-3, 5-2) to a convincing win over the Eagles (5-4, 3-4). Antonucci's homer was his third of the year and Schreck slammed his fourth of the year with a two-run shot that made the score 4-0.

Antonucci finished 2-for-4 with a triple, three runs and two RBI while Schreck was 1-for-2. Senior Tommy Sheehan was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBI, and freshman Will Hopkinson finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.

Muly allowed two unearned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six on 87 pitches.

Class B Central

Point Beach 14, Asbury Park 2 (5 Innings)

Junior John Nista went 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs scored and two RBI to lead the Garnet Gulls (4-2, 4-1) past the Blue Bishops (0-2, 0-2). Junior Josh Yates was also perfect at the plate with a 2-for-2 game with an RBI and two runs scored.

Kevin Donnelly, Kenny MacPherson and Jude Lovegren all drove in two runs each, with Donnelly also scoring three times. Senior Connor Prima allowed two runs on five hits and 72 pitches over four innings to earn the win on the mound.

Junior Luis Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI to lead Asbury Park.