Baseball Wednesday Scoreboard, 5/24/17

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Shore Conference Tournament - Bracket

Quarterfinals

(4) Red Bank Catholic 2, (5) Lacey 1

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Senior catcher Brian Sheehy hit a go-ahead two-run home run on a 0-2 count with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Caseys pulled out a pitchers' duel against the Lions to advance to the SCT semifinals Wednesday at Count Basie Park. RBC will be the road team against top-seeded Toms River South.

Before Sheehy's blast, senior second baseman Aidan Supp motored down the first-base line on a ground ball to shortstop that Lacey junior Keith Apostolos bobbled just long enough to allow the hustling Supp to beat it out. Sheehy then fell behind Coraggio 0-2 before lofting a breaking ball high in the air to left before it dropped just over the fence down the left-field line.

Lacey took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth on a two-out RBI single by senior Anthony Elefante that scored Miles Feaster, who was hit by a pitch to start the rally, moved to second on a sacrifice by Justin Thompson and went to third on ground out by Brandon Haggerty.

Austin Nappi threw 74 pitches to earn the win after throwing 62 pitches in four innings Saturday against Manalapan. Sophomore Vin Bianchi came on for the seventh, struck out the first two batters on a total of six pitches and jumped in front of Lacey senior Don Zellman 0-2 before inducing a game-ending ground out.

(3) Wall 1, (11) CBA 0 (8 Innings)

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Joe Shimko was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to force in the winning run, which gave the Crimson Knights an extra-inning win over the Colts in the SCT quarterfinals. Wall will play No. 7 Toms River North in the SCT semifinals on Wednesday, May 31.

John Volpe and Shane Richey hit consecutive singles with one out in the eighth to ignite the rally and CBA reliever Spencer Bauer hit senior John Perrino to load the bases. After falling behind, 0-2, Shinko worked the count to 2-2 before the fifth pitch of the at-bat hit him to end the game.

Bauer entered the game with the potential winning run on second base and one out in the bottom of the seventh and pitched out of the jam by striking out two hitters around a walk.

In pitching a five-hit shutout, Wall sophomore Trey Dombroski did not allow a CBA runner to reach third base in the game.

(1) Toms River South 1, (24) Pinelands 0

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T.J. Scuderi slammed a triple off the left-centerfield wall to lead off the fourth and scored  the game's lone run on a two-out single by Tom Campo to give the Indians a narrow win over the upstart Wildcats. Toms River South's win sets up a semifinal game with No. 4 Red Bank Catholic on May 31 at Count Basie Park in Red Bank.

Sophomore Matt Hartshorn breezed through a seven-inning complete game on 57 pitches, which was the fewest pitches in a seven-inning complete game since Chris Purguy shutout Manchester on 56 pitches in 2001, according to Toms River South assistant Mitch Powitz.

Hartshorn stranded runners on second and third base in the top of the fifth inning and got a key 5-4-3 double play to end the fifth, started by Ben Montenegro at third base and turned by Scuderi at second base. Scuderi is normally the starting right fielder, but played second base Wednesday while senior second baseman Matt Shiffer handled the catching duties in place of the ill Connor Leatherman.

(7) Toms River North 5, (18) Freehold Twp. 2

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Toms River North won an appeal of a tag-up from third base in the top of the sixth to wipe take the tying run off the board for Freehold Township, then scored two runs on an error in the bottom of the inning to steal a win from the Patriots and advance to the SCT semifinals against No. 3 Wall on May 31 at Count Basie Park in Red Bank.

Nick Coluccio's fly ball to left appeared to score Ryan Ford with the tying run in the sixth, but the Mariners appealed the play at third base and the home plate umpire ruled that Ford left third base before Dylan Feigin caught the ball in left field. The out also allowed starting pitcher Jared Bellissimo to complete six innings, as he finished that at bat at 114 pitches.

Leading 3-2 in the bottom of the inning, Toms River North loaded the bases with one out against Freehold Township reliever Bryan Reed. With Austin Feigin batting, Reed induced a tapper back to the mound but his underhanded flip to home was too high for Coluccio and two runs darted home on the play.

Bellissimo opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the first before Freehold Township answered with an RBI single by Coluccio in the top of the second. The Mariners came back with two in the second to take the lead for good, with Craig Larsen lacing an RBI double over the third-base bag and Dylan Feigin later scoring on a wild pitch.

NJSIAA Tournament

Sectional Quarterfinals

Central Jersey Group II

(1) Governor Livingston 5, (9) Raritan 4

Zack Johnston pitched a complete game and allowed just one earned run, but the Highlanders (24-3) scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to deny the Rockets (16-7) the upset and advance to the sectional semifinals.

Junior Alex Lamattina was 2-for-4 with an RBI and classmate Tyler Bruno wen 3-for-3 in the loss.

(2) South Plainfield 2, (10) Matawan 1

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Central Jersey Group I

(1) Middlesex 11, (8) Point Beach 2

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(2) Metuchen 11, (2) Shore 0

Opening Round

South Jersey Group IV

(11) Southern 5, (6) Vineland 3 (8 Innings)

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