Baseball – Week 6 Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week: Toms River North

The Toms River North baseball team lost two regular-season games to Shore Conference Class A South rival Jackson Memorial, but still found itself with a chance to win two championships last week - including one that required the Mariners to finally beat their division rival.

In a span of eight days, Toms River North beat Brick to clinch a share of a division title, exacted revenge over Jackson Memorial in the Ocean County Tournament semifinal and won the county tournament for the third straight year by handling Toms River East in the championship game on Tuesday. With yet another strong finish in the OCT, Toms River North earned itself the Week Six Jersey Mike's Team of the Week Award.

Championship week started with a 10-3 win over Brick in which Craig Larsen crushed two home runs.

It continued with a showdown in Toms River against Jackson Memorial and in the third meeting between the teams, the Mariners came through. Larsen hit a tie-breaking RBI double in the bottom of the sixth and Jared Bellissimo allowed one earned run and struck out nine over seven innings to lead Toms River North to the championship game.

A six-run second inning and six strong innings from Brendan Mullins guided Toms River North past Toms River East in Tuesday's championship game, which the Mariners won, 7-1. It was Mullins's second time in three years Mullins won the OCT championship game without allowing an earned run. He pitched seven scoreless as a sophomore in 2016, when Toms River North beat Toms River South, 2-0, in eight innings for the first of its three straight OCT championships.

Prior to coach Andy Pagano over for his former coach, Ted Schelmay, in 2014, Toms River North had won three Ocean County Tournaments. With three straight titles, Pagano has now won as many as his predecessor.

2018 Team of the Week Winners

Week 1: Central

Week 2: Marlboro

Week 3: Matawan

Week 4: Raritan

Week 5: Red Bank Catholic