Nissan World Thursday Baseball Scoreboard, 5/16/19

Ocean County Tournament - Bracket

Championship

At Toms River East

(4) Point Boro 10, (2) Jackson Liberty 7

After giving up an early five-run lead, Point Boro fired back with five runs in the top of the fifth and held on to beat the rival Lions for the program's first ever Ocean County Tournament championship. The win also snapped an 18-game winning streak by Jackson Liberty.

Junior Sam Young hit the tie-breaking two-run double in the fifth to put Point Boro ahead, 7-5. After the Panthers added another run on an error, sophomore Frankie Dominici ripped an RBI triple over the third-base bag and into the corner, then scored on a squeeze bunt by junior Cole Young to give Point Boro its 10th run.

Junior Nick Guzzi pitched into the seventh inning but gave up a leadoff single to senior Connor Keenan before walking senior Charlie Rudderow to run his pitch count to 106 pitches - four shy of the single-game limit.

Senior Sam Collins came on in relief and recorded a key out by getting Shore-Conference-RBI-leader David Melfi to ground into a fielder's choice at third base. Junior Shane Hickey then worked a walk and Collins came through with another big out by inducing a pop-out by senior Scott Wierciszewski.

Junior Brandon Kinsman kept Jackson Liberty alive with a ground-ball single through the left side to score the seventh Lions run but Collins got senior Alex Torres to ground out to second baseman Connor Kennedy - who took over at second base as part of the defensive switch that accompanied the pitching change - for the game's final out.

Point Boro stormed out of the gate with a four-run first inning. Junior catcher Ryan Jasaitis fought off a two-run single into right with two out and senior Christian Aurin lined an RBI single to left for the third run. Dominici capped the first-inning rally with an RBI single for the first of his two RBI on the game.

Junior Nick Zbikowski roped an RBI double to left to add a run in the top of the seventh and stake Guzzi to a 5-0 lead.

Jackson Liberty's potent offense finally came to life in the bottom of the third, when the Lions scored five runs to tie the game. Senior Kevin Ritz set the inning up with a long double to placed runners on second and third with none out. Sophomore Dan Keenan followed with a sacrifice fly and older brother, Connor, backed him up with an RBI double to score Ritz.

Keenan scored on a fielder's choice RBI that turned into two runs when an errant throw allowed Rudderow to score. Melfi scored on a sacrifice fly by Wierciszewski to cap the inning.

Jackson Liberty appeared poised to draw closer in the sixth when Ritz blasted another fly ball to deep center field with a runner on first, but Aurin ran it down for a tremendous running catch and the second out of the inning.

Pitching

Top Hitters

Shore Conference Tournament - Bracket

Opening Round

(22) Barnegat 2, (11) Freehold Twp. 1

Senior Tyler Suydam helped his cause with a game-tying RBI double in the third inning and shut the Patriots down the rest of the way to pitch the Bengals to an opening-round upset. Barnegat advances to the round of 16 Saturday at No. 6 Manalapan.

Pitching

Top Hitters

Non-Division

Toms River East 5, Donovan Catholic 4

Manchester 8, Rumson-Fair Haven 5

No. 6 Wall 11, Central 1

Brick 9, Howell 8

Holmdel 7, Mater Dei Prep 0

Long Branch 3, Keansburg 2 (8 Innings)

Monmouth 6, Red Bank 4

Toms River South 6, Point Beach 2

No. 4 Jackson Memorial 11, No. 7 Manalapan 2

Raritan 7, Lacey 5

Brick Memorial 3, Donovan Catholic 2

At Doc Cramer Park

Southern 1, Pinelands 0

Non-Conference

Carteret 3, Matawan 2

East Brunswick 5, No. 1 Middletown South 2

New Egypt 3, Middletown North 2

No. 2 CBA 3, Seton Hall Prep 2

Henry Hudson 12, Academy for Urban Leadership 0 (5 Innings)

Hamilton West 5, Freehold Boro 4