NJSIAA Tournament

Sectional Quarterfinals

Central Jersey Group IV

(1) Hunterdon Central 7, (9) Freehold Twp. 4

Peter Ciuffreda blasted a tie-breaking three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth that proved the difference as the three-time defending sectional champion Red Devils (16-8) fought off the Patriots (12-11).

Sophomore Chris Corchado went 2-for-3 with a two-run double and senior Cristian Corcione was 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base to lead Freehold Township.

(4) Manalapan 7, (5) South Brunswick 2

Winning pitcher Ben Levine hit a tie-breaking RBI double in the bottom of the fourth and junior Nick DiPietrantonio followed with a two-run double as the Braves pulled away from the Vikings to earn a trip to play top-seeded and three-time sectional champion Hunterdon Central in Tuesday's sectional semifinal round. Hunterdon Central defeated Manalapan in last year's Central Group IV championship game.

Senior Billy Watters added an RBI double in the fifth and Levine drove in his second run with a ground out to cap the scoring.

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So. Brunswick (18-6)0100010262
Manalapan (21-7)010420X760

Pitching

South BrunswickIPHRERBBSOPC
Mike Reyes43532465
Chaz Gagliano12200019
Nick Nosal1100019
ManalapanIPHRERBBSOPC
Ben Levine (W, 5-1)761119101

Top Hitters

South BrunswickStats
Nick Delacruz2-3, R
ManalapanStats
Ben Levine1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Nick DiPietrantonio1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Billy Watters1-2, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Tommy Guidice2-3, R
Jake Pellecchia1-3, R

 

(15) Marlboro 10, (10) Hightstown 3

Junior Ramon Fontanes cracked a two-run double and senior Vin Ferrigno smoked a three-run triple to highlight a six-run second that propelled the Mustangs past the Rams and into the sectional semifinals Tuesday against the winner of Friday's suspended game between No. 3 Middletown South and No. 6 Old Bridge.

Freshman Julian Buchman doubled home a run in the third and single in one more in the fourth to round out the Marlboro scoring.

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Marlboro (10-12)162100010112
Hightstown (10-12)0000300360

Pitching

MarlboroIPHRERBBSOPC
Joe Iacobello (W, 3-4)54331386
Anthony DiMaiuta22000229
HightstownIPHRERBBSOPC
Jared Stillwagon1.25550127
Griffin Burd1.13443035
Shiv Bhatt23111236
Joey Delgado20001123

Top Hitters

MarlboroStats
Vin Ferrigno2-4, 3B, R, 3 RBI
Ramon Fontanes2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Julian Buchman2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Jeremy Briskin2-3, 2 R, RBI
Mark Capell2-4, 2B, R
Justin Kapuscinski1-3, RBI
HightstownStats
Liam Monahan2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Jonathan Drews2-4, 2B, R, RBI
Joey Delgado1-2, R

 

(6) Old Bridge 2, (3) Middletown South 0 (Suspended in the 3rd inning)

Middletown South will once again face an early deficit when the CJ IV quarterfinal against Old Bridge resumes Friday at 1 p.m. with the Knights threatening in the top of the third with two runners on and none out.

Senior Chris Lotito threw 42 pitches and was lifted in the third, but is eligible to return to the mound because he threw fewer than 50 pitches and remained in the game in center field.

Middletown South fell behind Manasquan, 8-0, Wednesday in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinal before rallying to take a 9-8 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Middletown South ultimately lost, 10-9, to the Warriors and will try to keep their season alive by coming back to the Greater Middlesex Conference champions on Friday.

 

Central Jersey Group III

(4) Wall 3, (5) Colts Neck 1

Senior Tanner Powers and John Iradi drew bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the fifth to break a 1-1 tie and senior Trey Dombroski came out of the bullpen to earn the win with three scoreless innings to push the Crimson Knights past the Cougars and into the sectional semifinals Tuesday at top-seeded Hamilton West.

Dombroski set the single-season strikeout record with his 97th strikeout of the year and ended his outing with 99 strikeouts on the season. The second of his three strikeouts was the 200th of his career and he also walked a batter for the first time since April 16 vs. Ocean, ending a streak of 39 straight innings without issuing a free pass.

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Colts Neck (12-9)1000000151
Wall (23-3)100020X371

Pitching

Colts NeckIPHRERBBSOPC
Nick Torres (L, 0-2)47223389
Adrian Jimenez0.10112021
Brooks Condon1.20000223
WallIPHRERBBSOPC
Teddy Sharkey44112670
Trey Dombroski (W, 8-1)31001337

Top Hitters

Colts NeckStats
Dan Cowles1-2, RBI
Reece Horneck1-3, R, SB
WallStats
Teddy Sharkey1-3, 2B, RBI
Jay Bant2-4
John Iradi1-1, 2 BB, RBI
John Volpe1-4, R

 

(11) Northern Burlington 4, (3) Ocean 3

Senior Max Winters went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run home run to plate all of Ocean's runs, but the Greyhounds (12-7) scored three times in the sixth thanks to two errors to stun the Spartans (20-8).

Junior Scuba Hagerman left the game with a 3-1 lead, two runners aboard and one out in the top of the sixth when Northern Burlington began to take advantage of Ocean's defensive mishaps. Senior Kevin Schoenberger allowed one unearned run in relief and took the loss.

Lorenzo Repack went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in the top of the first and an RBI single in the sixth.

Winters crushed his three-run home run to center field in the bottom of the fifth to stake Ocean to a 3-1 lead.

(2) Jackson Liberty 3, (10) Allentown 1 (Suspended in the 2nd inning)

Jackson Liberty will have two men on and two out in the bottom of the second inning when its sectional quarterfinal vs. two-time defending sectional champion Allentown resumes on Friday at 2 p.m.

Senior David Melfi belted his ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the first to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. He is now tied for the Shore Conference home-run lead with nine and increased his conference-leading RBI total to 47. Senior Charlie Rudderow added an RBI single in the second.

 

Central Jersey Group II

(5) Point Boro 17, (4) A.L. Johnson 3 (5 Innings)

Point Boro at A.L. Johnson was suspended with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning and made an official game Friday by the NJSIAA, with the Panthers advancing to the CJ II semifinals on Tuesday.

Senior Sam Collins and junior Sam Young each homered for Point Boro and Collins went 3-for-3 with a double, four runs and four RBI. Young was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and hit a two-run home run in the second to open up an 8-0 Point Boro lead.

Junior Nick Guzzi pitched the first two innings and drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single. Senior Paul Franceschini also doubled home a run in the five-run second inning.

(6) Robbinsville 0, (3) Manasquan 0 (Suspended in the third inning)

Senior Spencer Bauer struck out seven of the first nine men he faced, including six straight, before the game was suspended in the middle of the third inning due to lightning and rain. It will be resumed Friday at 4 p.m., with Bauer eligible to continue at 33 pitches.

 

Central Jersey Group I

(3) Point Beach 4, (6) South Amboy 2

Freshman Phil Trebour struck out the side in the top of the seventh, including the last two batters with the bases loaded to seal a Garnet Gulls win over the Governors to advance to the sectional semifinals on Tuesday against No. 2 New Egypt.

Sophomore Alec Glen gave Point Beach a 2-1 lead with a two-run single in the bottom of the third. Sophomores Hunter Alia and Matt Van Brunt each added an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-1 by the end of the fifth.

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South Amboy (13-8)00100012121
Pt. Beach (12-10)002110X460

Pitching

South AmboyIPHRERBBSOPC
Kyle Gasiewski5.264234115
Zach Honimar0.1000001
Point BeachIPHRERBBSOPC
Andrew Banick (W, 3-1)69221594
Phil Trebour (SV, 5)13000323

Top Hitters

South AmboyStats
Raymond Perez2-4, 2 RBI
Point BeachStats
Hunter Alia2-4, R, RBI
Alec Glen1-3, 2 RBI
Matt Van Brunt1-3, RBI
Phil Trebour1-2, 2B, R
David Terra-Nova1-3, R

 

 

South Jersey Group IV

(13) Howell 0, (5) Cherry Hill East 0 (Suspended in the first inning)

Cherry Hill East put runners on second and third with one out against Howell starter Chris Ellison in the bottom of the first when lightning and rain halted play and ultimately suspended it until Friday.

 

South Jersey Group III

(12) Toms River East 3, (4) Ocean City 2 (10 Innings)

Senior Matt Santos hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the seventh and scored the winning run on an error in the top of the 10th to extend their state-tournament run with a win over the Vikings.

Junior Ryan Goodall broke up a no-hit big by senior Brandon Lashley with a one-out double in the top of the seventh and Santos followed with a two-run shot over the left-field fence to catapult Toms River East into the lead, 2-1.

Santos retired the first two batters of the bottom of the seventh to move within one out of a no-hitter of his own, but issued back-to-back walks and gave up a game-tying RBI single to senior Shane Ferry.

Santos drew a walk to lead off the top of the 10th, which was the final batter Lashley faced. Pinch-runner Mark Murtha stole second base but senior A.J. Campbell struck out back-to-back batters to move within an out of escaping trouble. Campbell might have done just that, but a ground ball by senior Logan Sommerer was mishandled and Murtha scored the go-ahead run on the play.

Senior Brandon Coyle retired the side in order in the 10th to close it out for Toms River East, which will travel to play the winner of Friday's game between No. 9 Pinelands and No. 1 Triton.

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TR East (10-13)0002001321
Ocean City (19-5)0011000222

Pitching

Toms River EastIPHRERBBSOPC
Matt Santos712169113
Danie Facchiano (W, 2-2)21001230
Brandon Coyle (SV, 1)10000116
Ocean CityIPHRERBBSOPC
Brandon Lashley9232212115
A.J. Campbell10000220

Top Hitters

Toms River EastStats
Matt Santos1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI
Ryan Goodall1-4, 2B, R
Ocean CityStats
Shane Ferry1-2, RBI

 

(9) Pinelands at (1) Triton - PPD, Friday

 

 

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