Nissan World Wednesday SCT Baseball Scoreboard, 5/22/19

Shore Conference Tournament - Bracket

Quarterfinals

(6) Manalapan 3, (3) CBA 2

Manalapan scored twice to take the lead in the top of the seventh and senior Hunter Serrano worked out of a base-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the seventh to send the Braves to the SCT semifinals with a win over the rival Colts in a rubber match between the Class A North foes.

Manalapan opened the seventh with back-to-back singles by senior Ben Levine and junior Nick DiPietrantonio and scored the tying run when DiPietrantonio's single got by right fielder Braedin Hunt, allowing pinch-runner Anthony Matrone to score all the way from first.

After Mike Kuver moved pinch-runner Ethan Rodriguez to third with a ground out, junior Kyle Sciallo dropped a bunt on a squeeze play to score the go-ahead run and beat out the play for a hit.

Manalapan will square off against No. 7 Wall in the SCT semifinals next Wednesday at Count Basie Park.

Pitching

Top Hitters

(9) Manasquan 10, (1) Middletown South 9

Senior Spencer Bauer clocked a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the eighth inning and the Warriors survived a ferocious comeback by the Eagles to advance to the SCT semifinals next Wednesday at County Basie Park in Red Bank. Manasquan will face host Red Bank Catholic for the fourth time this season.

Manasquan stormed out to an 8-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings thanks to an eight-run third, which included senior James Harmstead's ninth home run of the year to take over sole possession of the Shore Conference lead. That opposite-field, two-run shot opened the scoring and Manasquan added runs on a two-run single by junior Sam Del Guercio and a two-run triple by junior Will Hopkinson.

Middletown South came alive with a two-run home run by junior Chris Lotito in the bottom of the fourth and exploded for sixth in the fifth to tie the game at 8-8. Senior Jack Kinsella made it 8-3 with an RBI single and senior Trevor Brey pulled the Eagles within 8-5 with a two-run single.

Junior Chris O'Connor ripped a two-run double to cut Manasquan's lead to 8-7 and sophomore Joe Stanzione tied it up with an RBI infield single.

Brey gave Middletown South its first and only lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. Manasquan, however, answered with a run in the seventh to tie it. Junior Hayden Kunz was hit by a pitch, moved up two bases on two wild pitches and scored when Hopkinson grounded into a double play.

Pitching

Top Hitters

(7) Wall 10, (2) Jackson Liberty 5

Senior Dave Howarth and Dylan Richey each drove in two runs during a five-run first inning and the Crimson Knights stormed to a win over the Lions to reach the SCT semifinals next Wednesday against Manalapan at Count Basie Park in Red Bank.

Howarth ripped a base-loaded double that plated two runs and made the score 3-0 and Richey later singled in a pair to push the lead to 5-0. Sophomore Jay Bant drew a bases-loaded walk to open the scoring. Junior Sean Nocera stretch the lead to 6-0 with an RBI single in the top of the second.

Jackson Liberty broke onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run by senior David Melfi - his eighth home run of the season. Wall, however, answered in kind with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth by senior Grant Shulman to stretch the lead to 8-2.

Junior Brandon Kinsman singled in a run in the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit back to 8-3 but Wall tacked on a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by junior Teddy Sharkey and another in the sixth on sacrifice fly by senior Tanner Powers.

Wall starter Ryan Napolitano could not quite make it through the game before reaching his single-game pitch limit but he gave the Crimson Knights 20 of the 21 outs they needed to put away a relentless Jackson Liberty offense that leads the Shore Conference in runs scored and runs per game. Powers struck out the game's final batter to close it out.

Pitching

Top Hitters

(4) Red Bank Catholic 3, (5) Jackson Memorial 0

Senior Vincent Bianchi and junior John Nimeth combined on a no-hitter and the Caseys edged the Jaguars to reach the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals next Wednesday at Count Basie Park.

Bianchi also drove in RBC's third run with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the fifth and finished 2-for-3. Sophomore Shane Panzini hit a solo home run to extend the Caseys lead to 2-0 earlier in the inning and senior David Glancy opened the scoring with a solo blast in the top of the first.

Jackson Memorial drew seven walks in the game and brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the top of the seventh against Nimeth. Junior Jake Wendell walked on four pitches to lead it off, followed by a fielder's choice and a strikeout. Freshman Zach Crotchfelt then took a four-pitch walk with two out to bring the tying run to the plate in junior leadoff hitter Christian Pellone.

Pellone fouled off two two-strike pitches and hit a ground ball that third baseman Rob Gonzalez fielded cleanly. Gonzalez opted to try to get the final out at third base, but with the runners moving on the 3-2 pitch, he lost the race to the bag to Wendell and the inning continued with a fielder's choice that resulted in no out recorded.

Junior Ryan Lasko came up as the tying run with a team-high seven home runs on the season but Nimeth induced a game-ending fly out that Glancy tracked down in right-center field.

Bianchi retired the first two batters of the sixth inning to end his day at 112 pitches and passed the ball to Nimeth, who recorded the last out of the inning on two pitches.

Pitching

Top Hitters

NJSIAA Tournament

(2) West Deptford 3, (7) Barnegat 1

Senior Tyler Suydam went the distance and gave up three runs on seven hits, but Jack Murphy outdueled him, pitching a five-hitter to help the Eagles (14-6) top the Bengals (11-13) in the sectional quarterfinals.

Non-Division

Henry Hudson 8, Lakewood 4

At FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood

Brick 11, Donovan Catholic 7