Nick DiPietrantonio

Another sharp pitching performance and another big day for seniors Tom Cartnick and Ryan Lasko at the plate lifted Jackson over Manalapan's Monmouth Monarchs team in the N.J. Last Dance.

Even in a 24-win, championship season in 2019, Manalapan found out how unfair life can be. That reality check continues in 2020 for one of the Shore's perennial contenders.

Manalapan scored three times with two outs in the sixth inning and senior Ben Levine gutted out seven innings on the mound to lead the Braves to their first Central Group IV title in seven years.