Celentano, South Plainfield blank J.F. Kennedy

SOUTH PLAINFIELD — While ‘small ball’ is not usually how the South Plainfield High School baseball team operates, coach Anthony Guida says it is something he preaches at every practice.
The Tigers finally bought into the small ball approach on Wednesday against rival John F. Kennedy, as they used a sacrifice fly in the first inning and an RBI groundout in the third to build a lead for starting pitcher AJ Celentano.
Celentano took it from there, compiling a five-hit shutout and leading South Plainfield to a 3-0 victory and a berth in the NJSIAA North 2 Group III sectional final.
“There were missed opportunities earlier in the season that we did not capitalize on, and we lost a few games that way,” Guida said. “The sacrifice fly was hit hard, the little groundout was not. But it’s small ball and it gets the job done. Luckily, we did that and got a couple runs early in the game. And then our defense took the game over.”
John F. Kennedy, which beat South Plainfield a week ago in the GMC Tournament, snapped an eight-game winning streak with the loss, and an offense that had been very much alive recently just could not get the big hit when they needed it most. JFK stranded two baserunners in the second, fourth, and fifth innings.
“They’re a great hitting team,” Celentano said of JFK. “The last time I pitched here against them, they were rocking fly balls all over the place. I just kept them on the ground today, kept the ball low. I let the defense work and they all made some nice plays out there.”
Celentano, who will be pitching at Division I St. Peter’s next season, stayed calm and collective while working his way out of jams. In a performance that his coach deemed “gutsy,” the Tigers ace threw 88 pitches and saved his best for last in a 1-2-3 seventh.
“(AJ) was talking about this start for two days, he couldn’t wait for it,” Guida said. “He had a good game plan in his mind. We knew defense and pitching were going to have to be our strong points, and today they were.”
Right fielder Quinn Cochrane wasted no time getting South Plainfield on the board, hitting a screamer to right field that was deep enough to plate the first run. In the third, centerfielder Aidan McDermott drove in Taylor Born with an RBI-grounder after Born hit a double to left-center and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Nick Muglia provided some insurance two innings later with a looping single to left field.
Although outshined by his counterpart, John F. Kennedy starting pitcher Joseph Stone threw well enough to win. Stone was unable to help his own cause with two outs in the fifth, however, grounding out to shortstop with runners on first and third.
South Plainfield, the second seed in the North 2 Group III bracket, will move on to play either No. 1 Cranford or No. 4 Mendham on Friday in the championship.
“Definitely Cranford,” Celentano said when asked for his preferred opponent. “We wanted Cranford. That’s the top seed.”

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130529/NJSPORTS0130/305290065/Celentano-South-Plainfield-blank-J-F-Kennedy

Iselin Kennedy (0) at South Plainfield (3), NJSIAA Tournament, Semifinal Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 29, 2013 9:22 p.m.

AJ Celentano struck out four and walked two in a five-hit shutout to lead second seed South Plainfield to a 3-0 victory against 11th seed Iselin Kennedy in the semifinals of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament in South Plainfield.
Taylor Born went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs for South Plainfield, which will play top seed Cranford in the sectional final. Nick Muglia finished 2-for-2 with two RBI, and Quinn Cochrane drove in one run.

South Plainfield to face JFK again

 

Written by
Harry Frezza
@thefrez56
May 26, 2013

NORTH PLAINFIELD — After South Plainfield High School’s baseball team lost to John F. Kennedy in the Greater Middlesex Tournament semifinals May 18, coach Anthony Guida reminded the Tigers they might not have seen the last of the Mustangs.
The No. 2-seeded Tigers’ 12-7 victory Sunday over seventh-seeded Governor Livingston in the North 2 Group III quarterfinals at North Plainfield’s Krausche Field and Kennedy’s 5-2 victory at Roxbury has made Guida’s message reality.
South Plainfield (21-7) will play 11th-seed John F. Kennedy for the fourth time this season, but this time in a sectional semifinal, Tuesday at South Plainfield. The Tigers won both regular-season games 7-2 and 6-3 April 30 and May 1, but dropped a 6-2 county semifinal decision. South Plainfield has won three straight since.
“It’s a big incentive,” Guida said of playing John F. Kennedy, whose team hosted the quarterfinal round on the turf at Krausche because of poor conditions at home left by the rain. “I told the kids when I saw the bracket I said, ‘Guys don’t be surprised if we play them a fourth time.’ It’s very rare. They are a darn good ball club with a long winning streak, they were our last loss, so there’s more of a reason for us to go out there and win a ball game.’’
South Plainfield will see their GMC White rivals once more in large part because of senior lefty Pat Boyle’s stubbornness and 20 hits. Four came from leadoff batter and left-handed hitting catcher Justin Marks and three by Taylor Born, Quinn Cochrane, A.J. Celentano and Jeff Pellegrino. Most of those hits were needed; especially after junior first baseman Barron Natelli cracked a three-run homer to left off Boyle in the fourth to cut the Tigers’ lead to 7-6.
“I didn’t have my best stuff, that was obvious,” Boyle said. “I just kept going out there, throwing strikes, letting them put it in play and let my defense do all the work.”
South Plainfield scored five runs in the first off sophomore lefty Ethan Frohman (5-2), but the biggest hit of the game may have been in the fourth. After Natelli’s homer, Cochrane led off the bottom of the inning with an opposite-field triple to right. Lefty-swinging Celentano followed with an opposite-field RBI single and Rob Eggert made it a 9-6 lead with another RBI single. Celentano drove in five runs.

“Since we scored those two extra runs to give us a (three-run lead), he was a batter-by-batter basis and I told Pat that it was going to be one batter at a time and if one guy got one that he was coming out and he understood that,” said Guida.
Boyle (6-1) persevered, going five innings before being relieved by junior righty Kyle Dickerson after Boyle walked junior shortstop Steven Duda to start the sixth. Boyle has six complete games, and the one he lost was April 10 to Woodbridge
“He usually completes the game,” said Guida. “His arm is very durable; he proved that last year, he’s a gusty performer. I knew that he’s got a lot of innings in him, but since we were scoring runs I wanted to show confidence in him because we have been successful with him on the mound this year.”
The one concern was a defense that at some points sparkled with two especially fine plays by Born in the third and sixth innings. The Tigers made four errors – all in the infield, two coming in the sixth. The errors resulted in just one run, but it was a lesson.
“I told the kids 20 hits wins a game, but four errors against a good program usually loses a game, but when you get 20 hits it’s easier to win a game in that situation,’’ Guida said.
Governor Livinsgton took a 1-0 lead in the first on Duda’s RBI triple. But South Plainfield answered with its big inning in the bottom half, and never let it get away.


http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130526/NJSPORTS0130/305260057/South-Plainfield-face-JFK-again


Baseball - 2013 NJSIAA Tournament - North 2, Group 3 - Round 2 - Gov. Livingston (7) at South Plainfield (12), NJSIAA Tournament, Quarterfinal Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Baseball

Gov. Livingston (7) at South Plainfield (12), NJSIAA Tournament, Quarterfinal Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 26, 2013 6:50 p.m.

 

AJ Celentano went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and two runs to help South Plainfield defeat Gov. Livingston, 12-7, in the quarterfinals of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament in North Plainfield.
Jeff Pellegrino finished 3-for-4 with a triple, a double, one RBI, and two runs for South Plainfield, which scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Justin Marks went 4-for-5 with a double, one RBI, and two runs, while Taylor Born and Quinn Cochrane each finished with three hits.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/2304140373729504368/gov-livingston-7-at-south-plainfield-12-njsiaa-tournament-quarterfinal-round-north-jersey-section-2-group-3-baseball/

Colonia (2) at South Plainfield (10), NJSIAA Tournament, First Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Baseball

Quinn Cochrane had a triple, home run and two RBI to lead South Plainfield to a 10-2 victory over Colonia in the first round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament in South Plainfield.
A.J. Celentano had three hits, and Nick Muglia added two hits and two RBI to pace South Plainfield. Celentano notched the victory for South Plainfield, allowing seven hits and one earned run over six innings.
Joe Coutinho, Chris Czapik and Scott Durkin each had two hits to pace Colonia.


http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/3304149373717504205/colonia-2-at-south-plainfield-10-njsiaa-tournament-first-round-north-jersey-section-2-group-3-baseball/

South Plainfield advances in North 2 III

Quinn Cochrane drove in three runs and A.J. Celentano went six innings to lead South Plainfield High’s baseball team to a 10-2 win over Colonia in a North 2 Group III first-round game.
The Tigers will play host to Governor Livingston Friday afternoon in a sectional quarterfinal.
Cochrane was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Nick Muglia was 2-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI and a double. Taylor Born was 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI.
Celentano allowed seven hits, one earned run and struck out two.
Joe Coutino was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Chris Czapik was 2-for-2 with an RBI for Colonia.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130521/NJSPORTS0130/305210053/HNT-baseball-South-Plainfield-advances-North-2-III

J.F. Kennedy pounds out win over South Plainfield

Senior first baseman Eric Giordano and cleanup hitter Joe Stone, who follow each other in the batting order, carried the J.F. Kennedy High School baseball team offensively for the first half of the season.
Their productivity, of course, wasn’t enough, and if the Mustangs were to make a run in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, the rest of the team’s bats needed to come alive.
J.F. Kennedy started hitting throughout the order several days before the tournament began and continued its torrid pace Saturday, pounding out 12 hits en route to a 6-2 GMCT semifinal victory over South Plainfield at East Brunswick Tech’s Tiger Field.
“In the beginning, our playing on the field wasn’t joining our talent,” said Giordano, noting that the Mustangs rebounded from a 7-10 start to win six straight and turn their year around.
“I think now, at the end of the season, we are really showing what we are made of.”
The win was the first over White Division champion South Plainfield for fourth-year J.F. Kennedy coach Eric Mills, whose Mustangs reached the GMCT final for the fifth time and will try to win the school’s first title on Saturday against Monroe.
Seven Mustangs had at least one hit in a balanced attack and all but three starters had a run scored or an RBI.
Giordano went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while teammate Chad Barrall went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to back the six-hit pitching of senior right-hander Adonis Hernandez.
Hernandez (4-1) used a devastating slider to strike out seven and induce 11 groundball outs while avenging his only loss of the year. He yielded two unearned runs in the home fourth on a two-out, two-run double to Jeff Pellegrino that trimmed a 4-0 deficit in half.
The Mustangs (13-10) rallied for four runs in the top of the inning to snap a scoreless deadlock. Senior catcher Tom Farley ignited the outburst with a two-run single. No. 8 batter Jose Sierra (RBI double) and No. 9 hitter Pete Fiore (RBI single) followed with clutch two-out hits.
The inning’s first three hits – by Giordano, Barrall and Farley – came on full-count or 2-2 offerings, reflecting the amount of time the Mustangs have spent in recent weeks working on their two-strike approach.
Barrall gave the Mustangs a 5-2 lead with an RBI single on a 1-2 pitch in the fifth inning off reliever Kyle Dickerson, who replaced starter Tim O’Leary.
With all the other semifinalists starting their aces on three days’ rest, some may have expected South Plainfield to throw A.J. Celentano, the winning pitcher in Tuesday’s 7-0 second-round win over J.P. Stevens.
“This has been (O’Leary’s) spot all year and he’s been throwing fantastic,” South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said. “He’s gotten the start every Friday or Saturday, so we weren’t going to change anything. He deserved it. He just didn’t have his good stuff that he usually has. He’s a darn good pitcher but he made some mistakes today.”
The Tigers (19-5), who had a nine-game winning streak snapped, had an excellent chance to chip away at the 5-2 deficit, putting runners on first and second with one away in the fifth.
Hernandez, however, whiffed cleanup batter Nick Muglia and Celentano looking at consecutive 3-2 sliders to escape the jam. Farley, who calls the game, signaled for both pitches.
“Very rarely do high school coaches let their catcher and pitcher call (a game), so all the credit goes to them,” Mills said. “Adonis has a great slider and he’s been throwing it for strikes on any count. He does have good velocity, but that (slider) is what makes him so dangerous.”
Hernandez, overcoming his team’s fourth error in the game, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, retiring Celentano on a groundball for the final out.
“I think they, without a couple errors in the infield, were the better team,” Guida said. “They did today what we’ve been doing the past few weeks. They played a next-to-flawless game.
“By far, the better team won today.”

South Plainfield (12) at Somerville (9) - Baseball

South Plainfield 6, St. Joseph 3:

Senior lefthander Pat Boyle hurled a complete-game six-hitter and third-seeded South Plainfield rallied from a three-run deficit.
The Tigers (18-5) will face J.F. Kennedy at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the semifinals at East Brunswick Tech.
The 11th-seeded Falcons took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning on Brandon Bielak’s three-run homer over the left-center field fence.
South Plainfield trimmed the deficit to one run in the bottom half of the inning on A.J. Celantano’s two-out, two-run single through the box. The Tigers took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth inning. Boyle scored the tying run on a bases loaded error. Aidan McDermott, who fouled off two two-strike offerings, was hit by a curveball in the dirt with the bases loaded to force home the go-ahead run.
South Plainfield tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings on Jeff Pellegrino’s RBI single and Nick Muglia’s sacrifice fly.
Anthony Teixiera went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored for the Falcons. Mike Ramirez and Nick Johnson each had a single, accounting for St. Joseph’s other hits.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130516/NJSPORTS0130/305160048/Cohen-Monroe-upset-top-seeded-Middlesex

St. Joseph (Met.) (3) at South Plainfield (6), Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, Quarterfinal Round - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 16, 2013 10:12 p.m.

Patrick Boyle pitched a six-hitter as third-seeded South Plainfield defeated 11th-seeded St. Joseph (Met.), 6-1, in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament quarterfinals in North Brunswick.
Boyle (6-1), struck out five, walked two and allowed two earned runs for South Plainfield. Taylor Born was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI and AJ Celentano went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Rob Eggert was 1-for-2 with two runs.
Brandon Bielak hit a three-run home run for St. Joseph and Anthony Teixeira was 3-for-4 with a run.
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/1304025373063503312/st-joseph-met-3-at-south-plainfield-6-greater-middlesex-conference-tournament-quarterfinal-round-baseball/

South Plainfield 7, J.P. Stevens 0:

South Plainfield 7, J.P. Stevens 0: Winning pitcher A.J. Celentano allowed four hits and fanned seven. Quinn Cochrane went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while teammate Pat Boyle plated two runs for the third-seeded Tigers (17-5). South Plainfield will face 11th-seeded St. Joseph in the quarterfinals. Rob Eggert had an RBI. Nick Muglia scored twice. The Hawks (12-14) lost for only the fourth time in their last 15 outings.


http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/baseball/2013/05/14/courier-news-area-roundup-for-tuesday/

J.P. Stevens (0) at South Plainfield (7), Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, First Round - Baseball

J.P. Stevens (0) at South Plainfield (7)

Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament First Round - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 14, 2013 10:20 p.m.

A.J. Celentano struck out seven and walked one in a four-hit shutout as third seed South Plainfield defeated 14th seed J.P. Stevens, 7-0, in the first round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament in South Plainfield.
Rob Eggert went 3-for-3 with a double and one RBI for South Plainfield, which scored three in the second and four in the third. Patrick Boyle finished 1-for-2 with two RBI, and Quinn Cochrane went 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/1304032373070503358/jp-stevens-0-at-south-plainfield-7-greater-middlesex-conference-tournament-first-round-baseball/

South Plainfield (1) at Metuchen (0) - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 10, 2013 7:30 p.m.

Pat Boyle pitched a six-hit shutout to lead South Plainfield to a 1-0 victory against Metuchen in Metuchen.
A.J. Celantano scored the game's only run on a double play. South Plainfield improved to 16-5.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-695992626952496618/south-plainfield-1-at-metuchen-0-baseball/

 

South Plainfield 1, Metuchen 0:
A.J. Celentano (2-for-3) scored on a bases-loaded double play in the second inning for the Tigers (16-5), who have won 10 of their last 11. Winning pitcher Pat Boyle (5-1) fanned five and allowed five hits. He went the distance. The Bulldogs fell to 11-7.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130510/NJSPORTS0130/305100059/HNT-baseball-Hernandez-no-hitter-sparks-New-Brunswick

North Hunterdon (6) at South Plainfield (13) - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 06, 2013 10:52 p.m.

Nick Muglia finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs to help South Plainfield defeat North Hunterdon, 13-6, in South Plainfield.
Justin Marks went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI for South Plainfield, while Aidan McDermott collected one hit and drove in two runs. Patrick Boyle and Rob Eggert added one RBI apiece.


http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-3696003626976496693/north-hunterdon-6-at-south-plainfield-13-baseball/

South Plainfield 13, North Hunterdon 6

South Plainfield 13, North Hunterdon 6: Nick Muglia and Justin Marks each went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Aidan McDermott singled, walked twice and had two RBI.



http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130506/NJSPORTS0130/305060051/HNT-BASEBALL-Monroe-knocks-off-No-2-South-Brunswick

South Plainfield (12) at Dunellen (3) - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 04, 2013 6:40 p.m.

Aidan McDermott went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI as South Plainfield defeated Dunellen, 12-3, in Dunellen.
Kyle Dickerson earned the victory for South Plainfield by allowing two earned runs on two hits while striking out 11 over 6.1 innings. Justin Marks finished 2-for-5 with one RBI, while Nick Muglia went 3-for-3 with one RBI.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-3696009626982496600/south-plainfield-12-at-dunellen-3-baseball/

South Plainfield 12, Dunellen 3:
Aidan McDermott was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and Nick Muglia went 3-for-3 with a double and one RBI to send South Plainfield (14-5). Justin Marks, Taylor Born, AJ Celentano and Jeff Pellegrino each delivered and RBI for the Tigers, who scored in every inning except the third and mashed out 14 hits. Winning pitcher Kyle Dickerson (2-0) went 6 and 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and struck out 11. Mark Switzer provided a two-RBI single for Dunellen (15-3) in the seventh.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130504/NJSPORTS0130/305040047/CN-baseball-Bumstead-s-brilliance-sends-Montgomery-into-SCT-semifinals

Linden (3) at South Plainfield (8) - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 03, 2013 9:36 p.m.

Quinn Cochrane went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs to help South Plainfield defeat Linden, 8-3, in South Plainfield.
Tim O'Leary finished 3-for-3 with an RBI double for South Plainfield. He also allowed three runs on three hits while striking out eight and walking one over seven innings. Chris Graves went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI for South Plainfield.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2695993626972496764/linden-3-at-south-plainfield-8-baseball/

South Plainfield 8, Linden 3:
Quinn Cochrane picked up three hits, scored twice and knocked in a pair of runs to buoy South Plainfield (13-5). Taylor Born and Chris Graves chipped in two RBI each for the Tigers. Brian Santiago collected an RBI for Linden (5-11).


http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130503/NJSPORTS0130/305030064/CN-baseball-Watchung-Hills-walks-off-Middlesex-8th

South Plainfield Baseball walks over JFK - (VIDEO)

South Plainfield (6) at Iselin Kennedy (3) - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 01, 2013 10:04 p.m.

South Plainfield scored five runs in the sixth to erase a two-run deficit and defeat Iselin Kennedy, 6-3, in Iselin.
Quinn Cochrane was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI for South Plainfield. Mike Muglia was 2-for-4 with a run. Pat Boyle pitched a complete game with six strikeouts to earn the victory.
Zach Buchholz was 4-for-4 with a double and a run for Iselin Kennedy. Chad Barrall, Eric Giordano and Joseph Stone had an RBI each.


http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2696002626957496635/south-plainfield-6-at-iselin-kennedy-3-baseball/

Boyle goes the distance again for South Plainfield

WOODBRIDGE — Pat Boyle has developed a reputation for going the route, but if the senior lefthander was to register another complete game, he had to rebound from a rocky first inning in which he spotted J.F. Kennedy three runs.
Boyle put up zeroes the rest of the way and outlasted counterpart Joe Stone, who was lifted in the top of the sixth when the South Plainfield High School baseball team scored five runs – three on bases-loaded walks – to rally for a 6-3 comeback victory.
South Plainfield (12-5), which clinched the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division title a day earlier, has won nine of its last 11 and is poised to earn a top seed for the league tournament, which begins next week.
“He just has that bulldog mentality,” South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said of Boyle, who pitched his third complete game.
“He will not come out of the game unless I drag him off the field. He really came into being one of our best pitchers. A.J. (Celentano) is our ace, but Pat’s been throwing like an ace. He’s been winning ballgames and finishing the seventh inning on the mound.”
The way Wednesday’s game began it appeared Boyle might not be able to go the distance.
Zach Buchholz (4-for-4), one of four Mustangs who will play next season at New Jersey City University, which is coached by former J.F. Kennedy mentor Jerry Smith Jr., ignited the first-inning rally with a double.
Future college teammate Stone sandwiched an RBI double around run-scoring singles from Mike Giordano and Chad Barrall.
Smith was on hand to catch all the action but had to abruptly leave the ballpark for his own night game against Stevens Tech in Hoboken. He appeared to take J.F. Kennedy’s timely hitting with him.
Boyle pitched in and out of trouble the rest of the way, forcing the Mustangs, who pounded out 10 hits, to strand eight runners, five in scoring position. Boyle worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and benefited from a rally-killing double play with runners on the corners in the sixth.

(Page 2 of 2)

“I didn’t have my best stuff throughout the entire game today,” Boyle said. “It’s so easy to take yourself out of the ballgame if you have a bad first inning. It’s so easy to just shut it down and the next thing you know you are out of the game. But I trusted my stuff throughout the game. I kept mixing up speeds and I just really trusted my defense.”
Stone, who allowed four hits and one run over five innings, yielded consecutive singles to start the sixth. Reliever Jose Sierra walked the next two batters on eight straight pitches to force home a run. After recording a strikeout, Sierra issued two more free passes to force home two more runs. Justin Marks then greeted a second reliever, Josue Ruiz, with a two-run double to right-center for the final margin.
“We stayed patient at the plate,” Guida said. “I think Stone was throwing fantastic. I was happy to see him come out of the game. Obviously we want to hit the ball a little bit, but we got some gift walks, so that was nice.”
Mike Polizzano, a utility player who earned a start for the Tigers, had to work for his bases-loaded walk, fouling off two full-count offerings before forcing home the tying run. His two-out RBI triple in the second inning trimmed J.F. Kennedy’s lead to 3-1.
“He’s just an awesome team player,” Guida said of Polizzano, who received the same positive support from regular Sal Esposito that he provides to the starter while on the bench. “He’s done his share of being a cheerleader. We gave him a start and he relished it.”
Polizzano was the pivot man on that 4-6-3 double play in the sixth that helped Boyle escape yet another jam. “I had to make the best of it,” Polizzano said of his chance. “The RBI triple really helped out the team. I’ve got to do what I can.”

“I didn’t have my best stuff throughout the entire game today,” Boyle said. “It’s so easy to take yourself out of the ballgame if you have a bad first inning. It’s so easy to just shut it down and the next thing you know you are out of the game. But I trusted my stuff throughout the game. I kept mixing up speeds and I just really trusted my defense.”
Stone, who allowed four hits and one run over five innings, yielded consecutive singles to start the sixth. Reliever Jose Sierra walked the next two batters on eight straight pitches to force home a run. After recording a strikeout, Sierra issued two more free passes to force home two more runs. Justin Marks then greeted a second reliever, Josue Ruiz, with a two-run double to right-center for the final margin.
“We stayed patient at the plate,” Guida said. “I think Stone was throwing fantastic. I was happy to see him come out of the game. Obviously we want to hit the ball a little bit, but we got some gift walks, so that was nice.”
Mike Polizzano, a utility player who earned a start for the Tigers, had to work for his bases-loaded walk, fouling off two full-count offerings before forcing home the tying run. His two-out RBI triple in the second inning trimmed J.F. Kennedy’s lead to 3-1.
“He’s just an awesome team player,” Guida said of Polizzano, who received the same positive support from regular Sal Esposito that he provides to the starter while on the bench. “He’s done his share of being a cheerleader. We gave him a start and he relished it.”
Polizzano was the pivot man on that 4-6-3 double play in the sixth that helped Boyle escape yet another jam. “I had to make the best of it,” Polizzano said of his chance. “The RBI triple really helped out the team. I’ve got to do what I can.”
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130501/NJSPORTS0130/305010069/Boyle-goes-distance-again-South-Plainfield

GMC Baseball Standings (Records through Monday)

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Greg Tufaro

RED DIVISION
Sayreville (10-4)	8	3
Edison (9-5)	8	3
South Brunswick (10-4)	8	4
East Brunswick (8-8)	7	5
St. Joseph (9-7)	6	5
Perth Amboy (6-6)	5	5
Old Bridge (7-8)	5	7
Piscataway (5-9)	2	8
J.P. Stevens (7-12)	2	10

WHITE DIVISION
South Plainfield (10-5)	7	1
J.F. Kennedy (8-7)	7	2
Monroe (7-6)	4	4
Woodbridge (9-9)	4	4
North Brunswick (6-8)	2	6
Colonia (5-10)	1	8

BLUE DIVISION
Middlesex (14-2)	9	1
Metuchen (9-3)	6	2
Spotswood (10-5)	7	4
Bishop Ahr (4-6)	4	4
Carteret (5-9)	3	5
South River (4-9)	1	7
New Brunswick (1-9)	0	7

GOLD DIVISION
Dunellen (12-1)	10	0
South Amboy (8-3)	8	1
Wardlaw-Hartridge (8-5)	7	2
Highland Park (7-6)	7	4
Cardinal McCarrick (6-6)	5	6
East Brunswick Tech (4-8)	3	7
Timothy Christian (3-8)	3	7
Perth Amboy Tech (3-10)	3	8
Piscataway Tech (0-13)	0	10