Greg Tufaro,
Bridgewater Courier News
Published 4:14 p.m. ET April 20, 2019
Updated 11:36 a.m. ET April 21, 2019
1. Old Bridge (9-3): After opening the week with a pivotal division crossover victory over St. Joseph, the Knights swept a series from East Brunswick. During that three-game stretch, Old Bridge pitchers allowed just three runs. Senior righthander Sonny Fauci, a St. John’s University signee, extended his string of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to 27 with a complete-game effort in a 2-1 win over East Brunswick. Old Bridge boasts a 1.28 team ERA, which has helped compensate for a .240 team batting average. With the exception of an 8-2 win over Monroe, the Knights have not scored more than four runs against any opponent this season. They own a 4-2 record in games decided by two or fewer runs. Old Bridge leads second-place J.P. Stevens by one game in the Red Division standings. On Saturday, Old Bridge lost 7-1 in nine innings to Seton Hall Prep, widely regarded among the state’s best teams.
2. St. Joseph (7-4): The Falcons bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Old Bridge with a series sweep of Woodbridge to remain in a tie for second place in the White Division with Edison. Both teams trail division frontrunner South Plainfield by two games in the win column. St. Joseph’s four losses have come by a total of just five runs. The pitching staff has hurled three shutouts, the most recent a 2-0 blanking of Woodbridge. St. Joseph has scored nine or more runs in seven outings and has mercy-ruled four opponents.
3. Middlesex (8-2): The Blue Jays reversed a two-game losing skid, rolling to a 9-0 blanking of J.F. Kennedy, holding on for a 4-2 win over South River. and rallying for a huge 9-5 division crossover victory over South Brunswick. The pitching staff continues to impress, taking a 1.42 team ERA into Saturday's win over the Vikings.
4. South Plainfield (7-4): After having their losing streak extended to three games with an 8-6 loss to South Brunswick, the Tigers bounced back with a sweep of Sayreville, which entered the series having won three of its last four. In the series opener, Chris Shine, a Seton Hall University signee, struck out eight
5. South Brunswick (6-3): The Vikings extended their winning streak to five games with an 8-6 victory over defending conference tournament champion South Plainfield. Four of South Brunswick’s victories during its current winning streak have come by a total of five runs.
6. J.P. Stevens (6-2): The Hawks extended their winning streak to six games, erasing a five-run deficit in a 6-5 win over crosstown rival Edison and sweeping incumbent conference tournament finalist Perth Amboy in impressive fashion, outscoring the Panthers 18-6. Since being no-hit in consecutive shutout losses to Old Bridge, J.P. Stevens is averaging eight runs per game.
7. Edison (8-4): After squandering a five-run lead in a 6-5 loss to crosstown rival J.P. Stevens, the resilient Eagles swept Colonia, outscoring the Patriots 16-4 in the series. Four starters are batting .314 or higher and four hurlers have an ERA of 3.56 or better.
8. Metuchen (4-4): The Bulldogs rebounded from a four-game losing streak to win three straight including a series sweep of Carteret and an 8-7 division crossover win
over North Brunswick. This marks the third consecutive year Metuchen has rebounded from a slow start. The Bulldogs commenced the 2017 season with a 1-5 record and last year with a 3-4 mark. Metuchen went on to win at least 18 games each of those two years. The Bulldogs are talented enough to replicate that feat.
9. Monroe (6-3): The Falcons bounced back from an 8-6 division crossover loss to North Brunswick with a series sweep of Piscataway. After beating the Chiefs 6-4 and 7-5, Monroe owns a 3-1 record in contests decided by two or fewer runs.
10. Sayreville (6-6): Quality wins over Old Bridge and St. Joseph are enough to keep the Bombers, who currently own a three-game losing streak, ranked. The offense disappeared in a pair of losses to South Plainfield and in a defeat to Perth Amboy. Sayreville mustered just seven runs in those three contests.
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