Randolph rallies late to outlast No. 13 South Plainfield and claim N2G3 baseball title
By Mak Ojutiku | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The 2024 regular season had been a bit of a rollercoaster for Randolph, so in a way it was almost appropriate that their sectional title game had its ups and downs. After ending the regular season with a six-game skid, the Rams seemed to hit a switch in the postseason. The Rams again had some rough spots in the North 2, Group 2 section title game hosted by top-seeded and No. 13 in the NJ.com Top 20 South Plainfield, but true to form the team found life exactly when it needed to.
The second-seeded Rams rallied back from a two-run deficit and racked up runs late to take the North 2, Group 3 title with an 8-3 win over the Tigers.
“We did not play well at the end of the year, but once the state tournament started it was almost like a new beginning,” said Mark Rizzo, the head coach of Randolph.
“They embraced the pressure of every game. The score doesn’t matter to them. There’re times where I’m like ‘Oh, my god, how are we gonna get a hit.”, but to them the score doesn’t matter; they play hard every inning. They deserve this.”
One could say the key to Randolph’s win was its hitters keeping at it until the balls started dropping. South Plainfield’s starting pitcher Aldo Pigna retired 11 consecutive batters between the end of the first inning and the fifth, but even in that stretch Randolph’s hitters were hitting long balls and making good contact. A solo homer by Dom Massaro in the bottom of the fifth put the Tigers up 3-1, but it was Randolph’s offense that ended up controlling the end of the game.
Two strikeouts to start the inning made it look like Pigna’s dominance would continue, but a single by Randolph’s RJ Dougherty swung the momentum in the Rams’ favor. AJ Terry got himself on base off a walk in the next at-bat which brought senior Rocco Albano up to bat. Despite falling short in his two previous plate appearances, Albano came up big when it mattered most and delivered a shot that brought the two runners home which gave Randolph a 4-3 lead.
“I took a deep breath...and said “I’m gonna get the job done here for my team.” Albano recalled of the key at-bat. “And I did it. They called time and brought in a new guy, and I celebrated with my team.”
The Rams kept the Tigers on the ropes through the sixth inning as a leadoff single by Tommy Martin led to three consecutive walks. Mason Wilson and Jacob Corsaro scored off errors and a sac fly by Connor Stokoe ballooned the lead to 8-3.
“You could tell from the first inning and throughout the game that we were putting good pieces on it and they were just getting caught,” Albano said. “(South Plainfield’s) outfielders made some great plays. I said to the guys ‘These hits are gonna start falling’ and then they did. We got some walks, which kind of just piled on, and we did our thing.”
Martin also earned a win in a complete game on the mound with four strikeouts.
Despite the stark difference between the end of their regular season and their phenomenal post-season performances, it might not be quite accurate to label this a “Cinderella run,” Randolph showed the makings of a legitimate contender early in the season by taking wins over teams like Pope John, Seton Hall and Delbarton. To the Rams, their current run is more a good team finding a way to overcome rough times rather than an underdog just finding a spark at the right time.
“The guys know they’re good, but when you play a team that’s really good, one missed play makes the difference,” Rizzo said. “I think they were getting a little frustrated with the little losing streak that we had, but like I said, once the state tournament started it was almost like a reset button. "
For South Plainfield, the result marks the end of a solid 22-6-1 season. The Tigers fell just short of claiming hardware this season, first in the GMC Tournament finals via a 6-5 loss to Old Bridge, and then in the sectional final.
“We had a great season,” South Plainfield coach Scott Gleichenhaus said. “Went to two finals and it didn’t work out either won. You can’t help but feel terrible for these guys and wish you could’ve done more for them as a coach. That’s something I’m going to have to live with till next season. People only remember the last one and that’s the hardest part because this wasn’t us. It got away from us a little bit; we’re better than that.”
The Rams will be hosting a familiar foe in the Group 3 state semis on Wednesday in North 1 champions Morris Knolls. The Golden Eagles bested Randolph 7-4 in a regular season matchup in April.
No matter what happens going forward, Randolph has certainly made it clear that they know how to presevere. If you ask its players, they’d tell you it’s simply a result of how together the team is.
“It’s our team chemistry,” Albano said. “Everyone on this team is best friends with everybody, our practices are fun and when we see each other in the halls we say high. It’s the stuff off the field that gets us close-knit and that translates onto the field.”
Randolph rallies late to outlast No. 13 South Plainfield and claim N2G3 baseball title - nj.com
The 2024 regular season had been a bit of a rollercoaster for Randolph, so in a way it was almost appropriate that their sectional title game had its ups and downs. After ending the regular season with a six-game skid, the Rams seemed to hit a switch in the postseason. The Rams again had some rough spots in the North 2, Group 2 section title game hosted by top-seeded and No. 13 in the NJ.com Top 20 South Plainfield, but true to form the team found life exactly when it needed to.
The second-seeded Rams rallied back from a two-run deficit and racked up runs late to take the North 2, Group 3 title with an 8-3 win over the Tigers.
“We did not play well at the end of the year, but once the state tournament started it was almost like a new beginning,” said Mark Rizzo, the head coach of Randolph.
“They embraced the pressure of every game. The score doesn’t matter to them. There’re times where I’m like ‘Oh, my god, how are we gonna get a hit.”, but to them the score doesn’t matter; they play hard every inning. They deserve this.”
One could say the key to Randolph’s win was its hitters keeping at it until the balls started dropping. South Plainfield’s starting pitcher Aldo Pigna retired 11 consecutive batters between the end of the first inning and the fifth, but even in that stretch Randolph’s hitters were hitting long balls and making good contact. A solo homer by Dom Massaro in the bottom of the fifth put the Tigers up 3-1, but it was Randolph’s offense that ended up controlling the end of the game.
Two strikeouts to start the inning made it look like Pigna’s dominance would continue, but a single by Randolph’s RJ Dougherty swung the momentum in the Rams’ favor. AJ Terry got himself on base off a walk in the next at-bat which brought senior Rocco Albano up to bat. Despite falling short in his two previous plate appearances, Albano came up big when it mattered most and delivered a shot that brought the two runners home which gave Randolph a 4-3 lead.
“I took a deep breath...and said “I’m gonna get the job done here for my team.” Albano recalled of the key at-bat. “And I did it. They called time and brought in a new guy, and I celebrated with my team.”
The Rams kept the Tigers on the ropes through the sixth inning as a leadoff single by Tommy Martin led to three consecutive walks. Mason Wilson and Jacob Corsaro scored off errors and a sac fly by Connor Stokoe ballooned the lead to 8-3.
“You could tell from the first inning and throughout the game that we were putting good pieces on it and they were just getting caught,” Albano said. “(South Plainfield’s) outfielders made some great plays. I said to the guys ‘These hits are gonna start falling’ and then they did. We got some walks, which kind of just piled on, and we did our thing.”
Martin also earned a win in a complete game on the mound with four strikeouts.
Despite the stark difference between the end of their regular season and their phenomenal post-season performances, it might not be quite accurate to label this a “Cinderella run,” Randolph showed the makings of a legitimate contender early in the season by taking wins over teams like Pope John, Seton Hall and Delbarton. To the Rams, their current run is more a good team finding a way to overcome rough times rather than an underdog just finding a spark at the right time.
“The guys know they’re good, but when you play a team that’s really good, one missed play makes the difference,” Rizzo said. “I think they were getting a little frustrated with the little losing streak that we had, but like I said, once the state tournament started it was almost like a reset button. "
For South Plainfield, the result marks the end of a solid 22-6-1 season. The Tigers fell just short of claiming hardware this season, first in the GMC Tournament finals via a 6-5 loss to Old Bridge, and then in the sectional final.
“We had a great season,” South Plainfield coach Scott Gleichenhaus said. “Went to two finals and it didn’t work out either won. You can’t help but feel terrible for these guys and wish you could’ve done more for them as a coach. That’s something I’m going to have to live with till next season. People only remember the last one and that’s the hardest part because this wasn’t us. It got away from us a little bit; we’re better than that.”
The Rams will be hosting a familiar foe in the Group 3 state semis on Wednesday in North 1 champions Morris Knolls. The Golden Eagles bested Randolph 7-4 in a regular season matchup in April.
No matter what happens going forward, Randolph has certainly made it clear that they know how to presevere. If you ask its players, they’d tell you it’s simply a result of how together the team is.
“It’s our team chemistry,” Albano said. “Everyone on this team is best friends with everybody, our practices are fun and when we see each other in the halls we say high. It’s the stuff off the field that gets us close-knit and that translates onto the field.”
Randolph rallies late to outlast No. 13 South Plainfield and claim N2G3 baseball title - nj.com
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
|
Randolph (21-9) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
8 |
7 |
0 |
|
South Plainfield
(22-6-1) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
South Plainfield Batting
|
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
1B |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
HBP |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.500 |
1.250 |
|
|
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.250 |
.250 |
|
|
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.250 |
.250 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.333 |
.333 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.333 |
.333 |
|
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
Totals: |
26 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
.231 |
.346 |
South Plainfield Pitching
|
PIT |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
HB |
ERA |
|
|
Aldo Pigna (LP) |
79 |
5.2 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
4.94 |
|
19 |
0.1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
63.00 |
|
|
19 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7.00 |
|
|
Totals: |
117 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
8.00 |
Late Randolph rally dooms South Plainfield; Tigers fall 8-3 in North 2, Group 3 final
There was a point midway through Monday’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title game that everything was coming up South Plainfield.
But in the end, seven runs in the final two innings gave Randolph the title, via an 8-3 win against the Tigers as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
The top-seeded Tigers had taken a 2-1 lead over visiting second-seed Randolph in the third inning, on a groundout by Dan Kapsch that scored Stephen Studlack, and an RBI single by Zach Robinson that plated Dom Massaro.
In the top of the fifth, Randolph had a runner at third with two down, and on a bloop single to right, Brandon Bickunas made the catch and threw a perfect strike to Studlack to double up courtesy runner Ryan Kress tagging from third to end the inning with a 9-2 double play.
Then in the bottom of the inning, Massaro led off with a solo home run into the woods in left field.
What could go wrong?
Well, Randolph scored three times in the sixth, chasing starter Aldo Pigna from the game, to take a 4-3 lead, then scored five more times in the top of the seventh to put it out of reach.
The three runs in the sixth came on three hits and two walks. There were no big bombs. And the seventh was a nickel-and-dime affair, too.
It was a tough way for the season to end for South Plainfield, which finishes 22-6-1. They defied preseason prognosticators, winning the GMC Red Division over Old Bridge and Monroe, but lost in the GMC Finals to Old Bridge, and now in the sectional title game to Randolph.
Pigna took the loss, his first, to fall to 5-1, while ace Tommy Martin went the distance for the Rams, allowing six hits, striking out nine to improve to 7-1.
Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus:
https://cjsportsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/6-3-24-GLILCK-POSTGAME-for-web.mp3
Randolph rallies to top South Plainfield in North 2 Group 3
Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com
SOUTH PLAINFIELD – The Randolph baseball team posed for pictures after beating South Plainfield 8-3 in Monday’s NJSIAA North 2 Group 3 final.
One thing: they didn’t have the sparkling blue sectional title-winning trophy. Senior third baseman Rocco Albano went to get the trophy from an official and then there were more picture-posing.
“I told my team the only thing I want to do today is hold a trophy,” Albano said. “I want to hold some hardware and we got the job done even though we were down. We got back in it, we kept strong and we got the job done.”
Randolph will host North 1 winners Morris Knolls in the Group 3 semifinals on Wednesday. The NJSIAA pre-determined the host sites based on region.
It’s been a magical, pulsating run for the Rams, who now has three-straight, come-from-behind playoff wins. Second-seeded Randolph (21-9) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to beat North Hunterdon 3-2 in the semifinals and walked-off with two in the seventh to top Mendham 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
Monday, Albano’s two-RBI single in the top of the sixth gave the Rams a 4-3 lead. Randolph tacked on four runs in the seventh as runners came home on a bases-loaded walk, two wild pitches and a sac fly.
Tommy Martin went the distance scattering seven hits with nine strikeouts.
“These last three games have been incredible,” said Randolph coach Mark Rizzi, who was asked just what is it about the team’s comeback ability “I just think it’s the personality of the guys that we have and remember when you’re from a small town like Randolph, these guys have played together since they were 8 and they’ve gone through championships, they’ve gone through heartbreaks … and I think they’re so positive.
“They’re just so positive every game. I hear what’s going on in the dugout when we’re down 3-1 in the sixth inning there is not one thing negative. Like they know that somebody’s going to do something. … They embrace all of the pressure every game and they’ve done a really good job.”
Randolph manufactured a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Dougherty walked with one out, moved to second on AJ Terry’s single and reached third on a wild pitch.
South Plainfield’s Aldo Pigna got the strikeout for the third out, but the ball got away from the catcher and RJ Dougherty scored for the 1-0 Randolph lead.
The lefthanded Pigna settled down and was outstanding, retiring 11 in a row until the fifth.
Randolph’s Rizzi said they were concerned about South Plainfield’s running ability and that proved prophetic as the top-seeded Tigers (22-6-1) soon took a 3-1 lead.
Steve Studlack singled to lead off the third inning and No. 9 hitter Kevin Penny beat the throw on a bunt. Speedy leadoff hitter Dom Massaro then hustled ahead of the throw on a groundout. Dan Kapsch brought the run in on a groundout. Zach Robinson’s RBI-single up the middle made it 2-1.
Randolph threatened in the fifth, but South Plainfield’s right fielder Brandon Bickunas threw out the runner trying to score on a sac fly as Studlack applied the tag.
Massaro led off the bottom of the fifth by blasting a home run near the 379-foot sign in left field for a 3-1 lead.
Randolph’s comeback came with two outs in the sixth. Dougherty singled to center, Terry walked and Connor Stokoe’s RBI-single up the middle cut the deficit to 3-2. Albano then singled to right for the 4-3 lead.
Martin said his fastballs for strikes were working, but in that final frame on the hot day, how did he feel?
“I was gassed,” said with a smile. “I was out of everything but emptied the tank.”
South Plainfield won the difficult Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division pennant in a memorable season.
Monday, though, it was Randolph that got to celebrate.
“It’s our team chemistry, man,” Albano said. “I mean, everybody on this team is best friends with everybody and our practices are fun. We see other in the halls we say hi. It’s the stuff off the field that really gets us close-knit and then it just translates on the field. We get hits after hits. We pick guys up. Guys don’t pitch well, we hit well. Guys don’t hit well, we pitch well and we just keep going.”
NJ Baseball: Randolph tops South Plainfield in North 2 Group 3 (mycentraljersey.com)
MyCentralJersey.com
SOUTH PLAINFIELD – The Randolph baseball team posed for pictures after beating South Plainfield 8-3 in Monday’s NJSIAA North 2 Group 3 final.
One thing: they didn’t have the sparkling blue sectional title-winning trophy. Senior third baseman Rocco Albano went to get the trophy from an official and then there were more picture-posing.
“I told my team the only thing I want to do today is hold a trophy,” Albano said. “I want to hold some hardware and we got the job done even though we were down. We got back in it, we kept strong and we got the job done.”
Randolph will host North 1 winners Morris Knolls in the Group 3 semifinals on Wednesday. The NJSIAA pre-determined the host sites based on region.
It’s been a magical, pulsating run for the Rams, who now has three-straight, come-from-behind playoff wins. Second-seeded Randolph (21-9) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to beat North Hunterdon 3-2 in the semifinals and walked-off with two in the seventh to top Mendham 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
Monday, Albano’s two-RBI single in the top of the sixth gave the Rams a 4-3 lead. Randolph tacked on four runs in the seventh as runners came home on a bases-loaded walk, two wild pitches and a sac fly.
Tommy Martin went the distance scattering seven hits with nine strikeouts.
“These last three games have been incredible,” said Randolph coach Mark Rizzi, who was asked just what is it about the team’s comeback ability “I just think it’s the personality of the guys that we have and remember when you’re from a small town like Randolph, these guys have played together since they were 8 and they’ve gone through championships, they’ve gone through heartbreaks … and I think they’re so positive.
“They’re just so positive every game. I hear what’s going on in the dugout when we’re down 3-1 in the sixth inning there is not one thing negative. Like they know that somebody’s going to do something. … They embrace all of the pressure every game and they’ve done a really good job.”
Randolph manufactured a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Dougherty walked with one out, moved to second on AJ Terry’s single and reached third on a wild pitch.
South Plainfield’s Aldo Pigna got the strikeout for the third out, but the ball got away from the catcher and RJ Dougherty scored for the 1-0 Randolph lead.
The lefthanded Pigna settled down and was outstanding, retiring 11 in a row until the fifth.
Randolph’s Rizzi said they were concerned about South Plainfield’s running ability and that proved prophetic as the top-seeded Tigers (22-6-1) soon took a 3-1 lead.
Steve Studlack singled to lead off the third inning and No. 9 hitter Kevin Penny beat the throw on a bunt. Speedy leadoff hitter Dom Massaro then hustled ahead of the throw on a groundout. Dan Kapsch brought the run in on a groundout. Zach Robinson’s RBI-single up the middle made it 2-1.
Randolph threatened in the fifth, but South Plainfield’s right fielder Brandon Bickunas threw out the runner trying to score on a sac fly as Studlack applied the tag.
Massaro led off the bottom of the fifth by blasting a home run near the 379-foot sign in left field for a 3-1 lead.
Randolph’s comeback came with two outs in the sixth. Dougherty singled to center, Terry walked and Connor Stokoe’s RBI-single up the middle cut the deficit to 3-2. Albano then singled to right for the 4-3 lead.
Martin said his fastballs for strikes were working, but in that final frame on the hot day, how did he feel?
“I was gassed,” said with a smile. “I was out of everything but emptied the tank.”
South Plainfield won the difficult Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division pennant in a memorable season.
Monday, though, it was Randolph that got to celebrate.
“It’s our team chemistry, man,” Albano said. “I mean, everybody on this team is best friends with everybody and our practices are fun. We see other in the halls we say hi. It’s the stuff off the field that really gets us close-knit and then it just translates on the field. We get hits after hits. We pick guys up. Guys don’t pitch well, we hit well. Guys don’t hit well, we pitch well and we just keep going.”
NJ Baseball: Randolph tops South Plainfield in North 2 Group 3 (mycentraljersey.com)
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