Greater Middlesex Conference rankings, Week 4

 

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Red Division madness: Can there be a four-way for first with all the teams at 7-5 in the division? Yes, and that’s what you call madness. Entering Tuesday, three teams are tied atop the standings at 6-4 in Monroe, North Brunswick and Old Bridge, while St. Joseph is at 5-5. Kudos to the schedule makers for this foresight as Old Bridge and Monroe plays Tuesday and Thursday. North Brunswick meets South Brunswick for two games. St. Joseph, meanwhile, concludes two series with a game apiece against South Plainfield on Tuesday and South Brunswick on Wednesday. So, if Old Bridge and Monroe splits and North Brunswick has a split coupled with a St. Joe’s sweep – each team is 7-5. You’ll need a forensic accountant to decide the tiebreakers.

Top 10

1. Old Bridge (11-5)– last week No. 1 – Any two-game sweep in the Red Division is huge. When it’s one of the teams you’re tied with at the top – titanic. The Knights maintain their No. 1 spot in our rankings fueled by their pair of wins over North Brunswick on April 13 and 15. Old Bridge had another eventful week with a 3-2 win over South Brunswick to complete the split; a split with South Brunswick and a loss to power Millburn (14-2). The Knights definitely don’t shy away from competition. Next up is a series with Monroe with first place on the line.

2. North Brunswick (8-5) –last week No. 2 – And just when you thought the Raiders might be pulling away – not quite. North Brunswick moved into a one-game lead in the Red Division with a 2-1 win over East Brunswick on Thursday and Old Bridge’s loss to South Plainfield a day later. Then … East Brunswick topped the Raiders on a walk-off win Monday. That’s how close these games go. North Brunswick concludes the division slate with a two-game series against South Brunswick.

3. Monroe (6-4)– last week No. 4 – It’s time to jump Monroe up a spot. The Falcons have back-to-back sweeps of South Brunswick and South Plainfield and a win over East Brunswick on April 14 in its current five-game win streak. Monroe started 1-4 (split with St. Joseph, series loss to North Brunswick and a L to East Brunswick). Yes, they’re hot. Pitching ace Harrison Lollin has been joined by Zack Wallace and Lucas White for a pesky front three on the mound. Monroe plays Old Bridge on Tuesday and Thursday.

4. St. Joseph (7-7)– last week No. 3 – The Falcons can still be in the hunt for their fourth-straight Red Division title if they get help and defeat South Plainfield and South Brunswick. Even if that doesn’t happen, the momentum heading into the GMCT would be nice for St. Joseph’s fans.    

5. East Brunswick (6-8)– last week No. 5 – The Bears were in the midst of a four-game slide – two losses to St. Joseph and defeats to North Brunswick and non-conference Ramapo. Then, they scored a memorable walk-off win Monday over North Brunswick on Derick Christie’s single on a 3-2 count. That’s part of the romance of baseball, just when things seem dire, magic can happen on any day. They also have season splits with No. 1 Old Bridge and No. 3 Monroe. The Bears certainly have the pitching for a GMCT run.

6.Sayreville (10-3) – last week No. 8 – This ranking has weighed the Red Division heavily, but it’s time to give the White Division some recognition. There are certainly quality squads in the grouping and Sayreville controls its destiny to win the pennant. The Bombers have won four-straight and sit at 8-2 in the division ahead of Woodbridge (7-3), which they swept. Sayreville’s three losses were to teams with a combined 26-15 record in Edison, J.F. Kennedy and Middlesex. The Bombers conclude division play with two games against J.P. Stevens this week.

7. Spotswood (12-3)– last week No. 7 – It’s really hard to go wire to wire in the Blue Division with so many good teams. The Chargers had their first divisional stumble with a doubleheader split Monday against J.F. Kennedy. Spotswood (9-1 in division) controls its destiny with the two-game series against St. Thomas Aquinas (6-2). Give the Chargers credit for putting themselves in this position with a crucial sweep over South River last week. Casey Cumiskey continues to be one of the best hitter-pitchers in the area.

8. Woodbridge (10-4) – last week No. 9 – The Barrons still have a chance to claim the White Division if they beat Perth Amboy twice this week and Sayreville gets swept against J.P. Stevens. Regardless, Woodbridge is having another strong season and has a key division sweep over Middlesex and a win over South Plainfield.

9. South Plainfield (6-8)– last week No. 10 – Just when it seemed like the Tigers were on the verge of slipping from the rankings, they snapped a five-game slide with two big-time wins. South Plainfield edged No. 1 Old Bridge 3-2 last Friday and had a 3-0 victory over No. 4 St. Joes on Monday. That pitching can be dangerous come tournament time.

10. Edison (11-4)– last week No. 10 – It just feels like Edison could be ranked higher. Sometimes, though, polls wind up a certain way and Edison remains at No. 10 for this week. The Eagles impressively won five in a row before falling to Woodbridge on Monday. The Eagles finished their White Division slate at 8-4 with splits against Sayreville and Middlesex. They can certainly move up depending on how this week shakes out and will be a tough opponent in the GMCT.

NJ baseball: Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 for Week 4 (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 14. South Plainfield 3, St. Joseph's Metuchen 0

 

No re-cap or write-ups available from local news outlets.

The Tigers took game one of the series vs Joes w a 3-0 victory. Soph LHP Kevin Penny (3-1) w a 4h CG, was absolutely filthy. Dom Massaro (1-3 hr 3 rbi) put the Tigers ahead w a 3 run jack in the 3rd, Seniors Joe Moroney (1-2 r) & Ashton Donovan (1-3) also collected hits.

Kevin Penny showed up to the firm today and was all business as usual. Despite a last minute change to the security detail due to a suspected infiltration by a professional hacking ring, he managed to maintain complete control (7ip 2k 2bb 4h) and subdue all threats.

2023 - Game # 13 South Plainfield 3, Old Bridge 2

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

South Plainfield 3, Old Bridge 2

Dom Massaro ripped a walk-off hit that scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh as South Plainfield earned the Red Division win.

The freshman continued his strong rookie season by going 2-for-4 as the Tigers (5-8, 4-6) took the series split with the Knights (11-4, 6-4). Old Bridge and Monroe are 6-4 in the division – they have a series coming up – and North Brunswick is at 6-3.

Aldo Pigna kept South Plainfield in the game by firing six good innings allowing two runs with five strikeouts. Chase Donovan pitched a scoreless seventh, working around two hits.

Jay Alvarez and Brandon Bickunas (run) each went 2-for-3 and Joe Moroney walked and scored.

Justin Meyer gave Old Bridge a strong start by allowing two runs (1 ER) in six innings. Frank Papeo went 2-for-4 (double) and Evan Smith doubled and had two RBI. Mike Villani (double) and Kyle McSorley each had a hit and scored. Justin Meyer and John Smith each had a hit for the Knights.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

Massaro stars as South Plainfield stuns No. 11 Old Bridge

By Tom Rimback | For NJ Advance Media

Dom Massaro had two hits, including a triple, with two RBI and a run scored as South Plainfield stunned No. 11 Old Bridge 3-2 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Chase Donovan earned the win in relief. Aldo Pigna scattered five hits over six innings to keep South Plainfield (5-8) in range for the upset. Brandon Bickunas and Jayden Alvarez had two hits each.

Evan Smith doubled and drove in both third-inning runs for Old Bridge (11-4). Frank Papeo collected two hits.

Massaro stars as South Plainfield stuns No. 11 Old Bridge late - Baseball recap - nj.com

The Tigers took game 2 vs Old Bridge, w/ a 3-2 win. Aldo Pigna was every bit the ace this squad needed him to be (6ip 5h 5k 2 bb 2r). Bot 7 down 1, JayAlvarez(2-3 )&Brandon Bickunas(2-3r) got it started. 2 outs-bags juiced, Dom Massaro(2-4 3b r) hits the clutch 2rbi walk off.

Dom Massaro was quite involved in company business today. He triple downed on a deal mid day that broke ice, but didn’t put them over the top. When all seemed lost, and the bell about to sound, he Ric Flair chopped the suitcase closed and delivered the deal of deals.

2023 - Game # 12 Old Bridge 8, South Plainfield 3

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

 

Old Bridge 8, South Plainfield 3

Kyle McSorley homered and drove in three runs and Justin Hascup delivered a strong start as Old Bridge remains atop the Red Division standings along with North Brunswick.

The Knights (11-3, 6-3) led 3-2 and sealed the win with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Hascup allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Evan Smith finished the game.

Mike Villani doubled twice with an RBI and scored and Thomas Papeo went 2-for-3 (3 runs, RBI). Having a hit apiece were John Smith (RBI, run), Evan Smith (RBI), Shaun Bogda (run) and Akhil Penkala (run). Frank Papeo also drove in a run.

For South Plainfield (4-8, 3-6), Brandon Bickunas went 2-for-4 and Jayden Alvarez and Dom Massaro each singled with an RBI. Dan Kapsch, Ashton Donovan and Kevin Penny each had a hit.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 11. Monroe 4, South Plainfield 3

 

No re-cap or report from any news source for this game.

Greater Middlesex Conference rankings for Week 3

 

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

Top 10

1. Old Bridge (9-3)– last week No. 1 – The Knights remain No. 1 based on their body of work. In a season of parity, a loss on any given day doesn’t seem that fatal – especially with the frequency of games. Old Bridge fell to East Brunswick, which split the series 1-1, and to South Brunswick in Game 1. However, the Knights beat state power St. Augustine and Shore Conference heavyweight Red Bank Catholic in a packed week. Old Bridge also swept North Brunswick two weeks ago.

2. North Brunswick (7-4) –last week No. 2 – With a quality opponent every game, avoiding a sustained slump is key. The Raiders dipped to 3-4 on April 15 after three straight defeats. The defending GMC Tournament champions went right back to hitting the ball hard and have won four in a row. That includes a sweep over St. Joseph and wins over Woodbridge and J.F. Kennedy.  

3. St. Joseph (4-6)– last week No. 3 – The Falcons dipped under .500 with three out of four losses. But that win last Thursday was a huge 16-2 victory over East Brunswick. While getting swept by North Brunswick hurts, the Falcons have splits with Old Bridge and Monroe. That’s enough to keep them at No. 3. They were slated to meet East Brunswick on Tuesday to conclude the series.

4. Monroe (5-4)– last week No. 5 – Monroe could have moped and slumped some more after a four-game losing streak – with three losses by a run each. Instead, they came back to win four straight themselves. That includes a two-game sweep of South Brunswick – a rare Red sweep this spring – and a 14-2 win over South Plainfield last Friday.

5. East Brunswick (5-6)– last week No. 4 – With no one separating themselves in the Red Division, the Bears are hanging tough and beat Old Bridge last week to gain the split. East Brunswick gets another shot at St. Joseph on Tuesday with a key series – they’re all key – against North Brunswick on Thursday and Saturday.

6. South Brunswick (5-6)– last week No. 6 – In a division of parity, showing resiliency is a lifeblood. The Vikings bounced back after going 0-2 against Monroe by scoring in the top of the seventh to defeat Old Bridge 2-1 last Thursday. South Brunswick then beat Robbinsville and lost to Franklin in non-conference games. The Vikings are very much in the Red Division race. Look at their next five games – a meeting with No. 1 Old Bridge and then a pair of two-game series against No. 3 St. Joseph and No. 2 North Brunswick.

7. Spotswood (9-2)– last week No. 7 – The Chargers had been ripping the ball and getting great pitching in an electric 8-0 start. One thing – they didn’t face a team that currently has a winning record. That changed last week with a 15-0 win over Dunellen (6-3) and two close losses against non-conference opponents. You can’t ding them much for an 11-10 loss to Livingston (9-3) and a 2-1 defeat to Audubon (8-2). On tap are three-straight Blue Division series against the top half of the division in South River, St. Thomas Aquinas and J.F. Kennedy. Should be fun to follow.

8. Sayreville (8-3) – last week No. 8 – How’s this for a comeback season – the Bombers have already tied last year’s win total after going 8-16. They returned some hitting power, but had questions on the mound after graduating 92 innings spread throughout three pitchers. Aayush Mehta, Thomas Schlaline and Jake Romanello have stepped up in increased roles. Sayreville has a key two-game sweep over Woodbridge and splits with Edison and Middlesex.

9. Woodbridge (8-3) – last week not ranked – Welcome back, Barrons. It’s definitely time they re-enter the Top 10. Woodbridge was our preseason No. 3 team, but fell out after getting swept against Sayreville to start 2-2. Turns out, they were quality loses and Woodbridge has since gone 6-1 to get right back in the White Division race. That includes an impressive sweep over Middlesex and a win over South Plainfield. The series this week against Edison will be crucial in deciding the division champ.

10. (tie) Edison (8-3)– last week No. 10 – The Eagles lost to Middlesex during the week, but remain in the rankings for their body of work that includes a sweep with Sayreville. We’ll know more by this time next week as the Eagles have a series with Woodbridge and the second game against Middlesex, which was on the verge of entering the rankings this week.

South Plainfield (4-5)– last week No. 9 – The Tigers are on a three-game slide after getting outscored by a combined 38-10 against Monroe, Millburn and Woodbridge. However, they have season splits with No. 2 North Brunswick, No. 5 East Brunswick and No. 6 South Brunswick. It just feels like they should remain for another week as they enter another tough stretch. The Tigers play Monroe and then meet Old Bridge twice and St. Joseph twice.

(Records through Monday, April 14. The Top 10 week goes from Tuesdays through Mondays)

NJ baseball: Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 for Week 3 (mycentraljersey.com)

2023. Game # 10 Woodbridge 14, South Plainfield 3

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Woodbridge 14, South Plainfield 3

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Leach allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts as Woodbridge scored the division crossover win.

The visiting Barrons (8-3) trailed 1-0 but scored five runs in the fourth inning, four times in the fifth, three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh for the big win.

Teyler Weber went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Drew Lukachyk was 2-for-5 and scored twice. AJ Bosch had a hit, scored twice and drove in two runs with a stolen base. Xavier Diaz (double) and Tim Deignan each had a hit, walked and scored three times. Jostiel Valdez didn’t allowed an earned run in 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.

Derek Anderson also got a hit and scored in the win and Shawn Kish singled and walked twice.

For the Tigers (4-6), Jayden Alvarez (double) went 2-for-3 and Dom Massaro and Joe Moroney each singled and drove in a run.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 9 Milburn 10, South Plainfield 5

 

No. 2 Millburn 10, South Plainfield 5

By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Robert Schneider was 4-for-5 with four runs, a RBI and three stolen bases as Millburn, No. 2 in the NJ.com Top 20, snapped a two-game skid and defeated South Plainfield, 10-5.

Alex Wilson had four RBI, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored for Millburn (10-2), which jumped out to a 5-0 lead by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning and two more in the second. Keigo Fujita scored three runs, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base, and Steven Echavarria went 2-for-3 with two walks, three RBI and a run. Starting pitcher Charlie Krasnove struck out four in 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks.

South Plainfield falls to 4-5 on the season.

North Brunswick Autism Awareness Baseball Challenge Recap: Livingston rallies past Spotswood - nj.com

2023 - Game # 8 Monroe 14, South Plainfield 2 (5 innings)

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Monroe 14, South Plainfield 2

Zack Wallace went the distance in the five-inning game by allowing an unearned run off of four hits and two walks as the Falcons’ bats erupted in the Red Division win.

Monroe (5-4 overall, 5-4 in the division won its fourth-straight game with 13 hits.

Lucas White went 3-for-3 with two RBI and Harrison Lollin (2-for-2, RBI, 4 runs) and Michael Ortiz (2-for-3, 3 RBI, run) also had multi-hit games.

Nick Sellari singled and walked and scored three times and Aidan Lane walked twice and scored two times. Also having a hit in the win were Trevor Wallace, Jake Lobue (run), Larry Casey (run) and Kyle McCauley (2 runs).

Having hits for South Plainfield (4-4, 3-4) were Nick Irizarry, Zack Robinson, Ashton Donovan and Joe Moroney (run).

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

Greater Middlesex Conference baseball rankings for Week 2

 

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Top 10

1. Old Bridge (7-1)– last week No. 8 – In a season of close games in the Red Division, the Knights have just found ways to win. Enter the huge two-game sweep over North Brunswick last week. The Knights scored five runs in the top of the seventh to win Game 1 by 6-5. Then, Kyle McSorley’s double in the bottom of the eighth gave the Knights a 3-2 win. The Knights followed that up with a 5-2 win over East Brunswick on Monday. Justin Hascup, Justin Meyer and Frank Papeo are developing into one of the best staffs in the area. The jump from No. 8 to No. 1 is well warranted.

2. North Brunswick (4-4)– last week No. 1 – The Raiders followed that tough series with Old Bridge with a clutch 6-1 win over St. Joseph on Monday. Zack Konstantinovsky couldn’t have had a better game. The Rutgers-bound star hit two home runs and struck out 12 in going the distance. The series was set to continue Tuesday. The Raiders fall a spot to No. 2 and their CV includes two-game splits with Old Bridge and Monroe.

3. St. Joseph (3-3)– last week No. 2 – The Falcons beat state-ranked Gloucester Catholic last Wednesday before dropping the game against North Brunswick to snap a three-game win streak. St. Joseph remains up high in the rankings with splits against Old Bridge and Monroe. The talent’s certainly there for a strong finish.

4. East Brunswick (4-4)– last week No. 3 – The Bears traded walk-off victories with Monroe last week and that just about sums up their season, in which any game is up for grabs. East Brunswick has also split their two games with South Brunswick and South Plainfield, and dropped the first game against Old Bridge on Monday. They were slated to play again Tuesday. Those quality wins and losses keeps EB in the Top 5.

5. Monroe (3-4)– last week No. 4 – See above. The Falcons are hanging tough in the Red Division and took the key Game 1 against South Brunswick behind Harrison Lollin’s gem – a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts.  Monroe is 2-3 in one-run games. As coach Sean Field noted after the 5-4 walk-off win over East Brunswick on Friday, they could be one of the best teams or near the bottom. Now, they have confidence with two-straight victories.

6. South Brunswick (3-4)– last week No. 5 – I hate to write it a third time, but … See Above. Just look at the Vikings’ roller coaster-type week in which all three games could have went either way. South Brunswick edged South Plainfield 2-0 behind ace Joey Tuttoilmondo’s gem (11 Ks, 1 H, 1 BB). The Vikings then lost 16-13 to South Plainfield in eight innings before dropping the 3-0 game to Monroe on Monday. Game 2 against Monroe was set for Tuesday before a meeting with Old Bridge on Thursday.

7. Spotswood (8-0)– last week No. 7 – The Chargers are certainly making a case for a potential jump in the rankings. Spotswood has outscored opponents 83-13 with four shutouts. Casey Cumiskey leads the explosive hitters and stingy pitching staff.

8. Sayreville (5-3) – last week No. 6 – The Bombers ran into two hot-hitting teams in their latest games and fell 12-2 to Edison and to J.F. Kennedy by the same score. That just happens in baseball sometimes. Sayreville has series sweep over Woodbridge and splits with Edison and Middlesex, squads in the top half of the White Division. That’s a good body of work.

9. South Plainfield (4-3)– last week No. 9 – Win a game. Lose a game. That was the order for the Tigers in the early going until a 13-4 non-conference win over Somerville on Monday to get past .500. As long as they’re getting Red Division splits, though, South Plainfield will be just fine. They have splits with East Brunswick, North Brunswick and South Brunswick. Junior Jayden Alvarez and freshman Dom Massaro are having breakout seasons at the plate.

10. Edison (5-2)– last week No. 10 – The Eagles are in the thick of a tight race for the White Division pennant. That’s why erupting for the 12-2 win over Sayreville to grasp the series split was clutch. Paul DiCarlo led the way with a 4-for-4 day with three RBI and is having a strong season on the mound.

(Records through Monday, April 17. The week for the rankings go from Tuesday to Monday)

NJ baseball: GMC Top 10 for Week 2 (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 7 South Plainfield 13, Somerville 4

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com
 

South Plainfield 13, Somerville 4

Frankie Flannery drove in four runs as South Plainfield earned the impressive non-conference win over Somerville.

The visiting Tigers (4-3) led 5-4 and scored two runs apiece from the third through the sixth innings for the victory.

Sophomore Kevin Penny went six innings to earn the win with five strikeouts. Zack Robinson had three RBI in the win.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

Frank Flannery had everyone’s full attention during the Monday afternoon status report meeting. Frankie’s presentation and overall performance was as tight (3-3, 3r, 4 rbi, bb, sb) as the suit he wore to the office.

The Tigers defeat Somerville 13-4

Starter Kevin Penny was a bulldog (6ip, 2er, 5h, 5k) picked up his 2nd Win in 4 days. Zach Robinson (3-3, 2 2b, 3b, 3 rbi, bb, 2 sb, 2 r) Frank Flannery(3-3, 4 rbi, 3r, bb) Ashton Donovan (2-4, 2b, bb, 2 rbi, r )Dan Kapsch (3-4, 2 rbi, r) led the offensive attack.

2023 - Game # 6 South Plainfield 16, South Brunswick 13 (8 innings)

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

 South Plainfield 16, South Brunswick 13

South Plainfield won a wild game by scoring three runs in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings after trailing 10-6.

The Tigers (3-3 overall, 3-3 in Red Division) earned a key split after South Brunswick (3-3, 2-2) won Thursday 2-0.

Zack Robinson had a massive day by going 4-for-5 with six RBI and a home run and double. Jayden Alvarez also homered and doubled (3-for-3) with three walks and three RBI. Adding to the highlight film was Dom Massaro, who went 4-for-6 with four RBI and a pair of doubles.

Dan Kapsch went 2-for 2 with three walks and scored four times, while Joe Moroney went 2-for-5 with two runs scored in the win.

Sophomore, Kevin Penny earned the win by throwing the final two innings and did not allow a hit.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

After 8 grueling hours of back and forth deliberations, Zach Robinson provided plenty of evidence (4-5 hr 2b bb 6rbi 2 r &sb) that led the jury to render a verdict in his favor. Robinson & his partners, proved to be relentless in their efforts to achieve victory.

The Tigers won 16-13 in 8 & split the series vs South Brunswick. Sophomore Kevin Penny pitched the final 2 frames (0h 2k) & earned his 1st career W. Robinson (4-5 hr 2b 6 rbi 2r) Massaro (4-6 2 2b 4rbi 4 r) Alvarez (2-3 hr 3rbi 2bb) Kapsch 2-2 3 bb 4r) Moroney (2-5 2r) were clutch!!

2023 - Game # 5 South Brunswick 2, South Plainfield 0

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

South Brunswick 2, South Plainfield 0

Joey Tuttoilmondo threw another gem with a complete game shutout allowing just one hit and walk in the six innings with 11 strikeouts for the key Red Division win.

The visiting Vikings (3-2, 2-1) scored in the first and fifth innings. Slugger Ethan Fantel singled and drove in a run and Aaron Perna scored twice and went 1-for-3 and walked. Teddy Garcia also went 2-for-3 and Daniel Kirk singled and walked.

Aldo Pigna gave the Tigers (2-3, 2-3) a great start by allowing two runs (1 ER) in six innings off of five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Chase Donovan threw a scoreless inning. Dan Kapsch had the lone hit for South Plainfield and Brandon Bickunas drew a walk.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

Greater Middlesex Conference baseball rankings, notes after opening week

 

Andy Mendlowitz MyCentralJersey.com

Division Notes

Red Division: Parity. Intrigue. Chaos. Hold on fans, if the first week is any indication it’s going to be some ride this spring. Look at the two-game series results: North Brunswick vs. South Plainfield – split. St. Joseph vs. Old Bridge – split. St. Joseph vs. Monroe – split. East Brunswick vs. South Brunswick – split. Nobody has gained an early edge and it just may be like that for the whole season.

Granted, it’s only a week in, but one thing is apparent: all seven teams have pitching depth. If your ace wins, great, Game 2 isn’t guaranteed. Strong arms especially come into play in the third game of the week. Take our No. 1 North Brunswick. The Raiders certified ace Zachary Konstantinovsky threw 6 1/3 shutout innings in their 2-0 win Tuesday over South Plainfield, which took Thursday’s finale. Saturday, junior Alejandro Jabar hurled six shutout innings in a complete-game 10-0 win over Monroe in the first game of the series.

Top 10 Entering Week 2

(Records through Monday, April 10)

1. North Brunswick (2-1) – preseason No. 1 – The Raiders opened with three totally different games – a 2-0 win over South Plainfield, an 11-2 loss to SP and a 10-0 win over Monroe. North Brunswick has the veteran pieces to not get frazzled no matter how the game develops.

2. St. Joseph (2-2) – preseason No. 2 – The Falcons could easily be 4-0 or 0-4. Yup, that’s the type of season this is looking like. Starting 2-2 seems about right. St. Joseph certainly has the pieces to get hot and go on a run. Catcher Mark Gialluisi (7-for-11) and  OF Robbie Carvelli (7-for-13) have hit like leaders.

3. East Brunswick (3-1) – preseason No. 4 – Fans know that the Bears have the deep arms. But they’re also hitting with 21 runs over their last two games. East Brunswick will be very dangerous with that kind of complete output.

4. Monroe (1-2) – preseason No. 5 – On one hand, it doesn’t seem right to move a team up a spot after a 1-2 start. But early season rankings are sometimes like that and Monroe’s three games were against No. 1 and No. 2. The Falcons got a split with St. Joseph and lost to North Brunswick. Monroe’s veteran nucleus should lead the way as the newcomers develop.

5. South Brunswick (2-2) – preseason No. 6 – The varsity inexperienced Vikings showed guts in coming back to edge East Brunswick on opening day. Having an early split with the Bears is a good sign and junior 1B/P Ethan Fantel seems primed to have a great season.

6.Sayreville (4-1) – preseason not ranked – The Bombers certainly had proven hitters entering the season, but needed to replace their two workhorse pitchers. Looks like Sayreville will be just fine and be a contender in the White Division. The Bombers swept No. 3 Woodbridge and split with Middlesex, always a tough team. They also beat Piscataway, twice putting up double-digit runs.

7. Spotswood (4-0) – preseason No. 7 – No, not a bad start at all for the Chargers. Spotswood has outscored opponents 38-1, including gutting out a 2-1 win over Metuchen on opening day. The brothers Cumiskey, Casey and Carter, are a combined 16-for-28 with 11 RBI.

8. Old Bridge (3-1) – preseason No. 8 – The Knights needed some hitters to step up this season. Well, they scored 28 runs in their three wins. Splitting with No. 2 St. Joe’s is a great start and they have an anticipated series with North Brunswick on Thursday and Saturday.

9. South Plainfield (1-2) – preseason No. 9 – Fans know the Tigers are always going to be in the mix on the diamond. However, they did need to replace some key graduated seniors. Well, South Plainfield turned in a head-turning 11-2 win over No. 1 North Brunswick keyed by Dom Massaro’s four RBI in a split of the series. The Tigers lost to East Brunswick on Saturday and have a key week coming up with East Brunswick again and a series with South Brunswick.

10. Edison (3-1) – preseason No. 10 – Talking about powering up, the Eagles have absolutely crushed the ball and scored 56 runs over the first four games. Edison also got superb pitching (1 ER allowed in first three games). The Eagles, though, lost to Colonia 14-9 on Monday for a series split. Next up is an intriguing series with a hot Sayreville team.

Received consideration

Woodbridge (2-2): The Barrons were ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll. Maybe it’s not fair to drop Woodbridge out after it swept Colonia then lost twice to Sayreville. They’re certainly a quality team who’s going to contend in the White Division. However, I had to get Sayreville in and no Red Division team lost a series. So, Woodbridge was sort of the early odd team out with several chances to play their way back in.

Middlesex (4-1): The Blue Jays winning games? Now, that’s no surprise. The perennial Group 1 power, though, returned just one regular starer and two pitchers. Yeah, they’ll be just fine. Middlesex split with Sayreville, beat Princeton Day and swept JP Stevens for the hot start.

NJ baseball: GMC Top 10 after opening week (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 4 South Plainfield 12, East Brunswick 1

Baseball: High-powered offense leads South Plainfield past East Brunswick

Updated: Apr. 11, 2023, 8:05 p.m.
Published: Apr. 11, 2023, 8:03 p.m.

By Nestor F. Sebastian | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

South Plainfield scored on a double by Zach Robinson and a double by Jay Alvarez in the first inning to get the offense rolling in a 12-1 win over East Brunswick in East Brunswick.

South Plainfield (2-2) opened up scoring when Robinson doubled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run and South Plainfield scored six runs in the second inning, with Dom Massaro, Robinson, Ashton Donovan, and Alvarez all knocking in runs in the inning. Donovan led things off on the mound for South Plainfield, allowing three hits and one run over five innings, striking out seven. South Plainfield racked up 10 hits in the game. Robinson and Alvarez all managed multiple hits for South Plainfield

Dustin McGuinness started the game for East Brunswick, surrendering eight runs on five hits over one and two-thirds innings, striking out one. Eshan Shah and Jack Ryan entered the game as relief, throwing two innings and one and one-third innings, respectively. East Brunswick socked one home run on the day. Jack Gerould had a dinger in the first inning. Drew Mennona, Gerould, and Jack Nelson each collected one hit to lead East Brunswick. 

Baseball: High-powered offense leads South Plainfield past East Brunswick - nj.com

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

South Plainfield 12, East Brunswick 1

Jay Alvarez fueled South Plainfield’s big offensive day as the Tigers got 10 hits to get the Red Division split against East Brunswick.

The visiting Tigers (2-2, 2-2) scored twice in the first inning and then put up six runs in the second and four in the fourth for the five-inning win.

Alvarez homered and doubled with four RBI, while Zack Robinson went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a double and a walk. Brandon Bickunas added a hit and two RBI and Mike Sbailo Aldo Pigna each got their first career varsity hits. Dom Massaro (RBI), Nick Irizarry (RBI) and Dan Kapsch each had hits and Joe Moroney drove in a run.

Ashton Donovan slowed down the hot East Brunswick offense by allowing one run off three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.


South Plainfield 12, East Brunswick 1

Jay Alvarez fueled South Plainfield’s big offensive day as the Tigers got 10 hits to get the Red Division split against East Brunswick.

The visiting Tigers (2-2, 2-2) scored twice in the first inning and then put up six runs in the second and four in the fourth for the five-inning win.

Alvarez homered and doubled with four RBI, while Zack Robinson went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a double and a walk. Brandon Bickunas added a hit and two RBI and Mike Sbailo Aldo Pigna each got their first career varsity hits. Dom Massaro (RBI), Nick Irizarry (RBI) and Dan Kapsch each had hits and Joe Moroney drove in a run.

Ashton Donovan slowed down the hot East Brunswick offense by allowing one run off three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Jack Gerould hit a solo home run for the Bears (3-2, 2-2) in the first inning and Drew Mennona and Jack Nelson (double) had hits.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com

Tuesday brought us some great April weather and an even greater performance at the office by Jay Alvarez. He delivered as soon as he arrived (2-2)rbi 2b - 3 run Jack- bb -3r. His work helped close the deal early enough to beat the traffic home while his coffee was still hot.

2023 - Game # 3 East Brunswick 9, South Plainfield 3

East Brunswick tops South Plainfield - Baseball recap

Updated: Apr. 08, 2023, 6:57 p.m.|
Published: Apr. 08, 2023, 6:56 p.m.

By Chris Nalwasky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Dustin McGuinness collected three hits including a double, two RBI, and a run in East Brunswick’s 9-3 win over South Plainfield on the road in South Plainfield.

Jason Agrait also went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and three runs, Jack Nelson added two hits, two runs, and an RBI, and Jack Ryan singled and walked twice and had an RBI and a run in the win, which pushed the Bears’ record to 2-1.

East Brunswick scored five runs in the second inning and tallied 11 hits as a team.

Michael Marchese earned the win yielding just one run on three hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts.

The Tigers (1-2) scored a run in the first inning and two more in the seventh for a little rally. Dom Massaro hit an RBI-triple.

East Brunswick tops South Plainfield - Baseball recap - nj.com

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

East Brunswick 9, South Plainfield 3

Junior righty Michael Marchese struck out 10 and allowed one run off of three hits and a walk as East Brunswick took the first game against South Plainfield.

The Red Division series concludes Tuesday at East Brunswick.

The Bears (2-1, 2-1) lashed out 11 hits and put up five runs in the top of the second to take a 5-1 lead.

Jason Agrait went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and scored three runs and Dustin McGuinness went 3-for-5 (2 RBI, run, 2B). Jack Nelson (RBI, 2 runs) and Jack Ryan (2 BB, RBI, run) each had two hits. Marchese also singled.

Jayden Alvarez went 2-for-3 for South Plainfield (1-2, 1-2) and Dom Massaro tripled with an RBI. Nick Irizarry (single) and Zack Robinson also each had an RBI.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 2 South Plainfield 11, North Brunswick 2

South Plainfield knocks off No. 7 North Brunswick - Baseball recap

By Craig Epstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Dom Massaro led the way for South Plainfield going 3-5 with four RBI and a run and was a triple away from the cycle to knock off North Brunswick, No. 7 in the NJ.com Top 20, 11-2 in North Brunswick.

North Brunswick (1-1) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning before South Plainfield (1-1) answered back with three runs in the fourth. South Plainfield pulled away in the sixth tacking on six more runs.

Nick Irizarry also went 2-4 with three RBI and a run while Dan Kapsch had a two-run double and scored a run.

Zachary Konstantinovsky led North Brunswick going 2-3 with an RBI and a run while EJ Accettura went 2-3 with a run.

South Plainfield knocks off No. 7 North Brunswick - Baseball recap - nj.com

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

South Plainfield 11, North Brunswick 2

South Plainfield scored eight times in the top of the sixth to stun North Brunswick in a Red Division game. Center fielder Dom Massaro drove in four runs on a 3-for-5 with a home run and double. Leadoff hitter Nick Irizarry had three RBI and went 2-for-4 with a walk to help in the 11-hit attack.

The Red Division has much parity in opening week and it seems to be wide open this spring. North Brunswick, No. 1 in the Home News Tribune Top 10, won the opener against No. 9 South Plainfield 2-0.

The Tigers, which have several varsity newcomers, showed they’re going to be a player. Junior lefty Aldo Pigna allowed two runs in 4 1/3 off five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Zack Robinson finished with 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball (2 H, 1 BB, 2 K). He also went 2-for-4.

South Plainfield showed its going to have a balanced line up as No. 7 hitter Frank Flannery (2 BB, 2 runs), No. 8 Joe Maroney (hit, 2 BB, 2 runs) and No. 9 Dan Kapsch (double, 2 RBI, BB) contributed. Ashton Donovan and Jayden Alvarez each had a hit.

North Brunswick had multi-hit games from EJ Accettura (2B), Zachary Konstantinovsky (RBI) and Josh Rodriguez.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)

Nick Irizarry (3-5 r bb 3rbi) showed up to work today determined to be the guy. His clutch performance during the 4th hour of intense negotiations put his team over the top and paved the way toward the achievement of their main objective.

2023 - Game # 1 North Brunswick 2, South Plainfield 0

By 

Craig Epstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Zachary Konstantinovsky earned the win for North Brunswick, No. 7 in the NJ.com Top 20, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings of three-hit ball and struck out four batters to down South Plainfield 2-0 in South Plainfield.

Kyle Anderson went 1-1 with an RBI and two walks for North Brunswick while Josh Rodriguez finished 1-2 with a run.

Ashton Donovan threw 6 1/3 innings for South Plainfield and allowed four hits and four walks. Joseph Maroney, Dom Massaro, and Zack Robinson each accounted for a hit.

No. 7 North Brunswick defeats South Plainfield - Baseball recap - nj.com

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

North Brunswick 2, South Plainfield 0

Zachary Konstantinovsky pitched like an ace as North Brunswick took the opener over South Plainfield. The senior threw 6 1/3 shutout innings and allowed three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Kyle Anderson got the last two outs. He also singled, walked twice and drove in a run. Frankie Garbolino and Josh Rodriguez each added a hit in the opener.

South Plainfield got a well-pitched game by Ashton Donovan in the loss. He allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

NJ Baseball roundup: Results, analysis, links for Skyland, GMC, UCC (mycentraljersey.com)