Greater Middlesex Conference rankings for Week 6

Andy Mendlowitz MyCentralJersey.com

1. North Brunswick (16-5) –last week No. 1 – The Raiders have just about seen it all over the past three seasons. Remember in last year’s Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament when they won back-to-back games by scores of 14-13 and 1-0 in 12 innings. No, not much frazzles this group, the bulk of which were members of the 2022 GMCT champions and 2021 GMCT semifinal teams. So they didn’t panic after falling behind 1-0 in the first inning against Monroe and its ace Harrison Lollin in Saturday’s GMCT semifinals. North Brunswick simply stayed cool and prevailed 2-1 fueled by Omar Carreras’ two-run homer in the third inning. Zack Konstantinovsky retired 17 straight to end the game. North Brunswick is a complete team with a balanced lineup and have won 13 of its last 14 games and eight in a row. They topped Somerset County Tournament champions Rutgers Prep 12-6 last week. They’ll meet St. Joseph in a rematch of last year’s GMCT Saturday at 2 p.m. at East Brunswick Magnet School.

2. St. Joseph (16-7)– last week No. 4 – The hot team stayed hot. That’s the way you want to be playing come mid-May. The Falcons reached their third-straight GMCT final with a 7-0 win over Spotswood in the quarterfinals and a 2-1 win over South Plainfield in the semifinals. That set up a rematch with North Brunswick in Saturday’s final. St. Joseph has now won 12 of its last 13 and nine in a row. Leadoff hitter Mark Gialluisi, a catcher, sets the tone (44 hits, 8 BB, .537 BA) and it’s a pesky lineup throughout the order. No. 8 hitter Will Ramsay homered against Spotswood and No. 9 hitter Bobby Christensen had the presence to draw a bases loaded walk in the GMCT semis for the winning run in the sixth inning.

3. Monroe (11-8)– last week No. 3 – The pitching couldn’t have been much better. Monroe allowed two runs and six hits in its three GMCT games. Last Wednesday, Lucas White threw a no-hitter with one walk in the Falcons’ 1-0 win over South Brunswick in the quarterfinals. Monroe dropped the semifinal 2-1 to North Brunswick as Harrison Lollin gave up three hits in the wrong side of a pitching duel. The junior twirled a three-hitter with 13 strikeouts in the 7-0 second-round win over Piscataway. Zack Wallace gives Monroe three top starters and the Falcons should be a fun team to follow in the NJSIAA sectional playoffs. The pairings are released on Friday.

4. Old Bridge (15-8)– last week No. 2 – When two Red Division teams meet, you never know which way the runs will fall. The second-seeded Knights lost to seventh-seeded South Plainfield 11-4 in Wednesday’s quarterfinals after splitting in the regular season. The Knights then lost to non-conference Manalapan and scored an impressive win over White Division champion Sayreville on Monday. Old Bridge’s tough schedule – non-conference games included Millburn (21-2), Red Bank Catholic (18-4) and St. Augustine (15-6) – should help prepare them for the sectionals.

5. South Plainfield (12-12)– last week No. 7 – One can’t go by South Plainfield’s record. The Tigers always have a legit chance to win and have splits with our No. 1 North Brunswick, No. 2 St. Joseph and No. 4 Old Bridge. That’s why the seventh-seeded Tigers win over second-seeded Old Bridge in the GMCT quarterfinals wasn’t all that shocking. They almost got it done against St. Joseph in the semifinals, but the third-seeded Falcons rallied for the 2-1 win.

6. Spotswood (16-6)– last week No. 5 – The Chargers ran into a couple of tough Red Division teams last week, falling to St. Joseph in the GMCT quarterfinals and South Plainfield on Monday. But remember, Spotswood exceeded their No. 11 seed by reaching the final eight via an upset over sixth-seeded Woodbridge in the second round. Senior Casey Cumiskey became the program’s career hit leader by doubling in the second inning against South Plainfield to break Spotswood’s record of 135 career hits. It was also his 50th hit of the season, which surpassed the program’s single-season hit mark that he set last season.  

7.Sayreville (13-8) – last week No. 6 – While the Bombers are on a bit of a slide, their fans shouldn’t be all that concerned with the sectionals coming up. Sayreville continues to play good teams tight. Their current 2-7 stretch includes four games decided by three runs or less. Junior Jake Romanello is continuing his breakout season by hitting .492 (30-of-61).

8. Edison (13-9)– last week No. 8 – The Eagles, too, are on a down stretch with losses against quality teams. Edison has dropped six of their last eight with four of them by three runs or less. The Eagles’ bats came alive with an impressive 11-5 win over Somerset County Tournament champions Rutgers Prep on Monday.

9. Woodbridge (17-5) – last week No. 9 – The Barrons continue to pile up wins. Woodbridge has taken four straight following its loss to Spotswood in the GMCT second round on May 8. This month they’re 8-1 – the type of consistency a team strives for in the stretch run. The latest win was a 7-6 walk-off against Linden from the bat of Derek Anderson.

10. (tie) South Brunswick (9-12)– last week No. 10 – The Vikings came close, but couldn’t conquer Monroe in their third try this season. They fell 1-0 in the GMCT quarterfinals as Monroe’s Lucas White threw a no-hitter. What could you do, that’s baseball. Fans should be encouraged by the team’s improving play as of late. After a six-game slide, the Vikings are 4-1 from May 5 on.

East Brunswick (9-11)– last week No. 10 – The Bears have scored 27 runs in their last two wins. Dustin McGuinness, Jack Gerould and Ryan Schultz each drove in four runs apiece. East Brunswick hopes that kind of hitting stays contagious as they gain momentum for the sectionals.

(Records through Monday, May 15) 

NJ baseball: Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 for Week 6 (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 24. South Plainfield 10, Spotswood 4

South Plainfield tops Spotswood, spoils Cumiskey’s record-setting day

By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The South Plainfield dugout celebrates after Jayden Alvarez (2) scored the first run of the game during the Greater Middlesex County Tournament semifinal baseball game between St. Joseph (Met.) and South Plainfield at Easst Brunswick Magnet High School in East Brunswick, NJ on Saturday, May 13, 2023.Scott Faytok | NJ Advance Media

Jayden Alvarez’s grand slam, was the big blow in a six-run top of the fourth inning that propelled South Plainfield to a 10-4 victory over Spotswood in Spotswood.
In defeat, Casey Cumiskey became Spotswood’s career hits leader, setting the mark with a bases-clearing double that gave Spotswood a 3-1 lead. Cumiskey, a Seton Hall commit who now has 137 career hits, also broke his own single-season hits record with 51.

Kevin Penny was 3-for-3 with two runs for South Plainfield (12-12) and Dom Massaro scored three runs, going 1-for-4 with a walk, RBI and a stolen base. Zack Robinson and Aldo Pigna had two RBI apiece and Nick Irizarry scored two runs. Winning pitcher Andrew Csordos allowed four runs, eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts in seven innings.

Cumiskey finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run for his 15th multi-hit game of the season for Spotswood (16-6).

South Plainfield tops Spotswood, spoils Cumiskey’s record-setting day - Baseball recap - nj.com

South Plainfield 10, Spotswood 4

Spotswood senior Casey Cumiskey became the program’s career hit leader by doubling in the second inning against South Plainfield to break the school’s record of 135 career hits.

It was also his 50th hit of the season, which surpassed the program’s single-season hit mark that he set last season. The Seton Hall-commit has 15 multi-hit games with three or more hits in 10 of those games.

South Plainfield (12-12), though, claimed the win with a six-run fourth inning highlighted by Jay Alvarez’s grand slam. Kevin Penny went 3-for-3 with a double and Zack Robinson had a triple and two RBI on the day. Dom Massaro also doubled and scored three times in the win.

Spotswood fell to 16-6.

NJ baseball: Results for GMC, Skyland, Union County (mycentraljersey.com)

The Tigers won 10-4 today. Andrew Csordos went the distance & picked up the Win. Dogs who ate : Kevin Penny (3-3 2b bb sb 2r) Dom Massaro (3-4 2 2b bb 2rbi sb 3r) Zach Robinson(1-2 3b 2rbi r) and Jay Alvarez (2-4 GS 4rbi)

Andrew Csordos was given an assignment on Monday that required him to work on location in one of the toughest environments known to man. Delayed, but not deterred, w/ case in hand, double Windsor knot & Armani suit on back, Andrew was all business.

2023 - Game # 23 Johnathan Dayton Springfield 6, South Plainfield 4 (TD Bank Park)

 

No published re-caps of this game by any print media.

2023 - Game # 22 St. Joseph's Metuchen 2, South Plainfield 1 (GMC Semi-Final)

 

St. Joseph (Met.) surges late to top South Plainfield in GMCT semis
By Mak Ojutiku | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Third-seeded St. Joseph (Met.) scored a pair of late runs to push past seventh-seeded South Plainfield for a 2-1 victory in the semifinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, hosted at East Brunswick Magnet.

St. Joe’s will face top-seeded North Brunswick in the championship game next Saturday, May 20, at East Brunswick Magnet.

North Brunswick has handed St. Joe’s two losses this season.

After a scoreless start to the game, the Tigers (11-11) struck first with a fifth-inning run.

Matt Kosuda produced an RBI single in the sixth inning to tie the game 1-1 for St. Joe’s, and Bobby Christensen drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a 2-1 lead.

Ashton Donovan drove in South Plainfield’s run.

Baseball: St. Joseph (Met.) surges late to top South Plainfield in GMCT semis (PHOTOS) - nj.com

St. Joseph rallies late to reach the GMCT final

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

EAST BRUNSWICK – Jimmy Mulvaney knew his mission – keep it close. Really, that’s all you could do in a pitching duel. So after South Plainfield scored in the fourth inning, the St. Joseph right-hander went back to work.

“I’m beating myself up, but at that point you just got to put it behind you,” the senior said. “Keep it there and trust the bats.”

And why wouldn’t he believe? The Falcons have been rolling in all facets after a slow start.

Saturday, St. Joseph scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead and held on for the 2-1 win in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinal.

The rally didn’t have a dramatic extra base hit. Rather, constant pressure and composed at-bats with two singles and three walks to bring home the two runs.

Matthew Kosuda’s RBI single tied it and Bobby Christensen’s walk with the bases loaded gave St. Joseph the 2-1 lead.

Mulvaney went 6 2/3 innings and left with two outs and runners on first and second after 102 pitches. Senior reliever Bryan Rios got a fly out to right field on his first pitch to seal the win at host East Brunswick Magnet School.

The Falcons have now won eight in a row and 11 of their last 12.

“I was confident today we were going to win even when we were down,” Mulvaney said. “I know our lineup. I knew we were going to score. And once we got those two runs across, I knew I had a job to do. I got those two outs. I was tired there at the end. Lost it a little, but Bryan came in, got those last two outs for me. It was huge.”

The third-seeded Falcons (15-7) reached their third-straight GMCT final and will have a rematch with top-seeded North Brunswick in next Saturday’s 2 p.m. final at EB Magnet School. St. Joseph won the title in 2021.

Seventh-seeded South Plainfield (11-11) had a nice run to reach the semifinals highlighted by an 11-4 upset over second-seeded Old Bridge in the quarterfinals last Wednesday. The Tigers also beat 10th-seeded Middlesex 6-4 last Monday.

Key plays for St. Joseph

In the sixth down 1-0, the Falcons went to work. Josiah Brown led off with a single up the middle. Tyler Delvecchio walked and Kosuda ripped a single into left field that scored Brown to tie it 1-1.

Joseph Zammitti walked to load the bases. The Tigers' Aldo Pigna got two outs, but faced sophomore No. 9 hitter Bobby Christensen., who drew a walk on four pitches for the lead.

Key plays for South Plainfield

South Plainfield junior lefty Aldo Pigna battled on the mound, going the distance. St. Joseph coach Mike Murray Jr. said, “Aldo was great.”

The Tigers seized a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on two swings. Jay Alvarez doubled on a 2-2 count over the left fielder’s head. Ashton Donovan followed by dropping a single into center field on the first pitch that scored Alvarez.

St. Joseph seemed to have a rally going in the second when Kosuda’s single fell in center field with one out. Joseph Zammitti followed up with a single to left.

South Plainfield catcher Brian Potts threw Kosuda out at third base trying to steal for the second out. Pigna allowed a walk to Christian Azcona. However, he got a strikeout to end the inning as the scored remained 0-0.

In the top of the seventh, Donovan led off with a single to left center and Kevin Penny singled in the hole past the shortstop with one out. South Plainfield, though, couldn’t get any closer.

Nightcap for South Plainfield

The Tigers packed up after the game and boarded the bus, but they weren’t done playing baseball on the day.

They were slated to play Dayton High School at TD Bank Ballpark for a 6 p.m. contest

The game supported Ava Theresa Dercole’s fight against cancer and remember the lives of Matteo Anthony Nappe and Laney Grace Stoeckel.

Some of the proceeds of each ticket sale went to a $5 donation toward providing gift cards, meal tickets and support to the families at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

Ava Theresa Dercole is the daughter of a member of Dayton’s coaching staff.

Matteo Anthony Nappe passed away on Oct. 21, 2022, at 19 months with a congenital heart defect.

Laney Grace Stoeckel was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and had two open-heart surgeries and an experimental procedure. She passed away in October 2020, shortly she turned five months old. Laney’s parents Dave and Jenn Stoeckel of South Plainfield, started Team Laney Bug, a charity that supports families of cardiac patients.

“We do whatever we can,” said South Plainfield coach Scott Gleichenhaus, whose family is good friends with the Stoeckels. “Even though it pales in comparison to what they went through, we just try to provide them with a support system constantly and just be there for them and help out anyway we can.”

Mulvaney pitching in the elimination game atmosphere, “Anytime it’s a GMC game, it feels like a playoff game we always say during the regular season. Especially once you get on this field, it’s real and pressure’s on every pitch. It’s stressful, but we were able to get a dub today. I’m super happy.”

Bobby Christensen on his game-winning walk, “It was a 2-0 and I got the take sign because he threw a lot of balls in a row and he was kind of getting later into his outing. So it was just like, make him come to me first. And once I got to 3-0, obviously that’s auto take. We weren’t going to swing. It ended up working out and I’m glad I got it done for the team.”

St. Joseph coach Mike Murray Jr. noted a key in the comeback was having the hitters not try to do too much offensively and “having those simple at-bats and stacking those together is better than trying to hit the three-run homer. So we were able to do that at the end. We just needed a couple baserunners and something good to happen.”

Baseball: St. Joseph rallies for win to reach the GMCT final (mycentraljersey.com)

Baseball: St. Joseph (Met.) surges late to top South Plainfield in GMCT semis (PHOTOS) - nj.com

2023 - Game # 21 South Plainfield 3, Edison 1

 

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

South Plainfield 3, Edison 1

South Plainfield just keeps winning.

Mike Sbailo went the distance allowing an unearned run with three strikeouts and scattered six hits and three walks.

The Tigers (11-10) are playing in Saturday’s Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday and are 6-2 in May.

Ashton Donovan went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Zack Robinson was 2-for-3 (double, run). Jayden Alvarez (RBI), Brandon Bickunas and Kevin Penny each singled in the win.

Jordan Martins went 2-for-4 (run) for Edison (12-9) and Matt Yascko Jr. drove in a run. Mason Murphy (double), Dom Innocenti and Robert Roma each had a hit for the Eagles.

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/baseball/2023/05/02/baseball-roundup-results-for-gmc-skyland-and-area-union-county/70177395007/

The Tigers won 3-1 vs Edison yesterday improving their record to 11-10. SP Mike Sbailo went the distance (7ip 6h 3k) was solid and gets the DUB. Ashton Donovan (2-3 rbi) Zack Robinson (2-3 2b r) Jay Alvarez (1-2 rbi) were the dogs who ate.

A true man of the people, Mikey Sbailo was all business on Thursday. A man who is always willing to go the distance for his clients, proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt, won the settlement and the affection of all the female jurors & clerks in attendance.

2023 - Game # 20 South Plainfield 11, Old Bridge 4 (GMC Tournament Quarter Final)

South Plainfield’s 6-run seventh helps put Tigers in GMCT semis for first time since 2018 title season

South Plainfield’s Kevin Penny got the win against Old Bridge in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals in North Brunswick on May 10, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

May 10, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

For a while, South Plainfield was nickel-and-diming Old Bridge to death in their GMC Tournament quarterfinal game.

The seventh-seeded Tigers had scored a run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings, adding two in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead over the second-seeded Knights.

But after Old Bridge got a run in the sixth to make it 5-1, South Plainfield sent eleven men to the plate in the top of the seventh, scoring six runs on just four hits to take an 11-1 lead.

And while Knights made it interesting, the Tigers (10-10) prevailed 11-4 in the end, and move on the semifinals for the first time since they won the whole thing in 2018.

They’ll take on third-seed St. Joseph Metuchen at noon at Ray Cipperly Field at East Brunswick Magnet School, while the 2:30 semi will feature top-seed North Brunswick and fourth-seed Monroe. Both games can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Auto Lounge of Edison.

The Tigers got on the board in the third when Aldo Pigna reached on a two base error by center fiielder Justin Meyer, who dropped a deep fly ball. After a groundout, Dan Kapsch knocked him in with a single.

In the fourth, Brandon Bickunas led off with a double, went to third on a groundout, and scored on an infield hit by Pigna.

In the fifth, Kapsch led off with a walk, then came in on a single three batters later by Ashton Donovan to make it 3-0.

Then, South Plainfield scored two more in the sixth when Brian Potts singled, moved to second o a wild pitch, and Dan Massaro singled him in. He stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, then was driven in on a single by Jay Alvarez.

The bottom of the inning, though, was when things got really interesting.

Old Bridge’s Mike Villani led off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and when Frank Papeo Singled to get the Knights on the board, Tigers’ coach Scott Gleichenhaus pulled starter Kevin Penny for first baseman Ashton Donovan. He walked Evan Smith, then induced a pop out and got a strikeout for the first two outs of the inning. He walked Justin Meyer to load the bases, but got Thomas Papeo looking to end the inning.

The last two strikes – both called – appeared low. Papeo was frustrated, and so were the fans. But Papeo came out to pitch the top of the seventh, replacing reliever Justin Meyer. And his frustration boiled over on the mound, affecting his control.

He gave up a walk, a single, and a walk to load the bases before getting Pigna to strikeout. But Dan Massaro drove in two with a single, advancing to second on a throw to third that didn’t get courtesy runner Dan Gonzalez. Kapsch hit a ball to short, but the thorw to first was in the dirt, and got away from the first baseman Frank Papeo, allowing two more runs to score. Then Robinson hit a fly ball to center that was dropped – Old Bridge’s fourth error of the game. And after a foul out down the right field line, Donovan drove in two more runs with a bloop single that dropped in, making it 11-1.

And yet, Old Bridge (14-7) wasn’t done. John Smith walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh, followed by Kyle McSorley, and Villani knocked in a run with an RBI double. After a strikeout, Evan Smith drove in a run on a groundout to short and Josh Martinez singled another run to make it 11-4, but eventually Donovan – who’d been relieved by Robinson, came in to get the final out on a force out to short.

South Plainfield’s 6-run seventh helps put Tigers in GMCT semis for first time since 2018 title season – Central Jersey Sports Radio (cjsportsradio.com)

Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

https://cjsportsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-10-23-POST-SOCTT-GLEICHENHAUS.mp3

By Mike Gurnis | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

South Plainfield 11, Old Bridge 4

Seventh-seeded South Plainfield earned an 11-4 win over second-seeded Old Bridge, No. 12 in the NJ.com Top 20, in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals in Old Bridge.

South Plainfield (10-10) moved on to the semifinals on Saturday, where it will battle third-seeded St. Joseph of Metuchen at East Brunswick Magnet High School.

Old Bridge fell to 14-7 and saw its three-game winning streak snapped.

Baseball: White’s no-hitter powers Monroe- GMC quarterfinal round recap - nj.com

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

No. 7 South Plainfield 11, No. 2 Old Bridge 4

Ashton Donovan and Dom Massaro each drove in three runs as South Plainfield’s bats erupted late to pull the upset.

The Tigers (10-10) will play second-seeded St. Joseph in Saturday’s semifinals at East Brunswick Magnet School.

South Plainfield and Old Bridge (14-7) split during the regular season. Wednesday, the Tigers scored a run in the third, fourth and fifth innings for the 3-0 lead. Then, they scored twice in the sixth and six more in the seventh.

In all, South Plainfield had 14 hits.

Jayden Alvarez (RBI), Dan Kapsch (2 runs) and Brandon Bickunas (2 runs) had two hits apiece. Aldo Pigna (RBI, run), Brian Potts (2 runs) and Nick Irizarry (run) each had a hit.

Kevin Penny excelled on the mound to earn the win by allowing a run in five innings with six strikeouts, allowing four hits and three walks. Ashton Donovan (1 1/3 IP) and Zack Robinson (2/3 IP) each did not allow a run.

For Old Bridge, Shaun Bogda singled and had an RBI and Frank Papeo drove in a run. Mike Villani (2 runs), Frank Papeo, Kyle McSorley (run) and John Smith (run) each had a hit.

NJ baseball: Results for GMC, Skyland, Union County (mycentraljersey.com)

 The Tigers advance with an 11-4 victory over Old Bridge. Kevin Penny gets his 4th Win. Dogs who ate : Ashton Donovan (3-5 3 rbi) Dom Massaro (2-5 3 rbi 2r), Dan Kapsch (2-4 2r rbi bb) Jay Alvarez (2-5 rbi) Brandon Bickunas (2-4 2b 2r bb) Aldo Pigna (h r rbi).

The lights at the office put in some OT on Weds evening as the entire staff sat & watched Kevin Penny demonstrate how he was able to crack the latest case. His work was so impressive, people waited afterwards and requested signed pieces of the chalk he used to write the formula.

Greater Middlesex Conference rankings for Week 5

 

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

Top 10

1. North Brunswick (12-5) –last week No. 2 – The Raiders came through and return to our top spot. North Brunswick won a dramatic Red Division pennant race by topping South Brunswick by scores of 10-0 and 6-3 in the final divisional series last week. If North Brunswick split the series, then four teams would have finished at 7-5. Instead, North Brunswick went to 8-4 and will get another notch on the banner. The Raiders, though, won’t fully celebrate just yet as they look to defend their GMC Tournament title as the top seed. After a 25-0 win over No. 16 South River in the second round, next up is ninth-seeded Edison in Wednesday’s quarters.   

2. Old Bridge (14-6)– last week No. 1 – In a season of parity madness, all the Red Division teams could reasonably hope for was having a chance entering the final week. Old Bridge did just that and split a two-game series with Monroe as each team finished 7-5. The Knights do have a sweep over No. 1 North Brunswick and that helped them garner the No. 2 seed in the GMCT. Old Bridge opened with a 4-0 win over No. 15 Carteret and play seventh-seeded South Plainfield in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. They split in the regular season setting up what looks to be a fun game.

3. Monroe (9-6)– last week No. 3 – Monroe entered the season with one of the GMC’s best pitchers in Harrison Lollin, but had questions with eight seniors having graduated. The Falcons maneuvered through the Red Division to essentially tie for second place with a 7-5 division mark. Zack Wallace emerged as another top arm for Monroe and Aidan Lane (.412 BA) has stepped up at the plate. Monroe earned the No. 4 seed in the GMCT and opened with a 7-0 win over 20th-seeded Piscataway in the second round. Next up is 12th-seeded South Brunswick in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.  

4. St. Joseph (12-7)– last week No. 4 – You just knew that St. Joseph would be a player in the Red Division despite a slow start. The Falcons were 2-4 in the division early on, but finished at 7-5 and are now red-hot. St. Joseph have won eight of its last nine games, including the 12-2 win over 19th-seeded Metuchen in the GMCT second round. They meet 11th-seeded Spotswood in the quarterfinals. One could argue that St. Joe’s should be No. 3 in this ranking. After all, the Falcons earned the No. 3 seed in the GMCT. Still, they split with our No. 3 Monroe in the regular season and both teams split with No. 2 Old Bridge and were swept by No. 1 North Brunswick. So, we’ll keep the order the way it is and see how it plays out.    

5. Spotswood (14-4)– last week No. 7 – It’s time that Spotswood cracked our Top 5. The Chargers are just a good team and they showed it with Monday’s 5-3 win over sixth-seeded Woodbridge in the GMCT second round. The 11th-seeded Chargers meet third-seeded St. Joseph in Wednesday’s quarters. Spotswood’s Casey and Carter Cumiskey lead the way, but the Chargers are a complete, pesky squad that just find ways to win.

6.Sayreville (12-6) – last week No. 6 – The Bombers had a terrific comeback season, going from last place in the White Division to winning the division pennant. Sayreville secured the title with a sweep over J.P. Stevens last week and earned the fifth seed in the GMCT. However, the Bombers were upset against 12th-seeded South Brunswick in Monday’s second round.

7. South Plainfield (9-9)– last week No. 9 – The Tigers reloaded after graduating key seniors and tussled with everyone in the Red Division in going 5-7. That includes splits with No. 1 North Brunswick, No. 2 Old Bridge and No. 4 St. Joseph. The seventh-seeded Tigers are still alive in the GMCT with a 6-4 win over 10th-seeded Middlesex in the second round. They meet Old Bridge again in Wednesday’s quarterfinals for Round 3.

8. Edison (12-7)– last week No. 10 – The Eagles are just one of those teams that always seem to be a tough draw. Ninth-seeded Edison got by eighth-seeded East Brunswick 3-0 in Monday’s GMCT second round behind ace Jaxon Appelman. But the Eagles are a deep team with heavy hitters such as Appelman, Jackson Ferrer, Jordan Martins and impact freshman Robert Roma. Senior pitcher Paul di Pasquale, also a top batter, has excelled on the mound. Edison looks to keep its upsets going with a meeting against top-seeded North Brunswick in Wednesday’s quarters.   

9. Woodbridge (13-5) – last week No. 8 – Look, upsets happen. The sixth-seeded Barrons ran into a hot pitcher in Casey Cumiskey and lost to 11th-seeded Spotswood 5-3 in Monday’s GMCT second round. Woodbridge finished second in the White Division and will retool when the NJSIAA playoffs get underway in a couple weeks. Woodbridge reached the North 2 Group 4 finals last season.

10. (tie) South Brunswick (7-11)– not ranked – When Joey Tuttoilmondo is pitching, South Brunswick always has a chance to win. The 12th-seeded Vikings upset fifth-seeded Sayreville 5-3 behind the senior’s 14-strikeout effort in 5 2/3 innings in Monday’s second round GMCT game. The ace allowed one run and Anthony Servedio finished up the win. Give South Brunswick credit – the mostly young team has stepped up after graduating 11 seniors from last season. Tuttoilmondo and slugger Ethan Fantel have led the way, but the Vikings have also gotten key contributions from the newcomers. They split with Old Bridge and East Brunswick in the regular season. Next up, they meet fourth-seeded Monroe in the quarterfinals.   

East Brunswick (7-10)– last week No. 5 – The Bears were in the Red Division mix and finished at 5-7 with splits against No. 1 North Brunswick and No. 2 Old Bridge. That’s enough to keep them in the Top 10 despite losing to ninth-seeded Edison 3-0 in Monday’s second round game as the No. 8 seed. They have the talent to make another run in the sectional playoffs. Last season, East Brunswick reached the Central Group 4 title game.

(Records through Monday, May 7) 

NJ baseball: Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 for Week 5 (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 19 Scotch Plains 8, South Plainfield 3

 

Scotch Plains-Fanwood rallies early to best South Plainfield

By Mak Ojutiku | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Anthony Malta and Ryan Cawley each drove in a pair of runs as Scotch Plains-Fanwood defeated South Plainfield 7-2 in Scotch Plains.

The Raiders (9-10) rallied for seven runs in the second inning.

Cawley led the rally by driving in two runs in a two-out situation in the second inning.

Aldo Pigna and Frank Flannery each drove in a run for the Tigers (9-10).

Baseball: Scotch Plains-Fanwood rallies early to best South Plainfield - nj.com

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Scotch Plains-Fanwood 8, South Plainfield 3

Ryan Cawley's two-out, two-strike single scored two runs for Scotch Plains-Fanwood and led to a seven-run second inning.

CJ Bates allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win for the host Raiders (9-10).

Anthony Malta went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the win. Having a hit apiece with an RBI were Luke Doyle, Sean Ferrone, Chris Kennedy and Jack Sponheimer. Matt Greisman (2 runs), Ryan Quinones and Dylan Fei also had hits in the win.

NJ baseball: Results for GMC, Skyland, Union County (mycentraljersey.com)

2023 - Game # 18. South Plainfield 6, Middlesex 4 (2nd Round GMC Tournament)

 

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

No. 7 South Plainfield 6, No. 10 Middlesex 4

Jayden Alvarez went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a triple as South Plainfield rallied for the win.

The host Tigers (9-9) trailed 4-1, but scored twice in the fifth inning and added three runs in the sixth inning.

South Plainfield will play No. 2 Old Bridge in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.                   

Aldo Pigna gave South Plainfield a gutsy start by allowing four runs in six innings with four strikeouts to earn the win. Zack Robinson pitched a perfect frame to end the game.

He also went 3-for-3 with a walk and double and scored twice. Dan Kapsch also had a 3-for-4 day (double) and scored twice. Ashton Donovan hit a sacrifice fly scoring Alvarez in the sixth inning for the Tigers' final run.

For Middlesex (10-6), Dom Parenti doubled and had two RBI and Jack Adamski (run) and Chris Kozak (RBI) each went 2-for-3. Adam Groel (RBI, run), Tomas Lavornia (run) and Alfonso Esposito (run) each had a hit.

NJ baseball: Results for GMC, Skyland, Union County (mycentraljersey.com)

By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

South Plainfield 6, Middlesex 4

Jayden Alvarez had four RBI, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a triple as seventh-seeded South Plainfield defeated 10th-seeded Middlesex, 6-4, in South Plainfield.

Zack Robinson was 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored and Dan Kapsch went 3-for-4 with two runs for South Plainfield (9-9), which trailed 4-1 before scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and three more in the sixth.

Winning pitcher Aldo Pigna struck out four in six innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and a walk. Robinson retired the side in the seventh for the save.

South Plainfield plays second-seeded Old Bridge in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at North Brunswick Community Park.

Dom Parenti was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run for Middlesex (10-6), which scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jack Adamski was 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base, Chris Kozak went 2-for-3 with a RBI, and Adam Groel went 1-for-2 with a run and a RBI.

GMC Tournament 2nd round recap: Tuttoilmondo’s 14 Ks lift South Brunswick baseball (PHOTOS) - nj.com

The Tigers defeat Middlesex 6-4. Zach Robinson(3-3 2b bb 2r) Dan Kapsch(3-4 2b 2r) & Jay Alvarez(2-4 3b r 4rbi) were clutch-combined for 2 in the 5th and 3 in the 6th to erase a 3 run deficit. Aldo Pigna bulldogged thru 6 gets the Win & Robinson the save.

Nothing casual at the office on Monday other than Jay Alvarez, walking through security detail sporting a 3 piece suit & his favorite leather case. Knowing the stakes were high-Jay cranked his favorite Clutch tunes, pounded his chest like it was a 4 lb ribeye & handled business.

2023 - Game # 17 South Plainfield 15, Watchung Hills 2

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

 South Plainfield 15, Watchung Hills 2

Ashton Donovan and Zack Robinson each homered with two RBI and had two hits as South Plainfield got the big non-conference win.

The Tigers (8-9) led 7-2 and broke it open with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Dan Kapsch (3 runs) and Dom Massaro (2 runs) each had two hits and two RBI. Jayden Alvarez tripled and had two RBI, Kevin Perry singled (2 runs) and Brian Potts (2 RBI, run) also singled.

The Warriors (4-11) had RBI from Martin Howell (double) and Jake Keirstead, while Tino Lobozzo was 2-for-2 and scored.

NJ baseball: Results for GMC, Skyland, Union County (mycentraljersey.com)

The Tigers defeated Watchung Hills 15-2. Chase Donovan (4ip 4h 4k) picked up the Win. Ashton Donovan and Zack Robinson both 2/3 with 2 run jacks. Dom Massaro and Dan Kapsch both had 2 hits and scored multiple times. Jr. Catcher Brian Potts got his 1st career hit and steaks.

Ashton Donovan(2-3 hr 2rbi) showed up to the office early Saturday to handle unfinished business. Without hesitation, he went deep into the large stack of docs, scrubbed them crystal clean, making sure the staff got to head home early to enjoy this perfect Saturday with their loved ones.