2026 - Game # 18 South Plainfield 10, Monroe 5

Andy MendlowitzMyCentralJersey.com

South Plainfield 10, Monroe 5: Aiden McCarthy homered and was 2-for-3 with two RBIs as South Plainfield clinched third place in the GMC Red Division.

The visiting Tigers (10-8 overall, 8-6 in division) jumped to a 6-1 lead after the third inning. Chris Loniewski singled and drove in three runs and Hunter Ravi (double, two RBIs, two runs) and Ed Budzinski (two runs) had two hits apiece. Gabriel Garcia (two runs) and Dom Massaro (RBI, run) each singled.

Andrew Bena picked up the win allowing four runs (two earned) in five innings.

Tyler Bacon had two RBIs for Monroe (8-10) and Justin Mangano was 2-for-4 (run).

Baseball May roundup, daily results for GMC and area Skyland and UCC

 TAPinto SOUTH PLAINFIELD

South Plainfield Scores Early and Holds on to Beat Monroe, 10-5

By TAPinto South Plainfield Staff

Published May 5, 2026 at 9:11 PM

MONROE, NJ — A four-run second inning staked South Plainfield to a big lead and the Tigers went on to a 10-6 baseball victory over Monroe on Tuesday.

Aiden McCarthy went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in for South Plainfield (10-8), which had a 5-0 lead after two innings and 10-1 after the top of the fifth.

Ed Budzinski was 2-forMay 6, 2026, 3:52am-4 with a double and an RBI for the Tigers. Hunter Ravi also hit a double and dro

ve in two runs. Ravi also scored twice.

Chris Loniewski went 1-for-4 with three RBI. Gabriel Garcia scored a pair of runs and went 1-for-3.

Winning pitcher Andrew Bena allowed three hits in five innings. He gave up four runs, but only one of them was earned. Jayden Jimenez allowed a run on two hits in two innings of relief.

Monroe's starting pitcher, Andre Love, is a University of Georgia commit, but South Plainfield scored six runs — five of them earned — in four innings against the Division 1 recruit. Love has 54 strikeouts in 26 ⅔ innings this season for Monroe (8-10).

Baseball: South Plainfield Scores Early and Holds on to Beat Monroe, 10-5 | South Plainfield, NJ News TAPinto | TAPinto

Baseball Recap: South Plainfield Snaps Four-Game Streak of Losses on the Road
Baseball Recap: South Plainfield Tigers vs. Monroe Township Falcons

By Team Reports
May 6, 2026, 3:52am

South Plainfield had lost four games on the road, but after bumping their record up to 9-11 on Tuesday that streak is in the rearview. They came out on top against the Monroe Township Falcons by a score of 10-5. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 12-3 last Tuesday.

As for Monroe Township, they dropped their record down to 8-10 with the loss, which was their third straight at home. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 25, 2023, but that streak is no more.

For Monroe Township's part, they got a good showing from Cameron Kappus, who pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the first time Kappus hasn't allowed a single hit since back in April.

At the plate, Niko Antoniades was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Michael Cinque, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.

Baseball Recap: South Plainfield Snaps Four-Game Streak of Losses on the Road

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
South Plainfield (10-8)	1	4	1	0	4	0	0	10	9	2
Monroe (8-10)	0	0	1	0	3	0	1	5	6	2

South Plainfield Batting

	AB	R	H	RBI	1B	2B	HR	BB	SF	ROE	FC	AVG	SLG
Dom Massaro #6	4	1	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	.250	.250
Chris Loniewski #15	3	0	1	3	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	.333	.333
Aiden McCarthy #12	3	1	2	2	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	.667	1.667
Andrew Bena #19	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000
Anthony Cicenia #11	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	.000	.000
Gabriel Garcia #16	3	2	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	.333	.333
Ed Budzinski #3	4	1	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	.500	.750
Hunter Ravi #2	2	2	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	.500	1.000
Andrew Burns #7	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000
Totals:	29	10	8	9	5	2	1	6	1	1	1	.276	.448

South Plainfield Pitching

	W	L	PIT	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HB	PO	ERA
Andrew Bena #19 (WP)	1	0	100	5	4	4	2	5	3	2	0	2.80
Jayden Jimenez #23	0	0	38	2	2	1	1	2	3	0	0	3.50
Totals:	1	0	138	7	6	5	3	7	6	2	0	3.00

SPTigerBaseball

@BaseballSPHS

The Tigers complete the series sweep of Monroe by a score of 10-5. Andrew Bena picked up win #2 of the season (5ip 3h) got the job done on the bump & Jay Jimenez tossed the final 2 frames to secure the Tiger victory. Aiden McCarthy (2-3 hr 2rbi) led the offensive charge w a solo blast in the 1st. Eddie Budzinski (2-4 2b rbi) and Chris Loniewski (1-3 3rbi) were clutch & congrats to Hunter Ravi (1-2 2b 2r 2bb) on getting his 1st career varsity hit, 2 bag gapper that plated to the magic 6th run, which is all the Tigers needed to improve to 10-8.

SPTigerBaseball

@BaseballSPHS

A True Maestro of the Diamond does not get intimidated by whatever is thrown their way. Doesn’t matter if it’s a bus driver rocking out to 80’s metal while dodging tractor trailers, high 80’s fastballs or 80 mph wind gusts…all the same. What matters are the results and Hunter Ravi certainly delivered in the clutch yesterday, driving in the would-be winning run despite mother nature's attempt to thwart anything hit in her direction. For his clutchness, Hunter proved he is a True Maestro of the Diamond.

2026 - Game # 17 South Plainfield 3, Spotswood 1

TAPinto SOUTH PLAINFIELD

South Plainfield Triumphs Over Spotswood, 3-1

By TAPinto South Plainfield Staff

SPOTSWOOD, NJ — Aiden McCarthy pitched a three-hitter to lift South Plainfield to a 3-1 baseball victory over Spotswood on Monday.

McCarthy, a senior left-hander committed to Rutgers-Newark University, struck out 11 batters and walked two. In seven innings, he threw 108 pitches.

Andrew Bena went 3-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI for South Plainfield (9-8), which scored all three of its runs in the fifth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit.

Mike Fiore led off the fifth inning with a single. Ed Budzinski followed with a single as he beat out a bunt, then Dom Massaro singled up the middle to load the bases.

Spotswood (9-10) was able to turn a double play on the infield as Fiore scored the tying run. A single by McCarthy drove in the go-ahead run, then Bena hit an RBI double to right field to make the score 3-1.

Massaro, a senior center fielder, went 2-for-4, giving him a .565 batting average this season.

Baseball: South Plainfield Triumphs Over Spotswood, 3-1 | South Plainfield, NJ News TAPinto | TAPinto

South Plainfield's Win Ends Four-Game Losing Streak on the Road

Baseball Recap: South Plainfield Tigers vs. Spotswood Chargers

By Team Reports

May 6, 2026, 8:17am

South Plainfield had lost four games on the road, but after bumping their record up to 9-11 on Monday that streak is in the rearview. They skirted past the Spotswood Chargers 3-1. This was payback for the Tigers, who suffered an 8-4 loss the last time these two teams met.

As for Spotswood, they now have a losing record of 9-10. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, they couldn't push the score so high this time.

For Spotswood's part, they saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gehrig Hewitt, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.

South Plainfield wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 10-5 win against Monroe Township on the 5th. As for Spotswood, they will take on Edison at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Eagles' pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so the Chargers' hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Baseball Recap: South Plainfield's Win Ends Four-Game Losing Streak on the Road

SPTigerBaseball

@BaseballSPHS

The Tigers improve to 9-8 after defeating Spotswood 3-1. Aiden McCarthy & his defense handled business. Bull (7ip 11k) picked up W # 5 + the would be GW RBI in the 5th. The Tigers scored all their runs in the 5th thanks to these Dudes of the Day: Andrew Bena 3-3 2b RBI, Dom Massaro 2-4 sb & Eddie Budzinski 1-3 r + Aiden McCarthy 1-3 r rbi. Congrats to Mike Fiore on getting his first career varsity hit. Tuesday the Tigers go right back on the bus & head to Monroe.

SPTigerBaseball

@BaseballSPHS

First there was Louis Jourdan turning scientists into Swamp Things. Then it was Chuck Norris dodging Russian Mercs in the swamps of the Everglades in Invasion USA. Yesterday it was Aiden “The Bull” McCarthy doing what The Bull does - tossing complete games & driving in game winning runs regardless of swamp-like terrain…proving once again why he is a True Maestro of the Diamond.

2026 - Baseball Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 and notes, May 2

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

It was another fun week on the diamond with the Greater Middlesex Conference division pennant races completed. Next up, the GMC Tournament, which begins with Saturday’s play-in games. Here is this week’s top 10 with notes underneath the rankings.

GMC Top 10

(Records through Saturday, May 2)

1. Edison (12-4) – last week No. 1: Things could have gotten dicey for the Eagles in their GMC Red Division pennant quest. Edison dropped recent openers against Woodbridge and St. Thomas Aquinas in its two-game series against each opponent. No problem, Edison delivered in the Game 2s with wins and clinched the pennant with a 10-3 record in the Red. On April 27, Ray Tavarez’s RBI in the top of the seventh gave Edison a 1-0 win over Woodbridge as Connor Murphy, Robert Roma and Ray Tavarez combined on the shutout. On April 30, Edison beat St. Thomas Aquinas 5-0 as Murphy threw a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts.

2. Middlesex (15-2) – last week No. 2: The Blue Jays stepped up. With the GMC White Division pennant on the line, Middlesex beat Colonia in a pair of 4-0 games to finish 13-1 in the division and earn the banner-notch. First, Chris Kozak fired a two-hitter with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Then, Dom Long went the distance on a four-hitter with no walks and six whiffs. That’s as good as any 1-2 frontline starting combo in the GMC.

3. Old Bridge (9-8) – last week No. 3: The Knights opened the week with a 10-4 loss to East Brunswick on Monday, April 27. A spiral coming? Guess again. Old Bridge stormed back to win three straight GMC Red Division games with a win over Monroe sandwiched by two victories over St. Joseph. That clinched second place in the division with a 9-5 record.

4. South Plainfield (8-8) – last week No. 6: The Tigers control their destiny to finish third in the Red Division. South Plainfield (7-6 in division) travels to Monroe (6-7 in division) on Tuesday, May 5, to complete the Red play. Woodbridge also sits at 7-7 in the grouping. South Plainfield put itself in that position with a 12-3 win over Monroe on Tuesday, April 28, fueled by Andrew Bena’s 3-for-5 day with four RBIs. That enabled the Tigers to jump a couple spots in the rankings.

5. Woodbridge (8-7) – last week No. 7: Starting at 1-5, the Barrons didn’t panic. They knew their talent level and figured some close losses would eventually turn in their favor. Well, Woodbridge’s ascent continued with a sweep over East Brunswick last week. The club has been able to both light up the scoreboard at times (five wins with double-digit runs), as well as win a pitching duel when needed.

6. Monroe (8-9) – last week No. 4: Playing in the Red Division is tough with all the top pitching one sees. The Falcons hit a speed bump with five straight losses until they topped non-conference Colts Neck 6-3 on Saturday, May 2. But you look up, and Monroe (6-7 in division) has sweeps over East Brunswick, St. Joseph and splits with Edison and St. Thomas Aquinas. Look at Monroe’s journey in the rankings: preseason No. 9 to No. 3 to No. 7 to No. 4 and now at No. 6.

7. Metuchen (12-4) – last week No. 9: The Bulldogs get a bump after clinching second place in the White Division with a shutout sweep over Sayreville. First, James Fenton went the distance on a one-hitter with no walks and 15 strikeouts in a 4-0 win. Then, Matt Jelleme threw a no-hitter with three walks and two hit batters, striking out 13 in a 3-0 win.

8. East Brunswick (6-9) – last week No. 5: The Bears’ offense went on a mini-tear outscoring South Plainfield in two games (April 23 and 24) and Old Bridge (April 27) by a combined 36-19. However, things can change quickly in baseball and Woodbridge swept the Bears by a combined 13-5 to end the week. Still, EB’s body of work includes sweeping St. Thomas Aquinas and South Plainfield, and that keeps them firmly in the top 10 heading into the GMCT.

9. Colonia (9-5) – last week No. 8: The Patriots slipped to third place in the White Division after they went 2-4 in their last six games. That included a sweep over Perth Amboy sandwiched by going 0-2 against both Spotswood and Middlesex to finish 9-5 in the White. Colonia’s top pitching has been keeping them in games with hopes of jump-starting its offense before the GMCT.

10. St. Thomas Aquinas (7-10) – last week unranked: The Trojans re-enter the rankings boosted by their 3-1 week. That includes beating No. 1 Edison 3-2 as Louis Rizzolo allowed two hits, two unearned runs with 12 strikeouts. STA (6-8 in Red Division) also beat St. Joseph to get a series split before falling to Edison in Game 2.
South River makes teams blue

South River makes teams blue

You think the Kentucky Derby finish was close? The Blue Division pennant race was just as tight with three teams vying for the title down the stretch. South River, Carteret and J.P. Stevens each finished 11-3 in the division. South River clinched first place with its 11-6 win over Piscataway on Wednesday, April 29. The tiebreaker came down to who had the best combined record of the three. South River prevailed at 3-1, while J.P. Stevens was 2-2 and Carteret sat at 1-3.

The Rams were primed for a big season despite graduating star Julius Rosado and pitcher James Zsorey with several returning players. Julien Borusovic (.480 BA, 23-for-50, 21 RBIs and 37 IP, 2.08 ERA) and Hunter Krainski (.423 BA, 22-for-52, 19 RBIs and 31 2/3 IP, 41 Ks, 2.21 ERA) have emerged as two-way stars.
Dunellen stays hot

Dunellen stays hot

Dunellen dropped its first two games of the season to undefeated Piscataway Magnet. Then, the Destroyers just kept winning and winning and winning. Dunellen (13-2) have taken 13 straight games and finished second in the Gold Division. The prolific offense has scored over 10 runs on 10 occasions.

They faced some questions after losing five starters, including division Player of the Year Mark Stein (.462 BA, 22 RBIs). Others have stepped up with breakout seasons. Actually, like, everyone has been on fire. Dunellen has eight players hitting .400 or better with at least 34 at-bats.

Kristian Roman Lopez is leading the way with a .553 batting average (21-for-38) with team-highs with 30 RBIs and 16 walks. The other heavy hitters include Michael Dow (.487 BA), Cesar Andres Fermin Alarcon (.475), Juan Luis Rodriguez (.469), Cole Mayer (.441), Joseph Reyes (.426), Colin Reynolds (.419), David Torres (.400) and Jackson Portik (.342).

NJ Baseball Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 and notes, May 2