The Week Ahead

A Busy Week Ahead; A Great Game Behind
Posted By Harry Frezza

On May 24, 2010 @ 12:20 am

Just a few more words on Saturday’s North 2 IV 12-inning epic between Hillsborough and Westfield won by the Blue Devils 7-6.

Westfield coach Bob Brewster made a point about how well both teams played defensively. Hillsborough senior center fielder Bobby Peck and left fielder Dylan Zebrow were very good. Hillsborough senior lefty Ryan Lukach picked off three, leading several Blue Devils to try to mimic just how Lukach pulled it off. If Hillsborough had won that would have been one of the main points. Raiders’ second baseman Rick Devlin also had a strong game as did Westfield second baseman Max Fusaro and back-up third baseman Matt Rivera, who moved in after Anderson went from third to the mound.Westfield starter and senior righty Aiden Scanlon went 10 outstanding innings and deserves much credit. He struck out five, gave up eight hits, hit two batters and walked one. Unfortunately, Scanlon didn’t get the win.Hillsborough left seven on base. Westfield left 13.

Tuesday’s sectional semifinals brings a challenge to those who cover or follow high school baseball around here. Where to go?

Governor Livingston, beaten in last year’s CJ II final by Shore, will play host to Summit in a North 2 II semifinal. The Highlanders, the No. 4 seed, beat eighth-seed Summit 13-3 and 9-6 in the regular season.Westfield, the No. 3 seed, plays at No. 2 Bridgewater-Raritan in a North II IV semifinal. Westfield hasn’t won a sectional title since 1988. Bridgewater-Raritan hasn’t won one in years, though the Panthers lost to North Hunterdon two years ago in the North II IV final. Bridgewater-Raritan beat Westfield 7-5 last month. Westfield will start Robbie Anderson, who earned the win with two relief innings Saturday. Bridgewater-Raritan can choose from four pitchers, including senior Alex Stark, who beat Phillipsburg in the sectional quarterfinal Friday.

A Union County Tournament semifinal rematch will be held in the North 2 III semifinal. Union County Tournament champ Cranford, the No. 3 seed, goes to No. 2 Scotch Plains-Fanwood. The Raiders lost to John F. Kennedy in last year’s sectional fina and lost to Cranford 10-7 in the county semifinal last month. No. 1 seed South Plainfield will play host to No. 5 Morristown in the other N 2 III semifinal. A Scotch Plains-Fanwood-South Plainfield final Friday? Could be.

Immaculata has at three games left — the Spartans are scheduled to play at Hunterdon Central Monday, then will play host Tuesday to Roselle Catholic in a North Non-Public A quarterfinal. Immaculata may play host to South Plainfield Wednesday and then to Hillsborough Thursday in the final regular seaosn game. The Spartans have already clinched the Skyland Conference East Division title.

Third-seed Gill St. Bernards will play host to No. 6 Dwight Englewood Monday in a Non-Public B North Tournament quarterfinal. Gill celebrated its first year in the Skyland Conference by earning the Raritan Division title.

A get well shoutout to Union Catholic’s Dave Schanz, who broke his jaw sliding into second base in a game against New Providence last week.

http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/baseball/2010/05/24/a-busy-week-ahead-a-great-game-behind/

South Plainfield (24-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 for a third straight week,

NJ Baseball:
South Plainfield vs. Morristown highlights Tuesday's state tournament action
BOB BEHRE, May 24, 2010 7:07 p.m.

Brandon Downes of South Plainfield has 15 home runs this season. Brandon Gonnella of Morristown is coming off a two-hitter and a one-hitter in which he struck out a combined 27 batters.Perhaps because someone or something above has shined down good fortune on New Jersey baseball fans, the two meet Tuesday in South Plainfield in a monumental sectional semifinal that has the potential to be unforgettable.South Plainfield (24-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 for a third straight week, and No. 20 Morristown (21-9) are actually very similar. Both teams mash and both can roll out a quality pitcher in any given round of the state tournament. The winner may become the favorite to win the NJSIAA Group 3 championship a week from Saturday.

The four public school and two non-public state championships will be contested on June 5.

First, South Plainfield and Morristown will attempt to survive Tuesday and advance to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final on Friday where the winner of a Union County squabble pitting No. 16 Cranford (22-5) and No. 17 Scotch Plains-Fanwood (24-5) will be waiting.“Their record speaks for itself,” said Morristown coach Josh Ury of South Plainfield. “I know they’re the real deal. They can swing it, play good defense and have pretty good pitching. We’ll have to throw strikes and do the little things to come out on top. My kids are excited to play the No. 1 team in the state.”Gonnella two-hit No. 6 Delbarton in the Morris County Tournament championship game on May 15 then one-hit a potent Nutley lineup in the sectional quarterfinals last Friday.

Plenty of intriguing matchups are featured on the sectional plate throughout the state and chances are you won’t have to go far to find a great game.Jackson (21-5), ranked No. 4, takes the power bats of its three and four hitters, Bryan Soloman (12 HRs) and Brandon Adams, to No. 5 Monroe (22-3) for an outstanding semifinal in Central Jersey, Group 4. That winner will face either No. 12 Manalapan (20-6) or the defending champion, Toms River North (12-11) in the sectional final.The North Jersey, Non-Public A North quarterfinals are stocked with big names and big games, as usual, but the marquee matchup in this round has No. 10 Pope John (23-4) traveling to No. 6 Delbarton (24-5). Pope John edged Delbarton, 4-3, on April 16. That game was also at Delbarton. Delbarton’s Nick Donatiello is expected to pitch against Pope John’s Brendan Mayers, who threw a five-hitter in the first encounter.That’s not to say the collision on the other side of the bracket pitting No. 14 Seton Hall Prep (21-6) at No. 9 St. Joseph (21-4) in Montvale should be ignored. Those two schools have a long and entertaining history in sectional competition. St. Joseph is trying to rebound from a shockingly early departure from the Bergen County Tournament, an event it won in 2009. Seton Hall is red hot with a cast that features just one senior in the lineup. Seton Hall has won eight straight and 16 of its last 18 games.St. Joseph will have the upper hand with Artie Lewicki (6-1) on the mound, while Seton Hall answers with the potent bats of center fielder John Norwood, catcher Stephan Halibej and first baseman Rob Fonseca.Meanwhile, Westfield (18-8) visits Bridgewater-Raritan (16-10) in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. Bridgewater edged Westfield, 7-5, on April 23 and both teams are playing very well at the optimum moment.Unranked Montclair (18-10) visits No. 7 Randolph (24-3) in North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 in what is surely the biggest baseball game ever between the two schools. The schools have had some epic playoff battles in football over the years.

BASEBALL TOP 20
1-South Plainfield (24-2)
2-Don Bosco Prep (23-3)
3-West Essex (23-3)
4-Jackson (21-5)
5-Monroe (22-3)
6-Delbarton (24-5)
7-Randolph (24-3)
8-Lenape (21-4)
9-St. Joseph (Mont.) (21-4)
10-Pope John (23-4)
11-Toms River South (21-4)
12-Manalapan (20-6)
13-St. Joseph (Met.) (18-7)
14-Seton Hall Prep (21-6)
15-Immaculata (18-3)
16-Cranford (22-5)
17-Scotch Plains-Fanwood (24-5)
18-Wall (22-5)
19-Paramus (22-6)
20-Morristown (21-9)


http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-3536593308256240885/nj-baseball-south-plainfield-vs-morristown-highlights-tuesdays-state-tournament-action/

South Plainfield 12 Carteret 2

SOUTH PLAINFIELD 12, CARTERET 2 (five innings):

Sophomore catcher Steven Petriello went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, and senior shortstop Mark Benak went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a solo homer as South Plainfield improved to 25-2.
Junior center fielder Brandon Downes went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the Tigers.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100524/SPORTS0103/5240358/1109

South Plainfield 12, Carteret 2
(High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 24, 2010 9:59 p.m.

Mark Benak, Matt Cesare and Stephen Petriello all homered to power South Plainfield (25-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to the five-inning victory in South Plainfield. Dylan Papa (4-1) tossed three shutout innings, striking out six without issuing a walk, to claim the victory. John Nigro collected two of the six hits for Carteret (10-16).

BOX SCORE:
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-936364345376506722/south-plainfield-12-carteret-2-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

Final score - South Plainfield 12, Carteret 2 (5 innings)

South Plainfield 11 West Morris Central 2

North II, Group III - TOURNAMENT BRACKETS:

http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=363292&tclass=North%20II%2C%20Group%20III

NJSIAA Baseball: South Plainfield rolls into sectional semifinals

By PAUL FRANKLIN •

STAFF WRITER • May 21, 2010

SOUTH PLAINFIELD :

Friday afternoon was pretty much business as usual for the South Plainfield High School baseball team. Good pitching, good hitting, home runs and, well, have a nice day.

The Tigers (24-2) exploded in the middle innings and took out West Morris 11-2 in an NJSIAA North 2 Group III quarterfinal game. West Morris fell to 13-12.

Eight South Plainfield batters had at least one hit. The visiting Wolfpack managed only three.

"We're playing great right now," South Plainfield senior right fielder Carlos Ruiz said. "We're consistently hitting; our pitching's doing great. One through nine is solid. Every hitter has at least one home run.

"Ruiz hit his sixth during the sixth inning, a three-run shot to left that put the envelope into the sectional semifinal mailbox. Though hitting around .450, all the numbers will be meaningless if this collection of talent doesn't win its final game.

At least that's how they feel right now.

"If we don't get a state championship, our season is nothing but a good record. That's all we want," Ruiz said. "We want a state championship or else this season means nothing.

"That's quite a contrast from a team that just last year finished below .500.

Junior left-hander Dan Hansen went five innings Thursday for the win. His fastball was keeping his team in the game until the Tigers started doing what they do. His record now 9-0, Hansen handed over the ball to senior Dylan Papa, who went the final two innings without a worry.

The Tigers might have been a little concerned when they fell behind 2-0 coming to bat in the second inning. Not to worry. Hansen took things into his own hands by smacking a grounds-rule double to right with two outs, scoring Stephen Petriello with his team's first run. Kyle Hughes followed with an RBI single.

The Tigers took the lead in the third on a single by Mark Benak, a double to left by junior Brandon Downes, then, with the bases loaded, a hit batsman and an infield single put them ahead 4-2.

Downes loosened everybody's belts with a shot over the left-field fence, a 350-foot blast that blew down leaves like it was October.

It was his 15th home run of the season.

"He rips. It's crazy," sophomore catcher Stephen Petriello said.

Personal accomplishments aside, Downes agreed that the only number that matters is No. 1.

"We like to put pressure on each other, because we know we can win and we think we can win it all," Downes said. "I don't want to sound cocky like that, but when we face those big teams we feel like underdogs and we have to come out and do what we gotta do."

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100521/SPORTS0103/5210359/1109

South Plainfield 11, West Morris 2 (High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 21, 2010 10:55 p.m.
Brandon Downes cracked a two-run homer, his 15th of the season, and Carlos Ruiz added a three-run shot and four RBI as No. 1 South Plainfield (24-2) prevailed in the quarterfinal round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 playoffs in South Plainfield. Dan Hansen held West Morris (13-12) to three hits over five innings to run his record to 9-0. Michael Vecchio went 2-for-3 with a double and two stolen bases, scoring the run that gave West Morris a 1-0 edge in the top of the first. South Plainfield will be the host to Morristown in the semifinals on Tuesday.

BOX SCORE:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-936366345383506722/south-plainfield-11-west-morris-2-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

Some prominent South Plainfield fans show everyone who the #1 rated baseball team in the state is.

South Plainfield 15 Montgomery Township 6

SOUTH PLAINFIELD 15, MONTGOMERY 6:
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Robert Pasternak and Kyle Hughes each homered for South Plainfield (23-2). Hughes posted a team-high four RBIs, while teammate Stephen Petriello drove in three runs.
Kyle Wernicki homered, scored three runs and drove in four for the Cougars (15-7), who trailed 11-2 in the fourth inning.
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http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100520/SPORTS0103/5200365/1109

BOX SCORE:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/63641654635493265/south-plainfield-15-montgomery-6-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

ROB PASTERNAK LEAD OFF HOMERUN

MARK McCULLEN ROUNDING SECOND HEADING FOR THIRD.

KYLE HUGHES LOADS UP FOR THE BIG ONE!

STATE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE - Friday May 21, 2010

NORTH 2, GROUP 3

1) South Plainfield vs 8) West Morris Central
2) Scotch Plains vs 7) Millburn
3) Cranford vs 6) JFK-Iselin
4) Nutley vs 5) Morristown

South Plainfield - 2nd Week at Star Ledger # 1

NJ Baseball: South Plainfield remains at No. 1 in statewide rankings
THE STAR-LEDGER, May 17, 2010 5:50 p.m
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THE STAR-LEDGER TOP 20
1-South Plainfield (21-2)
2-Don Bosco Prep (20-3)
3-West Essex (19-3)
4-Toms River South (19-3)
5-Jackson (18-5)
6-Paramus (21-4)
7-St. Joseph (Met.) (17-6)
8-Monroe (20-3)
9-Delbarton (20-5)
10-Randolph (21-3)
11-Steinert (22-4)
12-Wall (20-3)
13-Lenape (19-4)
14-Millville (19-4)
15-St. Joseph (Mont.) (20-4)
16-Montgomery (15-6)
17-Immaculata (15-2)
18-Pope John (19-4)
19-Seton Hall Prep (17-6)
20-Gloucester Catholic (17-6)


GROUP 3
1-South Plainfield (21-2)
2-Paramus (21-4)
3-Wall (20-3)
4-Cranford (20-5)
5-Scotch Plains (19-5)
6-Morristown (18-8)
7-Ocean Twp. (17-4-1)
8-West Milford (17-6-1)
9-Pascack Valley (17-6)
10-Sparta (18-8)


MIDDLESEX
1-South Plainfield (21-2)
2-St. Joseph (17-6)
3-Monroe (20-3)
4-South Brunswick (13-8)
5-North Brunswick (15-11)
6-Bishop Ahr (13-5)
7-Middlesex (17-4)
8-East Brunswick (11-10)
9-Iselin Kennedy (15-9)
10-Edison (13-12)


http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-7930761441871037487/nj-baseball-south-plainfield-remains-at-no-1-in-statewide-rankings/

South Plainfield 8 Mendham 2

SOUTH PLAINFIELD 8, MENDHAM 2:
STAFF REPORT • May 17, 2010
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Brandon Downes went 2-for-4 with a three-run, first-inning homer, five RBI and two runs scored as the top-seeded Tigers will host eighth-seeded West-Morris Central on Friday. The homer was Downes' 14th of the year.
Matt Cesare added two hits and an RBI for South Plainfield (22-2). Dan Hansen (8-0) allowed seven hits, two earned runs with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings for the victory.
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http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100517/SPORTS0103/5170387/1109
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South Plainfield 8, Mendham 2 (High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 17, 2010 10:12 p.m.
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Brandon Downes drove in five runs and cracked his 14th home run of the season as South Plainfield (22-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, advanced to the quarterfinal round of the North Jersey, Group 3 tournament in South Plainfield. Daniel Hansen (8-0) limited Mendham (7-15) to seven hits over six innings, striking out six and walking one.

BOX SCORE:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/2063631654519493080/south-plainfield-8-mendham-2-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

South Plainfield 10, Watchung Hills 6

HNT Regular-Season Baseball

Ruiz lifts South Plainfield

STAFF REPORT •

May 15, 2010

Designated hitter Carlos Ruiz went 3-for-4, including a home run, and scored three runs scored to lead the South Plainfield High School baseball team to a 10-6 win over Watchung Hills Saturday.Second baseman Rob Pasternak finished 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored for the Tigers (21-2). Mark Tomei went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI for South Plainfield.Kyle Hughes (2-0) picked up the win, allowing one run in five innings and striking out five.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100515/SPORTS0103/5150327/1109

BOX SCORE:

The Star Ledger, May 15, 2010 7:42 p.m.

Carlos Ruiz went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and Mark Tomei went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored for South Plainfield (21-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, in Warren. Ruiz returned to action after being forced out of Thursday's Greater Middlesex Conference quarterfinal-round loss to Bishop Ahr when he was struck by a ball in the face during infield practice, as South Plainfield had its 18-game winning streak snapped. Kyle Taylor drove in two runs and joined Richard Hart in going 2-for-3 for Watchung Hills (7-15).

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/3063634654549493123/south-plainfield-10-watchung-hills-6-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

USATODAY 2010 Baseball Regional Rankings

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USATODAY

2010 Baseball Regional Rankings

East
1. James Monroe, Bronx, N.Y. (36-1)
2. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (16-1)
3. Norman Thomas, New York (19-1)
4. Germantown Academy, Fort Washington, Pa. (22-1)
5. Wright, Bel Air, Md. (18-0)
6. St. John's, Washington, D.C. (22-3)
7. State College, Pa. (11-1)
8. Lawrence, Mass. (11-1)
9. South Plainfield, N.J. (19-1)
10. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. (18-3)

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/baseball/regionalrankings.htm

State Tournament Brackets Online

State Tournament Brackets can be found at:

http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=363292&tclass=North%20II%2C%20Group%20III

The NJSIAA yesterday announced the pairings for the state baseball tournament that will begin Monday 5/17. Games wil be played the sites of the higher-seeded teams. Seedings precede the teams.

GROUP III, NORTH 2:

16-Warren Hills at 1-South Plainfield
9-Ferris at 8-West Morris
12-Colonia at 5-Morristown
13-Carteret at 4-Nutley
14-Voorhees at 3-Cranford
11-Somerville at 6-J.F. Kennedy
10-Belleville at 7-Millburn
15-West Side at 2-Scotch Plains-Fanwood

GMCT Final Score: Bishop Ahr 9 South Plainfield 1

Bishop Ahr beats South Plainfield
May 13, 2010 • 9:09 pm

By GREG TUFARO
STAFF WRITER

NORTH BRUNSWICK — As the Bishop Ahr High School baseball team was getting ready to step off the bus for its Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament quarterfinal showdown with South Plainfield, ace Dario Santangelo made a deal with his teammates.
The senior right-hander, headed to East Carolina University on a partial baseball scholarship, told the 10th-seeded Trojans to get him three runs. In return, he promised to make the lead stand.
Junior second baseman Rob Pepe fulfilled the request with one swing of the bat in the third inning.
His first career homer, a three-run blast, proved more than enough for Santangelo, who tied a school record with his 19th career victory, a 9-1 upset of second-seeded South Plainfield.
Bishop Ahr will face sixth-seeded South Brunswick, a 13-3 mercy-rule winner over 14th-seeded Edison, in Saturday’s semifinals at East Brunswick Tech.
The Tigers (20-2), who entered the contest batting a conference-high .398 and who had scored 10 or more runs in each of their last eight games, had a state-best 18-game winning streak snapped.
South Plainfield lost two of its best players … right fielder Carlos Ruiz (.424) and starting pitcher Matt Cesare (.404), who combined for 51 hits and 41 RBIs this season … before the third inning to freak injuries.
Ruiz had two front teeth knocked loose and both of his lips split open on a bad-hop during infield-outfield practice. Mark McCullen replaced him in the starting lineup. Cesare, the team’s cleanup hitter, pinched a nerve in his neck during his first at-bat and was unable to continue on the mound after throwing two scoreless innings.
“”I have to say that did hurt us a bit, but I think we have 13 guys we could put in the lineup who could hit the baseball,” South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said. “”I was pretty confident that we were going to be able to score some runs.”
It was Bishop Ahr that got production from its order, as six players combined for nine hits. No.‚9 batter Tim Hagerty went 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored. Shortstop Joe Post, who doubled twice, and Pepe scored two runs apiece off reliever Dylan Papa.
McCullen’s run-scoring groundout in the fourth inning closed the deficit to 3-1. Bishop Ahr got the run back in the fourth on Post’s RBI double.
Bishop Ahr (13-4) rallied for five runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Trojans parlayed three walks … one intentional … an error and two hits, including an infield single, into a 9-1 lead. Post belted his second double, Kyle Harsh had a two-run single and Santangelo added a sacrifice fly during the outburst.
“”It was huge,” Bishop Ahr coach Scott Runkel said of the rally. “”Against a team like South Plainfield … one of the best offensive teams in the state … to be quite honest, I wasn’t completely comfortable eight runs up.”
Santangelo (6-0, 1.12 ERA) appeared to get stronger as the game progressed. After walking the bases loaded with two away in the second, Santangelo did not issue a free pass until Rob Pasternak walked on four pitches in the seventh.
“”I think he pitched like a bulldog and did a fabulous job,” Guida said. “”He put himself in a good position. He got ahead early. He didn’t get rattled anytime we did get a few (runners).”
Santangelo, who tied 1996 graduate Kevin Lawrence’s school record for wins, yielded one hit over the final 3 2/3 innings. Ten of the last 12 outs came via strikeout or groundout.
“”I know they can all hit,” Santangelo said of South Plainfield’s lineup. “”I had to pitch carefully to every single guy. I told them on the bus right before we got off, “Hey. I need three runs, and I’ll do the job.’
“”When (Pepe) got that three-run shot, I said thank you and I’m going to take the rest from here.”

http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/baseball/2010/05/13/bishop-ahr-beats-south-plainfield/

or:

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100513/SPORTS0103/5130381/1109

Bishop Ahr 9, South Plainfield 1 (High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 13, 2010 10:27 p.m.
By Josh Rosenfeld

Thursday the 13th proved to be an unlucky day for South Plainfield.
Before it even took the field for the first time as the No. 1 team in The Star-Ledger Top 20 it lost one of its better hitters, Carlos Ruiz, who was struck in the face with a ground ball during infield practice and had to be scratched from the lineup.
Its starting pitcher, Matt Cesare (6-0), was forced out of the game due to twinges in his neck while he was warming up to start the third inning.
And worst of all, it ran into Dario Santangelo, who strengthened his claim as Middlesex County’s best pitcher in silencing one of the state’s most potent lineups as 10th-seeded Bishop Ahr rolled to a 9-1 victory in the quarterfinal round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament yesterday at North Brunswick Community Park.
The victory sent Bishop Ahr (13-4) into tomorrow’s semifinal round against sixth-seeded South Brunswick, a 13-3 winner over Edison.
It also snapped second-seeded South Plainfield’s 18-game winning streak along with its run of 10 consecutive games scoring 10 or more runs. The outcome also insured that none of the tournament’s top four seeds will reach the semifinals, after six of the top eight seeds, including three of the top four, fell in the first round Monday.
Santangelo (7-0) limited South Plainfield (20-2) to four hits, striking out five and walking four, while keeping his earned run average hovering around the 1.00 mark.
“The challenge is that they hit one through nine,” Santangelo said. “You have to pitch to the last guy like you pitch the first guy.”
Bishop Ahr greeted Dylan Papa (3-1), Cesare’s replacement, with three runs in the top of the third and never relinquished the lead. The runs came from an unlikely source as junior Rob Pepe drilled a three-run homer to left center, the first home run of his varsity career.
“We really needed to score runs early and help Dario out,” Pepe said. “Their defense is really good, but Dario really shut them down. That’s all that matters.”
As far as Santangelo was concerned, that was all the support he needed.
“I said that all I need is three runs, get me three runs,” Santangelo said. “I knew it was going to happen because he (Pepe) has been getting close the past two games.”
The East Carolina-bound senior walked three batters in the second but got himself out of that jam with a strikeout. He yielded back-to-back singles to Dan Hansen and Kyle Hughes in the fourth and, after a wild pitch, Hansen scored on a grounder by Mark McCullen for what proved to be its only run.
“He just built confidence every inning,” South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said of Santangelo. “He threw his off-speed pitches for strikes. We tried to be very patient with him, but if he was getting his off-speed stuff over for strikes we knew that we were in for a tough game.”
Bishop Ahr added a run in the fifth on a double by Joe Post and tacked on five more in the seventh, keyed by a two-run single by Kyle Harsh for a 9-1 cushion.
An eight-run deficit, with Santangelo on the hill, proved to be the worst fate of all for South Plainfield.

BOX SCORE:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/4063647654537492999/bishop-ahr-9-south-plainfield-1-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

GMCT Quarterfinals Postponed Due To Weather

GMC baseball tournament quarterfinals postponed due to weather
STAFF REPORT • May 12, 2010

CENTRAL JERSEY — Today's Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Tournament quarterfinals have been postponed until Thursday due to inclement weather.Thursday's schedule for all quarterfinals games, which will be played at North Brunswick's Community Park, is:

• Edison vs. South Brunswick: 4 p.m.
• North Brunswick vs. Old Bridge: 7 p.m.
• Bishop Ahr vs. South Plainfield: 4 p.m.
• Carteret vs. J.F. Kennedy: 7 p.m.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100512/SPORTS0103/100512021/GMC+baseball+tournament+quarterfinals+postponed+due+to+weather

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NJ Baseball: Revised GMC Schedule
By Josh Rosenfeld/For The Star-Ledger

May 12, 2010, 9:47AM

Today's quarterfinal round of the GMC Baseball Tournament has been postponed until Thursday. The games will still be held at North Brunswick Community Park.

In addition, the schedule has been revised so that the games in each half of the bracket will be played at the same time to prevent any teams from receiving an advantage pitching-wise if the night games are affected by the weather.

Here is the revised schedule, with field assignments:

Field 1

Edison vs South Brunswick, 4

North Brunswick vs. Old Bridge, 7

Field 2

Bishop Ahr vs. South Plainfield, 4

Carteret vs. Iselin Kennedy, 7

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http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2010/05/nj_baseball_gmc_quarterfinals_postponed_until_thursday.html

South Plainfield Ranked # 1 in Star Ledger Top 20

NJ BASEBALL: South Plainfield bursts through swinging door at top of Top 20
By Bob Behre/For The Star-Ledger
May 10, 2010, 10:44PM

The door at the top of The Star-Ledger Top 20 continues to swing freely, seemingly welcoming all comers.
While the bottom of the Top 20 remains transient, the rest of these elite teams are showing staying power. It's important to note, no team in the Top 10 had played less than 19 games through Sunday, the cutoff for each week's rankings, and none had played less than 20 games through Monday, May 10.
The point is, what you see is mostly what you get with this group. These are very good teams playing very well through six weeks of baseball. Of course, we are entering the exam portion of the schedule, which includes county tournament semifinals and finals in many areas and crunch time in conference title battles.
The NJSIAA tournament seeds will be available Wednesday night and the state tournament opens on Monday, May 17. That's when the fun really begins.
We welcome Top 20 newcomers Wall (17-3), at No. 16, No. 17 North Hunterdon (14-4), No. 18 Montgomery (13-4), No. 19 Indian Hills (16-3) and No. 20 Bishop Eustace (17-4). Departed but not forgotten are No. 13 Morristown, No. 14 Pope John, No. 17 Ramsey, No. 18 Cherokee and No. 20 Red Bank Catholic.
Before this Top 20 hit the streets, it had suffered some damage. Nothing new. Monroe, ranked No. 2, and St. Joseph (Met.), ranked No. 7, both fell in the first round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament. Edison knocked off Monroe, 9-3, and North Brunswick beat St. Joseph, 3-0. Go figure.
All eyes turn tomorrow to Toms River South high school for the Ocean County Tournament semifinals. No. 10 Jackson faces Brick Memorial at 4 p.m. Jackson's Bryan Soloman has hit a home run in nine straight games for Jackson. Truly amazing. No. 11 Toms River South faces Toms River East in the other semi at 7 p.m. You know that house will be rocking.
Following me down the rabbit hole and, chances are, we'll come out the other side very different. in seven days.

THE STAR-LEDGER BASEBALL TOP 20
1-South Plainfield (19-1)
2-Monroe (19-2)
3-Don Bosco Prep (18-3)
4-St. Joseph (Mont.) (17-3)
5-Delbarton (18-3)
6-Paramus (19-3)
7-St. Joseph (Met.) (16-5)
8-West Essex (16-3)
9-Randolph (19-3)
10-Jackson (15-4)
11-Toms River South (16-3)
12-Gloucester Catholic (15-4)
13-Immaculata (13-1)
14-Millville (15-3)
15-Steinert (19-4)
16-Wall (17-3)
17-North Hunterdon (14-4)
18-Montgomery (13-4)
19-Indian Hills (16-3)
20-Bishop Eustace (17-4)

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2010/05/nj_baseball_south_plainfield_bursts_through_swinging_door_at_top_of_top_20.html

Hot Off The Presses!!! South Plainfield # 1

This week in Middlesex County baseball
JOSH ROSENFELD,

May 10, 2010 7:15 p.m.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Middlesex took the field for Monday's Greater Middlesex Conference game against Bishop Ahr having scored a whopping 76 runs over its last four games, an average of 19 per, and Jordan Carter was a big part of that offensive explosion. The senior outfielder slugged at least one home run in each of those games and hit six overall while driving in 18 runs over the four-game span.He began the onslaught by hitting two home runs and picking up the victory in an 18-8 victory over South River. He followed that by blasting a three-run shot and a grand slam, driving in a total of eight runs, in a 20-3 triumph over Spotswood. Middlesex played a pair of mercy-rule outings on Saturday and Carter homered in each of those as well.For the season Carter is hitting .426 with nine home runs and 34 RBI, although he's certainly not alone in the potent Middlesex lineup. Freshman Tommy Marcinczyk's batting average has hovered around the .600 mark all season while Chris Petiya (six RBI vs. South Amboy Saturday), Ray Lang, Kevin Olah and Kyle Dotey are all hitting above .400. Carter is not be the only big bat for Middlesex; he's just the hottest.

TEAM TO WATCH
South Plainfield (19-1) entered yesterday's Greater Middlesex Conference playoff game with South River riding a 17-game winning streak that has vaulted it to No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20.

South Plainfield has defeated three Top 20 teams during its run, including a 10-0, five-inning triumph over No. 2 Monroe on April 28 and last Thursday's 12-5 decision over No. 7 St. Joseph, which held down the top spot at the time.

South Plainfield gets production from throughout its lineup, led by junior outfielder Brandon Downes, who is batting around .563 and had a grand slam and six RBI against St. Joseph followed by a two-home run effort Friday in a 10-0 victory over Sayreville.

Dan Hansen (6-0, 1.19 ERA) leads a deep pitching staff that also features Matt Cesare (6-0), Dylan Papa (4-0) and Ryan Harrington (2-1, 0.72).

GAMES TO WATCH
The Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament picks up steam with three rounds being competed this week, starting with Monday's first round in which each of the top 10 seeds saw their first tournament action.The quarterfinal round will be staged at North Brunswick's Community Park on Wednesday with games at 4 and 7 p.m. The games with the higher-seeded teams will be played at 7. The semifinal round will move to East Brunswick Tech on Saturday with games at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Once again the highest-seeded team will play the later game.The championship game will follow two weeks later on Saturday, May 29, also at East Brunswick Tech.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-9173427190780952826/this-week-in-middlesex-county-baseball/

THE STAR-LEDGER,

May 10, 2010 7:14 p.m.

THE STAR-LEDGER TOP 20

1-South Plainfield (19-1)

2-Monroe (19-2)

3-Don Bosco Prep (18-3)

4-St. Joseph (Mont.) (17-3)

5-Delbarton (18-3)

6-Paramus (19-3)

7-St. Joseph (Met.) (16-5)

8-West Essex (16-3)

9-Randolph (19-3)

10-Jackson (15-4)

11-Toms River South (16-3)

12-Gloucester Catholic (15-4)

13-Immaculata (13-1)

14-Millville (15-3)

15-Steinert (19-4)

16-Wall (17-3)

17-North Hunterdon (14-4)

18-Montgomery (13-4)

19-Indian Hills (16-3)

20-Bishop Eustace (17-4)

GROUP 3

1-South Plainfield (19-1)

2-Paramus (19-3)

3-Wall (17-3)

4-Ocean Twp. (15-3)

5-Pascack Valley (15-4)

6-Cranford (17-4)

7-Scotch Plains (16-5)

8-Sparta (15-6)

9-Morristown (15-7)

10-West Milford (14-5-1)

MIDDLESEX

1-South Plainfield (19-1)

2-Monroe (19-2)

3-St. Joseph (16-5)

4-Iselin Kennedy (14-7)

5-South Brunswick (10-8)

6-East Brunswick (11-7)

7-Bishop Ahr (11-4)

8-Middlesex (14-3)

9-Woodbridge (10-8)

10-Old Bridge (9-8)

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-8712002346076801458/nj-baseball-statewide-rankings-may-10/

GMCT GAME - SOUTH PLAINFIELD 10 - SOUTH RIVER 3

GMCT BASEBALL ROUNDUP
May 10, 2010 • 9:20 pm
By Greg Tufaro

Senior right-hander Alex Taylor went the distance, fanning 10 and yielding one hit to lead the 16th-seeded North Brunswick High School baseball team to a stunning 3-0 upset Monday of top-seeded and two-time defending champion St. Joseph in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.
The Raiders (11-11) advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinals, which will be played at North Brunswick’s Community Park. They will host eighth-seeded Old Bridge, a 7-3 winner over South Amboy.
“”Alex is a tremendous competitor. He had an unbelievable game last year against J.F. Kennedy in the county tournament, but today was even better,” said North Brunswick head coach Ryan Lillis, referring to Taylor’s win which catapulted the Raiders into last year’s GMCT final, which they lost to St. Joseph.
“”He is our senior leader and he stepped up today and was dominant. St. Joes is a tremendous program. Our kids really work their tails off and this is a monumental win for them and our program.” The Raiders jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by junior first baseman Steven Hock. Junior right fielder Jake Rosenberg’s two-out, two-run single in the top of the second capped off the scoring. Rosenberg finished 2-for-4, while Sean Youngman
went 2-for-3.
Austin Tomaszewicz singled in the fourth for St. Joseph’s lone hit. The Falcons (16-6) endured their third straight loss and have not scored a run in their last 17 innings.

CARTERET 6, EAST BRUNSWICK 4:
Senior second baseman Billy Merz went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs for No.‚20 seed Carteret. Senior left fielder Mike Merz added a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning to provide the Ramblers (8-12) with some insurance.
Left-hander Tyler Browne struck out 12 for No.‚4 East Brunswick (10-7), and Tyler McDonough singled in a run in the third inning for the Bears.
EDISON 9, MONROE 3:Junior third baseman Vinny Zanfordino finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs to help lead No.‚14 seed Edison (12-11). Senior right-hander Nick Marics (6-2) threw a complete game, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks while striking
out two.
Bryan Wasniewski posted a pinch-hit RBI single for No.‚3 seed Monroe (18-3).

SOUTH BRUNSWICK 3, WOODBRIDGE 2:
Senior shortstop Juan Perdomo singled over the center fielder’s head with men on first and second and no outs in the bottom of the seventh to give sixth-seeded South Brunswick (11-8) a walk-off victory.
Craig Cleffi led off the seventh with a single and steal of second base before No.‚11 Woodbridge (10-9) intentionally walked Mike Muha to get to Perdomo.
The Vikings opened up a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Perdomo. Perdomo later doubled and scored on an RBI double from Nick Muha in the fifth.
Senior right-hander Chris Palumbo earned the victory for South Brunswick, throwing two innings of one-hit shutout relief.
Mike Clarke drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for the 11th-seeded Barons.

OLD BRIDGE 7, SOUTH AMBOY 3:
John Young went 3-for-4 with a double, solo homer and three RBIs, and Jimmy Meindl went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored for No.‚9 seed Old Bridge.
Taylor Amato picked up the victory for the Knights (10-8), allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked two and fanned nine in 6 2/3 innings.
Christian Geant went 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while teammate Kyle Fuentes went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer for No.‚8 South Amboy. Dustin DeVoe took the complete-game loss for the Governors (11-4).

SOUTH PLAINFIELD 10, SOUTH RIVER 3:
Junior left-hander Dan Hansen went the distance, allowing just one earned run on eight hits and two walks while striking out two as No. 2 seed South Plainfield (20-1) won its state-best 18th straight.
Carlos Ruiz went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI and Kyle Hughes went 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Tigers, who also received a solo home run from Mark Benak.
Tim Huff blasted a solo home run in the fourth and Brennan Mahoney hit an RBI double for 15th-seeded South River (11-8).

J.F. KENNEDY 11, PISCATAWAY 1 (5 innings):
Senior catcher Jay Stolz went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and three RBIs to help power No.‚5 seed J.F. Kennedy. Senior left fielder Kyle Grimes added two hits, an RBI and scored three runs for the Mustangs (15-7).
Senior right fielder Chirad Patel delivered an RBI double in the third inning for No.‚12 seed Piscataway (8-12).

http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/baseball/2010/05/10/gmct-baseball-roundup/

South Plainfield 10, South River 3

(High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 11, 2010 1:34 a.m.

Mark Benak cracked a solo home run and Robert Pasternak drove in two runs as second-seeded South Plainfield (20-1) celebrated its ascension to the top spot in The Star-Ledger Top 20 with a first-round victory in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament in South Plainfield. Daniel Hansen (7-0) scattered eight hits and yielded one earned run as South Plainfield ran its winning streak to 18 consecutive games. Craig Huff had a solo home run while Brennan Mahoney and James Vacchio each had two hits and an RBI for South River (11-8), seeded 15th.

Mark McCullen is congratulated after scoring a run in the sixth inning against South River.

Box Score:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/4884412254505629710/south-plainfield-10-south-river-3-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

SP Tigers To Play South River On Monday

South River 7, Spotswood 6 (High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 08, 2010 10:03 p.m.

Maxx Johnson singled in David Rondesko with the winning run as 15th-seeded South River (11-7) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh in the preliminary round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament in South River. Rondesko (4-2) went the distance as South River defeated 18th-seeded Spotswood (8-9) for the third time this season. Spotswood's Corey Brown had two hits and scored twice. South River will play at second-seeded and No. 5-ranked South Plainfield in the tournament's first round tomorrow afternoon.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/5884428254641630049/south-river-7-spotswood-6-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

Don Bosco Prep 3, St. Joseph Metuchen 0

Don Bosco Prep 3, St. Joseph (Met.) 0 (High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 08, 2010 7:14 p.m.

Eric Stevens tossed a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and one walk as Don Bosco Prep (18-3), No. 10 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, defeated No. 1 St. Joseph of Metuchen in Ramsey. Jason Vosler singled in Don Bosco Prep's first run in the second inning, George Iskendarian produced the second with a solo home run in the fifth and Grant Van Orden drove in the third on a fielder's choice in the sixth. The loss was the second in three days for St. Joseph (16-5), which fell to No. 5 South Plainfield by a 12-5 count on Thursday.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/5884426254529629742/don-bosco-prep-3-st-joseph-met-0-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

HNT Baseball State Qualifiers

HNT Baseball State Qualifiers

STAFF REPORT • May 7, 2010

The following area baseball teams have qualified for automatic bids to the state tournament by reaching .500 by Friday's NJSIAA cutoff:

St. Joseph (16-3), Old Bridge (9-7), South Brunswick (10-7), East Brunswick (10-7), South Plainfield (18-1), Monroe (19-2), J.F. Kennedy (12-7), Woodbridge (9-7), Middlesex (12-3), Bishop Ahr (10-4), South River (10-7), Spotswood (8-8), Metuchen (10-7), South Amboy (11-2).

..............

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100507/SPORTS0103/5070364/1109

South Plainfield - 10 Sayreville - 0

SOUTH PLAINFIELD 10, SAYREVILLE 0 (5 innings):

Junior center fielder Brandon Downs homered twice and drove in two runs to help power South Plainfield.
Sophomore catcher Steven Petriello went 3-for-3 with two RBIs for the Tigers (19-1).
Senior right-hander Matt Cesare improved to 6-0, going five innings and allowing just three hits, no walks and striking out three.
Ryan Truchan, Michael Monahghan and Blake Cuomo all singled for Sayreville.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100507/SPORTS0103/5070358/1109

Brandon Downes makes the catch in center field as Mark Benak and Mark Tomei back up the play.

Kyle Hughes puts the tag on a Sayreville runner at third for the out.

BOX SCORE:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/6884432254537629740/south-plainfield-10-sayreville-0-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

Downes leads Tigers past St. Joe’s

Downes leads Tigers past St. Joe’s
Posted By Greg Tufaro

On May 6, 2010 @ 8:53 pm

By GREG TUFARO

STAFF WRITER

SOUTH PLAINFIELD … After many of his teammates leave practice and the sun begins to set behind Frank Jost Field, Brandon Downes remains behind hitting soft toss or taking extra swings from a tee.
The junior center fielder’s dedication at the plate this spring and in the weight room during the offseason has translated into an impressive offensive year.
Downes blasted his single-season school record 10th homer … a grand slam … and plated two more runs with a single while leading second-ranked South Plainfield to a 12-5 victory Thursday over top-ranked St. Joseph in a battle of Home News Tribune Top 10 baseball teams.
The loss was the first for the Falcons (15-4) to a Greater Middlesex Conference opponent and snapped their 11-game winning streak.
South Plainfield (18-1), which has won 16 straight, racked up 14 hits off four pitchers and batted around twice. Downes, Mark Benak and Matt Cesare collected two hits apiece, while teammate Steve Petriello went 3-for-4.
St. Joseph coach Paul Esposito, whose team plays arguably the toughest schedule in the state, lauded the Tigers for their offensive approach with pitches on the outside black.
“”I wish we could use that as a video of what it’s like to look for the ball away, reacting and hitting the ball to the opposite field,” Esposito said. “”Offensively, they are as fundamentally sound as we’ve seen all year.”
Senior left-hander Dylan Papa scattered nine hits over six innings, including a pair of two-out, two-run homers … one each to Eric Peterson (in the third) and Shane Alvarez (in the fourth). Peterson’s came after Phil Gianakos reached safely on a swinging third strike in the dirt, essentially giving the Falcons four outs in the inning.
Victor Diaz plated St. Joseph’s other run with a two-out, RBI double in the first before Papa worked out of a bases-loaded jam.
“”My big worry out there was containing them from the big inning,” Papa said. “”St. Joe’s is one of the best teams in the state right now, and I (prevented the big inning) with the help of everybody behind me. I know I have eight guys behind me that are going to make plays. All I’ve got to do is let them put the ball in play.”
Downes’ homer highlighted a six-run rally in the second as South Plainfield erased a 1-0 deficit. Rob Pasternak and Kyle Hughes each had RBI singles in the inning.
Downes came up with the bases loaded again in the third and responded with a two-out, two-run single for a 9-3 lead. Benak preceded with an RBI single.
When Downes came up with a runner on second in the fifth and the Tigers leading 9-5, he was intentionally walked for a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup. Cleanup batter Cesare greeted reliever Jared Debrizzi with an RBI single. Brandon Dolan then took the mound for a righty-vs.-righty matchup and Petriello greeted him with an RBI single. Carlos Diaz drew a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 curveball to complete the scoring.
A message inscribed on the South Plainfield dugout wall before the game, reading “”Respect is earned, not given,” summed up the Tigers’ mission.
Esposito said the loss will not impact his squad and many suspect the teams may meet again in the GMC Tournament final.
“”I think we are right there with them,” Esposito said. “”I think we are as good as them offensively. I think we could pitch with them. I think we’ll be fine going into the GMC Tournament. One loss is not going to derail us. We’ll be ready.”

http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/baseball/2010/05/06/downes-leads-tigers-past-st-joes/

Or:

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100506/SPORTS0103/5060358/1109

SOUTH PLAINFIELD - 12 ST. JOE'S METUCHEN - 5

FINALLY......SOME R-E-S-P-E-C-T!!!

RODNEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS TODAY!!!

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH PLAINFIELD -12

ST. JOES METUCHEN - 5

My Central Jersey Photo Gallery:

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=CN&Dato=20100506&Kategori=PHOTOS02&Lopenr=5060805&Ref=PH

South Plainfield Baseball Photobucket Site:

http://s710.photobucket.com/home/driftwood22/allalbums

BOX SCORE: ?

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/7884439254656630063/south-plainfield-12-st-joseph-met-5-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

South Plainfield 12, St. Joseph (Met.) 5 (High school Baseball scores and results)
The Star Ledger, May 06, 2010 10:25 p.m.

A mere 24 hours after St. Joseph was awarded the top seed in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, with South Plainfield seeded second, that order was reversed on the scoreboard.
Brandon Downes cracked a grand slam in a six-run second inning to spark South Plainfield, No. 5 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to a 12-5 victory over No. 1 St. Joseph yesterday in South Plainfield.
The victory was the 16th in a row for South Plainfield (18-1) since its lone setback, a one-run loss to No. 7 Monroe on April 5. The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for St. Joseph (15-4), which suffered its first loss to a Middlesex County foe this year.
South Plainfield sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning, as Downes belted his 10th home run of the season and Rob Pasternak and Kyle Hughes each drove in a run with a single.
St. Joseph had taken a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Victor Diaz but squandered an opportunity for more by leaving the bases loaded.
South Plainfield received run-scoring singles by Downes and
and Mark Benak in the third and by Matt Cesare and Stephen Petriello in the fifth.
St. Joseph's last four runs came on a two-run homer by Eric Peterson in the third and another two-run shot by Shane Alvarez in the fourth.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/7884439254656630063/south-plainfield-12-st-joseph-met-5-high-school-baseball-scores-and-results/

And:

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-5168374240660188472/nj-baseball-greater-newark-tournament-semifinals-set-south-plainfield-rocks-st-joseph-met/