By Tim Morris
In what could be a good omen for the Freehold Regional High School District’s state playoff-bound baseball teams, all were victorious in their Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) debuts.
Freehold High School, Marlboro High School, Colts Neck High School, Howell High School and Manalapan High School collected first-round wins in the SCT May 18 prior to the start of the NJSIAA state sectional playoffs May 23.
No team had a better start than Freehold (12-10). Junior left-hander Dan Chiusano served up a perfect game in the Colonials’ 3-0 win over Manasquan High School. The ace needed just 66 pitches (49 strikes) to record his gem. He fanned four, and the Colonials defense didn’t have an error behind him.
Freehold is seeded 14th.
Chiusano was in a 1-0 game until the last of the sixth (the Colonials’ Nick Zuppe scored on an error in the fourth inning), when Freehold pushed two runners across the plate — one on an RBI single by Chris Cassandra and the other on a sacrifice fly by Tom Holdorf, who had pitched a no-hitter earlier this year for Freehold.
Manalapan (11-13), which is closing the season on a run, beat St. Rose High School, 3-0, behind Tyler Stafflinger’s two-hitter. Dan DeBlasio was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Jake Sadowitz was 1-for-1 with two RBIs in the win for the No. 17 seed.
Marlboro’s ace, Jeremy Dyzenhaus, pitched another complete game for the Mustangs (12-9) as they defeated Matawan Regional High School, 8-2. Andrew Gambardella was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs score, Brian Reilly was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and Brian Kapuscinski was 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
The Mustangs are the highest-seeded local team at No. 7.
Colts Neck, which won the public school Shore Conference B North Division title this spring and is seeded 10th, beat Shore Regional High School, 6-0, as four pitchers, led by starter Mike D’Ottavio, combined on a two-hitter.
Mike Antico had two hits and two RBIs for Colts Neck (15-6).
Howell (11-11) outscored Wall High School, 12-5, with Christian Gedell going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Connor Fey went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Rebels were the 15th seed.
Freehold and Colts Neck advanced to the SCT quarterfinals May 25 with Round of 16 wins May 21.
The Colonials sent No. 3-seed Toms River High School North packing with a 6-1 win. A five-run second inning was highlighted by Holdorf’s bases-clearing, three-RBI double.
Zuppe had three hits and a run scored for Freehold.
Holdorf was also the winning pitcher in relief, holding the Mariners to three hits over four innings.
Sixth-seeded Toms River High School South was Freehold’s opponent in the quarterfinals.
Colts Neck beat Marlboro, 4-1, to move on to the quarterfinals. Brendan Clarke went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Andrew Conforti had a hit and two runs scored for the Cougars.
In relief, Dillon Pellechia got the win for Colts Neck, which will play No. 2-seed Middletown High School South in the quarterfinals.
Manalapan lost to top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy, 2-0, and Howell fell to Middletown South, 11-1, in their respective Round of 16 games.
When the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV started May 23, Freehold was the highest-seeded district team at No. 5. The Colonials were scheduled to play No. 12-seed South Brunswick High School in the opening round in Freehold.
Marlboro, the No. 8 seed, will also be home. Hillsborough, the No. 9 seed, is the Mustangs’ opponent.
Colts Neck, the 11th seed, traveled to No. 6-seed Edison High School of the Greater Middlesex Conference.
Manalapan got the 13th seed and went to No. 4-seed Montgomery High School.
The road to the Central Jersey, Group IV championship goes through top-seeded East Brunswick High School.
Howell is in South Jersey, Group IV. The Rebels were seeded 13th and traveled to No. 4-seed Cherokee High School.
Clearview Regional High School is the section’s top seed.
The quarterfinals are May 26 and the semi-finals are May 31 for both the Central Jersey and South Jersey sections. The sectional finals are June 3 on the higher-seeded team’s home field.