The Marlboro High School softball team played a pair of one-run thrillers in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV tournament. Unfortunately, the Mustangs went 1-1 in those games, bringing an end to another fine season on the softball diamond.
Fourth-seeded East Brunswick High School ended Marlboro’s season May 25 with a come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the Mustangs in the state sectional quarterfinals. Trailing, 3-2, East Brunswick’s Allie Ware smacked a solo home run in the last of the fourth to tie the game and then delivered the game-winner — a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Macie Ditillo was 1-for-3 with two RBIs for the No. 5-seeded Mustangs, who finished the season with a 15-9 mark — one game short of equaling last year’s school-record 16 wins.
Marlboro opened the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs with a 4-3 win over a red-hot Freehold Township High School team.
The Patriots, who were just 9-14 heading into the playoffs, were fresh off their White Division win in the Monmouth County Tournament and proved to be a tough out.
Marlboro hit Freehold Township with a three-run first inning en route to the 4-3 win.
Ditillo (2-3) had two doubles and two RBIs in the win. Lindsey Fhima was also 2-for-3 with a double, triple and an RBI. Jennifer Frometa’s two hits were for extra bases — double and triple.
Kaleigh Oplinger went the distance and allowed two earned runs, as Marlboro held off a Patriots team that rallied from being down, 4-0, to make it a nail-bitter.
Freehold Township’s Nicole Baptista went 2-for-3 with a run scored and registered her 100th career hit. Elissa Masin was 1-for-4 but had two RBIs in the loss for the Patriots.
Marlboro also exited the Shore Conference Tournament, losing to Red Bank Catholic High School, 6-3, in the Round of 16.
Manalapan High School (13th seed) and Colts Neck High School (15th seed) were also in the Central Jersey, Group IV field.
The Braves threw a scare into East Brunswick, as the Bears squeaked by, 3-2. Rachel Hrevnak went 2-for-2 with a home run for Manalapan, and Kristen Ruggiero was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Nicollete Jomo drove in Manalapan’s second run.
Manalapan finished 8-12.
Colts Neck fell, 11-1, to second-seeded Hillsborough High School. Felicia Kuegler and Payton Mahoney had base hits for the Cougars (9-11).
Howell High School was the 10th seed in South Jersey, Group IV and lost at No. 7-seed Washington Township High School, 11-0, to finish the season with an overall mark of 10-12.
Central Jersey, Group IV baseball
As for the baseball teams, Marlboro was the only area team to get out of the first round.
The eighth-seeded Mustangs clipped No. 9-seed Hillsborough, 4-3, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Will Trochiano trotted home with the game-winner, scoring on Noah Thomas’ sacrifice fly.
Marlboro ace Jeremy Dyzenhaus went the distance, fanning seven.
Brian Kapuscinski, Trochiano and Matt Discuillo delivered first-inning RBIs, as Marlboro scored three runs in the last of the first.
Thanks to North Brunswick Township High School — the No. 16 seed — upsetting No. 1-seed East Brunswick 2-0, Marlboro got to play its quarterfinals game at home May 26 against the Raiders. Unfortunately, the Mustangs weren’t able to take advantage of it, falling to this year’s bracket busters, 6-3.
Mark Vente went 2-for-3 to pace the Marlboro offense.
Marlboro finished the season 13-10.
Fifth-seeded Freehold High School lost in the first round to No. 12-seed South Brunswick High School, 6-2.
Colts Neck, the winner of the Shore Conference B North Division public school title, lost a pitcher’s duel at Edison High School, 2-1. Edison is seeded sixth, and the Cougars were 11th.
Manalapan, which made the tournament by playing so well during the second half of the season, took fourth-seeded Montgomery High School to extra innings before succumbing, 3-2.
The Braves broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth on Carmine Raione’s RBI double, plating Micahel Mollica. But Montgomery answered with two runs in the last of the eighth on Matt Rubayo’s two-RBI, bases-loaded single.
Dan DeBlasion accounted for Manalapan’s first run on a home run.
Braves starter Tyler Stafflinger went seven innings, allowing just one earned run in his no decision for the Braves (11-15).
Howell (13th seed) lost at No. 4-seed Cherokee High School, 7-4, in South Jersey, Group IV.
The state playoff losses did not signal the end of the season for Colts Neck and Freehold. Both advanced to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals, where their campaigns officially concluded.
Colts Neck fell to Middletown High School South, 7-5, May 25.
Nick Umbro was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI, Mike Anticl matched that with two hits and an RBI and Jeremy Slad had a two-RBI single for the Cougars, who were 15-8.
Freehold lost at Toms River High School South, 7-0.
Marco Meleo was 2-for-3 for the Colonials, who completed the season with a 14-12 record.