Jersey Blues Baseball Splits In NJCAA District Championship Tournament

Vineland, NJ - The #3 Region 19 seeded Jersey Blues baseball team went 1-1 on Friday, May 17th in the NJCAA District Championship Tournament at RCSJ-Cumberland. In game one, the Blues were defeated by the #2 Northampton Community College Spartans, 12-10, then bounced back to beat #4 Middlesex College, 6-1.

Brookdale produced sixteen hits to Northampton's nine, but the Spartan runs in the third and sixth innings were timely and detrimental for the Blues. Sophomore first baseman, Ryan Cole, led the Blues with three RBI's including a homer, and sophomore second baseman, Nick Colbert, punched home two RBI's. Sophomore right fielder, Nick LoVarco, went 3 for 6 while hitting his 19th home run, and freshman DH, Shane Andrus and sophomore third baseman, Rocko Brzezniak each had doubles for RBI's. 

Game two against the Middlesex Blue Colts went a bit smoother for the Jersey Blues as sophomore Ryan Cole (9-2) took to the mound for nine straight innings. Cole faced 36 batters, struck out 16 and walked just two. Catcher, Shane Andrus, came through at the plate again with a huge homer and a double for two RBI's as Rocko Brzezniak went 3 for 5 for two RBI's, and Nick Colbert added another RBI on the day for the win.

Brookdale (44-8-1) will face the #1 seeded RCSJ-Gloucester Roadrunners in the NJCAA North Atlantic District Semifinal on Sunday, May 19th, 11:00am, at RCSJ-Gloucester.

Photo above courtesy of Chris Taylor