LONIEWSKI'S GRAND SLAM PROPELS MIDDLESEX PAST SUSSEX 13-7
Nicholas Loniewski belted a grand slam and drove in five runs as Middlesex College came from behind to knock off Division II Sussex CC, 13-7.
The win boosted the Colts record to 18-8 giving them a win total that is second best in Region XIX.
On a frigid day in Edison, Sussex (6-11) jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the Colts through two innings.
Middlesex didn't get on the board until the fourth when Kiefer Goss (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ) drove home Jordan Brown (Freshman/Piscataway, NJ) with an RBI single. The Skylanders answered right back with a run of their own in the top of the fifth.
Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Colts had managed just four singles and one run, but the bats came alive in a big way.
Colby Chippendale (Freshman/North Porrt, FL) led off the inning with a double and ultimately came artound to score the Colts second run on a wild pitch. Goss and Zachary Brown (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ) each walked and scored with Loniewski and Christian Petrillo (Freshman/North Brunswick, NJ) each driving home a run with RBI singles.
Middlesex continued their comeback in the next frame when Jordan Brown singled with one out. The Skylanders looked like they might get out of the inning, but Middlesex rallied with two outs. Goss and Zachary Brown each walked to set up Loniewski's heroics.
The freshman DH turned around a fastball for a no-doubt grand slam to left for his first collegiate home run and a 9-6 Middlesex lead.
Sussex plated a run in the top of the 8th to make it a two-ruun game, but the Colts put the game out of reach with four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Goss drove home one run on a fielder's choice and the other three scored when Loniewski's sharp grounder to short with the bases loaded was misplayed for an error.
Patrick Kannaley (Sophomore/Middlesex, NJ) came on in relief in the eighth and picked up the save, striking out the last two batters of the game looking in the process.
Loniewski was the offensive hero for the Colts, going 2-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Connor Luckie (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ), Jordan Brown, and Christopher Born (Freshman/South Plainfield, NJ) each had two-hit games for the Colts as well. Gosss was 1-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Thomas Niedermaier (Freshman/Bordentown, NJ) got the start on the mound for the Colts and Gage Bendix picked up the win with a gutsy 5.1 innings in relief of Niedermaier.
Middlesex returns to action with a three-game series scheduled to begin on Friday against RCSJ-Cumberland, the nation's second ranked team. Middlesex will be on the road for Friday's opener against RCSJ-Cumberland and will then host a doubleheader on Saturday against them.