MIDDLESEX COLLEGE BASEBALL BLUDGEONS BROOKDALE 22-11

Keifer Goss and Christopher Born each had five hits and Patrick Kannaley and Gage Bendix performed admirably on the mound as Middlesex College topped Brookdale College 22-11 in a pivotal GSAC game in Lincroft, NJ.

The win imporved Middlesex to 25-14 while Brookdale fell to 22-12 in a showdown of two schools who have been getting attention in the NJCAA national poll all season. 

The Colts jumped on Brookdale early when they scored two first inning runs on an RBI single by Connor Luckie (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ) and an RBI triple by Giovanni Aresta (Freshman/Old Bridge, NJ).

The Jersey Blues tied the game in the third, but then the Middlesex offense kicked into gear.

Middlesex began the fourth inning with three straight bunt singles with each batter coming around to score. The big hits came from Christian Petrillo (Freshman/North Brunswick, NJ) who doubled home two, and Braden Ramirez (Freshman/Middlesex, NJ) who singled home a run.

After Kannaley held the Jersey Blues scoreless in the bottom of the frame, Middlesex added three more runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 9-2. Brookdale answered with two in the fifth, but an eight-run sixth gave the Colts a large cushion. Aresta's two-run homer was the big hit in the inning as the Colts took advantage of six walks in the inning.

The Colts offense wasn't done as they added five more runs over the final two innings, three of them coming on two Born singles in the eighth and ninth.

Born finished the day 5-5 with three runs, three RBIs and a walk. Goss went 5-6 with four runs and two RBIs. Aresta was 3-5 with two runs and three RBIs and Petrillo and Ramirez had two hits each.

Kannaley gave a workman-like performance on the mound, battling a very good hitting Brookdale team for six innings. Bendix closed the game by allowing just one run over two innings of relief. 

The two squads return to action tomorrow when Brookdale travels to Middlesex for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 12pm.