MIDDLESEX TOPS UNION 11-3 AS KANNALEY SETS SCHOOL STRIKEOUT MARK

Middlesex College broke open a close game with five late-inning runs and Patrick Kannaley hurled a complete game as the Colts topped Union County College 11-3.

Kannaley struck out 11 in his fifth complete game of the year and in the process broke the single-season strikeout record for the school. Kannaley ended the game with 76 strikeouts, topping the previous mark of 72 which was set in 2006 by Michael Femia.

The teams traded runs in the first inning and then Middlesex (29-15) scored three in the second to take a lead they would not relinquish.

Giovanni Aresta (Freshman/Old Bridge, NJ) led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season and the other two runs were driven in by Kiefer Goss (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ) and Christopher Born (Freshman/South Plainfield, NJ). The Colts extended their lead to 5-1 when Born scored on a wild pitch in the fourth and it looked like the Colts were on their way as Kannaley was cruising to that point.

Union was able to push across a run in the sixth when the first three batters singled, walked and then singled again, but Kannaley put the clamps down on the Owls (1-14) and got out of the inning without further damage.

The Colts added three insurance in the seventh and two more in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Key hits in the seventh inning were delivered by Connor Luckie (Freshman/Hamilton, NJ) and Jordan Brown (Freshman/Piscataway, NJ). Both of the Colts ninth inning runs came around on another Brown single. 

Brown led the Colts offense on the day, going 2-5 with a season-high five RBIs. Luckie was 2-3 with three runs a double and an RBI. Born added two hits for his 12th multi-hit game of the season.

Kannaley's complete game was his fifth of the season, which is the most in the country among NJCAA Division III players. He allowed just two earned runs, walked two batters and his record now stands at 6-3. 

Middlesex turns right around to take on Union in a home doubleheader Saturday with first pitch coming at noon.