MOONEY REACHES 200 WINS AS MIDDLESEX BASEBALL COMPLTES THREE-GAME SWEEP OF #6 BROOKDALE

Middlesex College Baseball continued to play their best baseball of the season, running their winning streak to 12 after sweeping a three-game series against Brookdale CC, the nation's sixth-ranked team.

The Colts won the opener 5-4 at home on Friday on a walkoff hit in the 10^th, then swept a doubleheader at Brookdale the next day by scores of 4-2 and 7-1.

The third game was particularly special as it not only completed the sweep, but was also Head Coach CJ Mooney's 200^th career win.

In Game 1 of the series, Middlesex was down 3-0 in the fifth inning, but scored two in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth. Brookdale held on to a 4-3 lead going to the bottom of the ninth, but the Colts rallied to force extra innings.

After escaping the top of the 10^th without allowing a run, the Colts advanced the winning run to third with Connor Luckie (Sophomore/Hamilton, NJ), one of the nation's top RBI men, coming to the plate. Luckie promptly banged a deep hit to centerfield for the dramatic win.

Braden Ramirez (Sophomore/Middlesex, NJ) went 3-4 with a double, triple and homer. The right fielder, who has signed with Dayton University, also added two runs and two RBIs. Michael Wansaw (Freshman/Elizabeth, NJ) went 2-5 and scored the winning run on Luckie's hit.

Ryan Pozo went the first six innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits. The Colts bullpen was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits over four scoreless innings. Ryan Tomasula (Freshman/Edison, NJ), Nick Estes (Sophomore/Sayreville, NJ) and Nick Lehotzky (Freshman/South River, NJ) kept the Jersey Blues off the scoreboard over the final four innings with Lehotzky picking up his first collegiate win.

The story of the second game of the series was Wansaw, who pitched a complete game, five-hitter as the Colts held on for a 4-2 win. Middlesex held a 3-0 lead going to the fifth, but Brookdale cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Mooney stuck with his freshman lefty though, who righted the ship and escaped the sixth and seventh without allowing a run. The Colts added an insurance run in the top of the sixth for the winning margin.

Thomas O'Halloran (Freshman/Fords, NJ) went 2-4 with two runs and a double to lead the offense. Luckie went 2-3 with an RBI in support of Wansaw, who moved to 4-1 with the win.

After two close wins, Middlesex enjoyed some breathing room in Game 3 as the Colts completed the sweep. Despite the offensive outburst, the star of the game was starting pitcher Isaiah Figueroa, who was downright filthy on the mound.

Figueroa, a sophomore righty from Old Bridge, NJ, allowed just two hits in a complete game effort, striking out 12 Brookdale batters along the way. Figueroa allowed a solo home run leading off the bottom of the first, then gave up nothing but a single and a walk the rest of the game. Figueroa is 4-1 on the year and lowered his ERA to 2.40.

Prior to the home run, Middlesex had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The game remained tied at one until the fourth, when the Colts began to separate from the Jersey Blues.

Middlesex scored once in the fourth, twice in each of the fifth and sixth and then added one more run in the seventh for the final 7-1 difference.

Kiefer Goss (Sophomore/Hamilton, NJ) went 2-4 with a run and O'Halloran, who is third in Region 19 and ninth in the nation with 57 hits, went 2-4 with two runs. 

The 12-game winning streak is the second longest this season in Region 19 and includes a win over nationally ranked Northampton and the three wins over #6 Brookdale.

Middlesex returns to the diamond on Tuesday when they travel to Sussex CC for a single nine-inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30PM.