WANSAW LEADS COLTS TO THRILLING SWEEP OF RCSJ-CUMBERLAND IN REGION 19 PLAYOFFS

Michael Wansaw delivered a walk off double in the eleven inning of Game 1 and Middlesex pulled away with ten runs in the final three innings of Game 2 to take a best-of-three series against RCSJ-Cumberland in the opening series of the NJCAA Division III Regional Baseball Tournament.

The Colts have advanced to the NJCAA Division III Final Four scheduled for this weekend and will take on RCSJ-Gloucester, the defending National Champion and current #1 team in the NJCAA Division III National Poll, in their first game. Middlesex improved to 35-20 on the season.

Against RCSJ-Cumberland, the Colts and Dukes needed 11 innings to determine a winner in a thrilling back-and-forth contest.

Middlesex got on the board in the bottom of the first when Brett Lukachyk (Freshman/Woodbridge, NJ) launched his first career home run. RCSJ-Cumberland took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second, but Middlesex regained the lead in the fourth on an error and a sac fly by Joshua Rodriguez (Freshman/North Brunswick, NJ).

The Dukes and Colts traded runs in the fifth with Wansaw plating Mat Troche (Sophomore/Fords, NJ) for the Middlesex run. After RCSJ-Cumberland tied the game with a solo run in the sixth, Middlesex regained the lead with a solo run of their own in the seventh.

Again, Wansaw did the damage, driving home Dylan Lugo (Freshman/East Brunswick, NJ) with a double.

RCSJ-Cumberland tied the game in the top of the ninth and then took a 6-5 lead going to the bottom of the tenth.

Natanael Friedman (Sophomore/Clifton, NJ) drew a one-out walk and after a strikeout, Middlesex Head Coach CJ Mooney sent up pinch hitter Angel Deaza (Freshman/Elizabeth, NJ) as a pinch hitter. Deaza answered the call with a long double to the right center field fence to tie the game again.

After Ryan Tomasula (Sophomore/Edison, NJ) retired the side in order in the top of the 11^th, Middlesex once again showed a flair for the dramatic.

Lugo led off the frame with a single and came around to score on an opposite field double by the red-hot Wansaw for the walk off win.

Wansaw finished the game 4-6 with two doubles and three RBIs. He also pitched the first seven innings and allowed just three earned runs while striking out five.

Lugo and Conor Drury (Freshman/North Brunswick, NJ) had two hits apiece for the Colts in Game 1.

Middlesex used three relievers after Wansaw for four effective innings of work. Ryan Poulson (Sophomore/Milltown, NJ), Sal Della Fave (Freshman/Edison, NJ) and Tomasula combined to work the final four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits.

In Game 2, Middlesex and RCSJ-Cumberland once again engaged in a back-and-forth affair and were tied at five going into the sixth.

The Colts scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to provide some breathing room until the top of the eighth when the Dukes scored two to make the score 10-7. However, Middlesex answered with five more runs in the bottom of the inning, invoking the mercy rule with a final score of 15-7.

Once again, Wansaw was among the leaders on offense for Middlesex. He went 3-4 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. He's now batting .428 on the season with 50 RBIs.

Lugo and Rodriguez also had three-hit games with two runs scored each for the Colts.

Roberto Gonzalez went 2-4 with two runs, three RBIs and a sixth inning home run, his fourth of the season.

Jakob Anderson (Freshman/Middlesex, NJ) got the start for Middlesex, but was removed for injury after just three batters. Ryan Rzepinski (Freshman/Bayonne, NJ) worked the next 3.2 innings and Joshua Vasquez (Sophomore/Fords, NJ) took care of the three innings after that before yielding to Tomasula who pitched the final 2/3 of an inning for the save. Vasquez picked up the win.

Middlesex is scheduled to return to action on Friday when they take on RCSJ-Gloucester in the Region 19 double-elimination final four. Game 1 is scheduled for an 11:00AM start on Friday, May 17 at Gloucester.