Metuchen teams play for tournament titles

The Metuchen 8-year-old tournament baseball team completed its summer tournament season with a two-game winning streak. In their finale, closer Luke Spallone pitched a perfect final inning to secure the win over Edison in the Milltown tournament. Starter Mitchel Epstein and setup man Matt Coscia pitched four scoreless innings before yielding to Spallone for the final inning. Epstein also delivered a big home run for Metuchen, Jon-Michael Manzo opened the game with a key double and Joe Hronich capped a three-hit performance with a bases-clearing triple to end the game.

The team completed its 18-game schedule with solid records and finishes in the Fords/Clara Barton, Edison Boys and Milltown tournaments. Highlights of the season included a complete-game shutout by Nick Loffredo, masterful pitching performances by Mark "Big Papi" Mastromonaco, and solid hitting performances by Kyle Harry, Matt Rose, Epstein, Loffredo and Hronich. Strong pitching, hitting and defense was provided by John Schleck, Dan Flaherty, Manzo, Coscia, Spallone and David Weiss.

The Metuchen 9-year-old tournament baseball team completed its summer season with a championship game victory over Fords in the Fords/Clara Barton tournament.

The 7-2 victory over hometown Fords avenged an earlier 8-4 loss that prompted the championship playoff game. In the final, starter Jack Malague held Fords to two runs through four innings, and closer Cameron Kessler closed the game with two scoreless innings to secure the victory. A big five-run, two-out rally in the third was started by Nick Johnson's extra base hit, and followed by consecutive hits by Joe Bruno, Ken Harry, Vinnie Tummarello and Conor McCadden. Other outstanding pitching performances in the tournament were delivered by Patrick Reid, Johnson, McCadden, Harry and Tummarello, while Mike Plunkett, Sean Rivera, Kyle Scheller and Nathaniel Walters delivered gold-glove performances and timely hitting throughout the tournament.

The 12U and 10U Metuchen girls softball tournament teams have played very well this summer in the Parkway Invitational Softball League.

The 12U girls, posting a 10-0 record against teams from Union, New Providance, South Orange, Berkley Heights, Elmora, Springfield, Clark, Chatham and Dunellen, play in the championship game tonigh at Hoyer Field in Metuchen.

Meanwhile, the 10U girls, who posted a 9-1 record against teams from South Orange, Westfield, Colonia, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Elmora, Clark, and Chatham, with the one loss coming to Rahway, played Roselle Park last night for the championship. Metuchen won the championship last year.

The U12 team, managed by Kevin Lange, remained undefeated this summer in 10 games of Parkway play and had home field advantage in Monday night's game against Union.

Mark Camera's U10 team also earned home field advantage for the Tuesday night game against Roselle Park.

The U12 team includes Halle Pineiro, Fallon Melillo, Bridget Thomas, Jessica Lange, Katie Perullo, Maddie Huggins and seven girls returning from last year's U10 championship team - Joscelyn Poll, Maggie Gossiaux, Katelyn Forte, Kacie Herity, Kelsey Hutchison, Emily Kulesza and Felicia Czochanski.

Nicole Camera, Emily Hoagland, Emily Terreza, Christine Tackach and Melissa Liardi, also from last year's U10 championship team, are joined by Lindsey Papalardo, Sam Hoffman, Gabby Jordan, Allie Chalker, Kelly Eustice, Katelyn Hueston, Olivia Dale and Olivia Volpe to fill out the U10 roster.