Season Recap
Hackensack won the Majors-Met League Regular and Playoff title. They advanced along with Cresskill to the AABC North East regional in AlbanyNew York. This year the AABC used pool play, setting up 4 pools of four teams each.Hackensack went 2-1 in the pool, but ended losing the tiebreaker. Which was runs allowed. The team that advanced, was a team that Hackensack had defeated. A tough way to end the season, for a team that could have won a national title.
Cresskill, went 0-3 in the regional.
This year we also joined the NABF, FranklinLakes and RamapoValley went to the NABF regional in West Haven CT.FranklinLakes went 0-2 in the regional. RamapoValley with the addition of players from Hackensack and North Haledon went 3-2. They lost in the semi-finals, finishing 4th out of twelve teams.
Playoffs Round 4
Defending champion Cresskill showed why they have won the league championship two of the past three seasons. As they defeated Teaneck and FranklinLakes to earn a trip the the northeast regional in Albany. They will be joined by Hackensack. First year team the Franklin Lake Saints will be going to the NABF regional.
Once I have further details I will post an update on the website.
Playoffs Round Three
Hackensack beat FranklinLakes 9-0 and will advance to the Albany Regional. Teaneck beat Jersey City 4-1, and Cresskill beat RamapoValley 15-8.
Today at 5pm Cresskill will take on Teaneck and the winner of that game will play Franklin Lakes at 8pm
Playoffs Round Two
Mike Wassong shut out Creskill as Hackensack won 3-0. In the earlier game FranklinLakes defeated Jersey City 9-2. In North Haledon, Matt Smith out dueled Kevin Thompson as RamapoValley defeated Cliffside Park 4-3. The loss knocks Cliffside out of the playoffs. In the nitecap at North Haledon, the Teaneck Stars beat North Haledon 7-6. The loss ended North Haledon's season.
Tonight's games are, FranklinLakes vs Hackensack at 830pm the game will be played in Hackensack. The other two games will be played at North Haledon. Jersey City takes on Teaneck at 6pm, which will be followed by the RamapoValley vs Cresskill game at 830pm.
On Saturday all action will return to North Haledon with games at 5pm and 8pm.
Playoff Results
In a game that went over four hours Cresskill defeated North Haledon 3-2 in 17 innings. Top seed Hackensack beat Teaneck 9-1. The two and three seeds both lost last night, as Jersey City beat Cliffside Park 10-6 and FranklinLakes beat RamapoValley 5-4.
Playoff games tonight are at 6pm Franklin Lakes takes on Jersey City at 6pm, this will be followed by the Cresskill vs Hackensack game at 830pm.
At the North Haledon location, Ramapo Valley will take on Cliffside Park at 6pm, and at 8pm Teaneck will play North Haledon at 830pm.

Second Season Begins
The Hackensack Troasts will be looking to build upon their regular season championship as the 2005 playoffs begin. The Troasts will face the Teaneck Stars at 830pm in Hackensack on Wendsday. Also in Hackensack on Wendsday, the Jersey City Brewers will be making their first trip to the playoffs as they take on the Cliffside Park Reds.
At the North Haledon site RamapoValley will take on the Franklin Lake Saints. Last year Champions Cresskill will take on North Haledon at 830 pm. Both sites will host games on Thursday, the entire tournament moves to North Haledon on Friday.
Ridgewood Ends Season on a High Note
Barry Walsh went the distance, allowing 4 hits and striking out 7 en route to an 8-0 whitewashing of Jersey City. Dax Strohmeyer hit a two run homer for the victors. The Playoffs start on Wendsday in North Haledon and Hackensack.
Ridgewood vs Belleville
Ridgewood denied Belleville a spot in the playoffs by beating them Sunday, 8 to 6, at Veterans Field in Ridgewood. Alex Gambelunghe threw 4 innings and Peter Byrne 3 in the contest.
After Belleville scored 2 runs in the top of the 1st, Ridgewood batted around, scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the frame. Ridgewood withstood a furious Belleville rally, and tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th to secure the victory. Warren Clark had 3 hits for Ridgewood.
Teaneck vs FranklinLakes
Dave Wasserman threw 7 strong and 7 k's to give Teaneck their eigth win of the regular season. Andrew D Amico went 2-4 and Dan Albanese went 3-3 to lead the Teaneck offense.
Doubleheader Sweep
Brian Sabatelli threw a complete game giving up two hits as RamapoValley beat Teaneck 2-1. Later that evening Sabatelli would hit a two run homer in the top of the 7th to give RamapoValley a 4-3 lead. North Haledon had just scored three times in the sixth to jump ahead. Joe Azzolino hit a two pinch hit single to tie the game for the Reds. In the top of the 8th, Pete Moore led off with a triple, followed by a double by Troy Longo to give the Valley the lead 5-4. Dan Singletary then hit a two run homer, as RamapoValley defeated North Haledon 7-4.
The playoffs will begin on Wendsday in Hackensack and North Haledon. The pairings will be announced Monday night.
Hackensack Regular Season Champions
Last night Hackensack beat RamapoValley 6-0, and Teaneck defeated Cliffside Park 8-7. That combination gave Hackensack the 2005 regular season championship.
Extra Innings
Belleville vs Franklin Lakes
In Belleville, trailing 2-1, FranklinLakes tied the game with 2 outs in the top of the 7th,sending the game into extra innings.The Saints then took the lead with a run in the top of the 10th, however,Ryan Magee doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning for Belleville. He laterscored on an infield out and with 2 down, Rob Bowness singled in the winning run, giving the Indians 2 consecutive 10 inning wins. Mike Fullucco earned the win with 7 strong innings of relief.
RamapoValley vs Cliffside Park
The Cliffside Park Reds defeated the Ramapo Valley Yankees 7-5 at Calabrese Field. The Reds rallied in the bottom of a wild 6th inning to score 3 runs after the Ramapo Valley Yankees had erupted for 4 runs in the top of the 6th on Dan Singletary's double with the bases loaded scoring 3 runs to take a 5-4 lead.
The Red's 6th inning rally was led by Phil Lospalutto's double to deep centerfield which drove in the tying run and Andy Tarabocchia's double to dead centerfield which plated the final 2 runs for the margin of victory.
Jersey City vs Ridgewood
Last night Jersey City defeated Ridgewood 7-1, behind the strong pitching of Anthony Ciaramello. He threw a complete game striking out five. Anthony Aurigemma was 4/5 with 3 rbi's, Eric Martinez was 4/5 and Santos Estremera 2-5 with 3 rbi.
Cresskill vs North Haledon
Cresskill scored three runs late in the game to defeat North Haledon 3-0 and move back into third place.
Reds and Troasts win again
Cliffside Park Reds 5 North Haledon Reds 2
Travis Bilak improved his record to 3-0 as the Cliffside Park Reds defeated the North Haledon Reds 5-2 in North Haledon. Jason Messina earned his 4th save of the year with 2 innings of scoreless relief.
Cliffside Park was led offensively by Dave Sica(2/3, 2 runs scored, 1 BB and 4 stolen bases) and Phil Lospalutto(1/3, 1BB and 1 RBI)
Hackensack defeated Teaneck 6-2
Belleville 6 Ridgewood 1 John Castronova pitched the Indians to their 5th win last night in Ridgewood. Castronova escaped a bases loaded no out jam with a double play ball and strike out to preserve the tie and allow the Indians to explode for 5 more runs in the extra frames. Castronova earned his team leading 3rd victory for the Indians.
The Race for First
Cliffside Park 8 Belleville Indians 0
Scott Barchetto( 5 innings, 3K's,1 hit)Jason Cameron( 1 inning, 1K) and Michael Vicchio(1 inning) combined to throw a 1 hit shutout as the Cliffside Park Reds defeated the Belleville Indians 8-0 at Calabrese Field. Barchetto improved his record to 4-0.
The Reds were led offensively by Jonathan Thomas (3/4, 2 runs scored, 2 home runs,double and 2 RBI's), Rob Biagiotti (2/3, 1 run scored, triple and 1 RBI) and William Schmitt( 2/3, 2 runs scored, double, 1 stolen base and 2 RBI's)
Hackensack vs Ridgewood
The Troasts won again maintaining their lead over Cliffside Park. Tonight Ridgewood ran into the top team in the league and fell 8-3.
RamapoValley vs Jersey City
Milton Rodriquez threw a complete game as the Brewers defeated RamapoValley 4-2. In other action last night Teaneck was rained out vs Cresskill.
Brewers vs Troasts
Jersey City played host to the Hackensack Troasts last night. The Troasts used the long ball to defeat the Brewers 12-2. R C Renshaw, Josh Pinero and a grand slam by Butch Bellinger provided the offense. Jack Baker kept the Jersey City bats in check to pick up the win.
Lets Play Two
Cliffside Park beat Hackensack 4-3 in 10 inning
on a bad hop to Joe Higgins, who was then taken to the
hospital.
Hackensack took the lead 3-0 and had a couple of
runners on when Cliffside Park's center fielder Robert
Biagiotti made a diving catch in deep right cener
field. Cliffside turned in 5 double plays in the game
In the 2nd game, Mike Wassong went the distance as
Hackensack beat Cliffside Park 7-2. Cliffside Park
scored 1st but Hackensack came back with 7 unanswered
runs to put it away.
Right at the end of the game, Joe Higgins returned
from the hospital with several stitches in his upper
lip.
Ridgewood vs RamapoValley
Pitching ruled in Ramsey on Sunday as Bob Martin and the combination of Jesus Torres and Tony Saitta pitched the game into extra innings. With the score tied 1-1, Troy Longo drove home Robin Roberts to win the game in the bottom of the eighth. Tony Saitta picks up the victory tossing the final five innings.
Belleville vs Jersey City DH
Chris Innis threw a no hitter as Jersey City defeated Belleville 7-0. Innis struck out 12. Santos Estremera was three for three with two triples. In the first game Jersey City won 15-2, Abel Perez gave up three hits in picking up the victory. Santos Estemera had two hits and three RBI. Carlos Crispin hit a two run homer for the Brewers.
Cresskill vs Franklin Lakes
FranklinLakes rushed out to a 6-1 lead after 3 innings over Cresskill only to see the Cardinals come back to take a 9-7 lead after 5 innings. The Saints then rallied for 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th inningto win 13-10 on Sunday night. Steve Michella pitched 2 1/3innings of 1 hit relief to earn thewin. The Saints were lead offensively by Jimmy Dicosmo who went 4-5 with 3 runs scored, Steve Ryback who was 2-3 with 4 RBI, and John Callandrello who was 2-3 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. The Cardinals had 2 home runs by tom McLaughlin and 2 hits and 2 RBI from Anthony Mazzo to lead their attack.
Just a Bit Outside
Jesse Hildenbrandt came within one pitch of throwing a perfect game, giving up a walk with two outs in the 7th with two outs. The next batter hit a liner that Jorge Hernandez snared to save the no hitter. Teaneck wins the nitecap of the double header 3-0.
In the first game, Stars were down 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth when the Stars with two outs staged a six run rally. Bobby Khalil finished a complete game and kept Teaneck in the game for his third win of the year.Teaneck's offense was led by Joe Gwozdz 3-3, 2 doubles, two runs scored, Scott Clark 3-4 with a stolen base and Jorge Hernandez 2-4 with 3 RBI. As the Teaneck Stars come back to beat Ridgewood 7-5.
FridayNight
RamapoValley behind home runs by Richie Aleman, Pete Moore, and Steve Ballarini defeated Teaneck 7-1. Jimi Tholen and Brian Sabatelli combined to shut down the Star offense. The Stars return to action this afternoon playing a doubleheader vs Ridgewood.
Cresskill beat Belleville 3-2 in Cresskill on Friday.
Saints Snap Skid
Doug Lunau allowed 1 earned run over 5 innings for the win and Scott Picerno pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief for the save as Franklin Lakes defeated Ridgewood 6-3 Thursday night. The Saints were led by John Callandrello who went 4-4, Jimmy Discomo who was 2-3, and John Frustaci who was 2-4 with an RBI. The Saints had 16 hits for the game
In Hackensack the Troast's turned back arch rival Cresskill 2-0. The win kept Hackensack winning streak alive, and set up for the showdown on Sunday with Cliffside Park.
RamapoValley played their first game in Belleville since the old Met League days. Troy Longo led the Yankee attack with three hits including an homerun. The final score was 16-5.Mike Mayer pitched 5 strong innings to earn his first victory in the Majors-Met League. Mike Irwin earned the save going the final 2 innings while striking out 5. For the Reds: Rob Stern was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI'S. Dave Adamo was 2 for 2 with 2 RBI'S. Nigel Archibald was 3 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Joe Lynch was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI'S. For the Brewers: Santos Estremera was 1 for 3 and had all 3 RBI'S for the Brewers
Race For The Playoffs
As the the Regular season begins to wind down, every game played has playoff implications. Last night Barry Walsh threw a complete game, to lead Ridgewood with a 6-2 victory over Teaneck.Cliffside Park kept the pressure on Hackensack as they defeated North Haledon 2-1. Jason Cameron got the victory and Stephen Fox picked up the save. In Suffern Steve Balarni's three homer paced a RamapoValley attack, as they defeated FranklinLakes 7-5. Tony Saitta got the victory tossing 5 innings of work, while Gary Rezik threw two innings to get thesave.
Met League Match Up
Last night in Ramsey New Jersey two teams from the old Met League renewed an old rivarly. Luca Petrocelli matched up vs Jimi Tholen, Hackensack would defeat RamapoValley 3-2. Both pitchers threw complete games with Petrocelli picking up the victory. Butch Bellinger broke up a 2-2 tie with a line single to right. The Troasts remain undeated since their opening day loss.
North Haledon vs Belleville
The North Haledon Reds defeated the Belleville Indians 9-3 behind 7 strong
innings from Josh Greenstein. Josh Scattered 3 hits and struck out 6. Rob
Stern, Casey Hines, Tim Lentine, Joe Azzolino and Mike Mayer all had 2 hits
for the Reds.
Monday, Monday
Cliffside Park Reds 7 Ramapo Valley Yankees 3
Kevin Thompson threw 6 solid inning striking out 3 to improve his record to 3-0 as the Cliffside Park Reds defeated the Ramapo Valley Yankees 7-3 in Suffern, N.Y.
The Reds scored all 7 of their runs in the 3rd inning stringing together 6 base hits in a row.
When Sunday Turns into Monday
There was a lot of baseball played on Sunday and early Monday Morning. Ridgewood and North Haledon split a double header. Cresskill gave Cliffside Park their second loss of the season when they beat them 2-1 Sunday afternoon. The Hackensack Troasts continue to roll and they beat first year team Belleville 6-1
And then for something completely different. The RamapoValley vs FranklinLakes game started at 930 pm due to a field conflict in FranklinLakes. FormerRamapoValley hurler Bob Ferla took the mound for the Saints and shut down the RamapoValley attack. Ferla left the game in the 6th with a 4-0 lead. With Ferla out of the game RamapoValley was able to score 3 runs in the 6th to pull within one. FranklinLakes added an insurance run to take a 5-3 lead into the 7th. With two outs Ed Ahearn hit a two run, bases loadeddouble to tie the game at five. The inning ended when Matt Smith was thrown out trying to steal home.
Smith then came in to pitch the 8th, the Saints got a runner to third with no one out,but Smith then struck out the next three batters. RamapoValley went on to win 6-5, ending a very long night at 12 30 am.
July 10, Teaneck Stars and Jersey City split double header. First game Jersey City took the lead in the seventh inning when Santos drove a single for two runs, to break a 4-4 tie.Teaneck fought back by scoring one more in the bottom of the seventh and the game ended with the bases loaded as Jersey held off the Stars comeback. Final 6-5 Jersey City
In the second game of the twin bill.Teaneck Stars rallied in the fifth inning for six runs. The scoring for Teaneck was lead by Derek Rosenfeld who tripled twice, 3RBI, and 2runs scored. The scoring ended for Teaneck when Joe Gwozdz hit a 2 run homer for his second homer of the season. Jesse Hildenbrandt tossed a complete game, six hits, and 5Ks. For Hildenbrandt's second win of the year. Final score 7-4, Teaneck Stars.
The Race is On
July10,2005 - --
The final third of the season is upon us, and the teams in the league will be fighting for playoff position. After losing their first game Hackensack has won 15 games in a row and place themselves in first. However the Cliffside Park Reds pulled within a half game of the leaders, after they sweep FranklinLakes in a doubleheader on Saturday.