Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings

   (Through Wednesday's games)

Skyland Conference
Delaware Division
		Overall	Division
Hunterdon Central		(19-3)	(10-3)
North Hunterdon		(17-7)	(9-3)
Bridgewater-Raritan		(14-6)	(5-4)
Hillsborough		(11-6)	(5-5)
Montgomery		(6-12)	(5-5)
Watchung Hills		(10-12)	(5-7)
Immaculata		(8-12)	(5-7)
Phillipsburg		(5-18)	(1-11)
Raritan Division
		Overall	Division
x-Ridge		(19-4)	(9-1)
Somerville		(13-7)	(7-2)
Warren Hills		(10-11)	(5-4)
Delaware Valley		(9-9)	(4-5)
Franklin		(7-11)	(3-7)
Voorhees		(0-16)	(0-9)
Valley Division
		Overall	Division
x-Bernards		(17-3)	(11-0)
Belvidere		(11-7)	(8-4)
Gill St. Bernard's		(10-13)	(7-5)
Pingry		(8-9)	(5-4)
North Plainfield		(9-8)	(5-6)
South Hunterdon		(4-12)	(4-6)
Bound Brook		(5-10)	(4-8)
Manville		(2-11)	(0-11)
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Freedom Division
		Overall	Division
x-Lenape Valley		(15-3)	(12-1)
Jefferson		(13-12)	(8-5)
Newton		(11-8)	(7-5)
Wallkill Valley		(9-9)	(7-6)
Hackettstown		(8-10)	(6-7)
North Warren		(9-8)	(5-7)
Kittatinny		(5-14)	(4-8)
Hopatcong		(3-17)	(1-11)
American Division
		Overall	Division
y-Sparta		(14-6)	(11-2)
Mount Olive		(16-6)	(11-3)
Montville		(15-7-1)	(8-3-1)
Pope John		(12-9)	(7-5)
Morris Knolls		(9-15)	(5-9)
High Point		(6-11-1)	(4-8-1)
Vernon		(8-12)	(2-9)
Morris Hills		(6-17)	(2-11)
Independence Division
		Overall	Division
x-Morris Catholic		(14-7)	(10-0)
Kinnelon		(11-9)	(7-4)
Mountain Lakes		(12-6)	(7-4)
Pequannock		(12-6-1)	(7-4)
Butler		(9-13)	(5-6)
Boonton		(3-14)	(1-8)
Sussex Tech		(4-19)	(0-11)
x-division champion
y-clinched share of division title

Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings

We're getting to down to the nitty gritty in the high school baseball season with the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament final on tap for Saturday and the sectional playoffs starting next week.

Lenape Valley wrapped up the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division title on Monday with a 6-4 win in nine innings over Wallkill Valley. The Patriots (14-3, 11-1 division), who have won four in a row and seven of 10, will be the No. 2 seed for the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.

"This is our fifth year in the NJAC and we've finished second [2011 in the Freedom Division]," seventh-year coach Bob Klinck said following the win. "It's not like we haven't been knocking on the door. But this is the first one and it feels good."

Hackettstown won the first two Freedom titles in 2010 and '11, followed by Hopatcong in '12 and Newton in '13. The Braves went 13-1 a year ago in divisional play. No team has run the table in winning the title.

Junior first baseman Pat Togno, who hit the go-ahead single in the ninth for Lenape Valley to cap a three-hit day, is 8-for-16 in his last four games.

"Pat's been solid all year. He's hitting around .370 and leads the team in RBIs," Klinck said. "He's a clutch hitter and never strikes out with runners in scoring position."

Ace Jim Fluke (7-1) has 73 strikeouts this season while No. 2 Dan Rafferty is 4-1. Cole Swanson ran his record to 3-0 with a win against Butler on Saturday.

"Dan has thrown fantastic all year ... my 1 and 2 are really good," Klinck said. "Swanson has won his last two starts."

In the American Division, Sparta is closing on its first division title and will likely be a six or seven seed in North 1, Group 3.

On Saturday, North Hunterdon will square off against Hunterdon Central for the HWS championship at Diamond Nation -- the first All-Hunterdon final in the event's five-year history. Central has reached the title game all five years, winning it all in 2010 and '13.

More on this game later in the week. Now onto this week's rankings:

1. North Hunterdon (16-7) -- Lions are on a major roll right now -- beating Watchung Hills, 2-1, in 12 innings on Monday for their sixth straight win and keeping their Skyland Conference Delaware Division title hopes alive in the process. Outfielder Marc Monks belted his third homer -- a walk-off shot-- of the season for North, which has played three extra-inning games in its last five for a combined total of 52 innings in those contests. In Saturday's 6-0 win over Vernon in the HWS semifinals, Shayne Fontana went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs and ace John Wilson earned the win with four K's. Over the last six games, Lions pitchers have yielded a total of three runs with three shutouts.

Up next: at Immaculata today; Phillipsburg at home on Thursday; Hunterdon Central at Diamond Nation on Saturday in HWS final.

2. Hunterdon Central (18-3) -- Red Devils rolled to a 14-4 win over Phillipsburg last Thursday as Mike Pfenninger went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while team RBI leader Zac Vacca drove in four runs in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division matchup. Coach Mike Raymond's club (9-3 division) holds a half-game lead over North Hunterdon atop the standings. Central followed that win with an 8-2 victory over Pope John on Monday in the HWS semifinals. Brett McManus was 2-for-4 with a solo homer -- his fourth -- and Matt Stalter went deep with two RBIs. Ace Pat Clare (6-1, 2.43 ERA) has won all three tri-county games for the Red Devils, who are 17-2 all-time in the event.

Up next: Hillsborough at home today; Hamilton West at Diamond Nation on Wednesday; at Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday; North Hunterdon at Diamond Nation on Saturday in HWS final.

3. Sparta (14-5) -- Spartans clinched at least a share of their first NJAC American Division championship following wins over Pope John (6-2 last Wednesday), Morris Knolls (8-2 on Friday) and High Point (9-1 on Monday). Coach Sam Slobodzian's team (11-1 division) holds a two-game lead over Mount Olive (10-3) in the loss column with two to play. Second baseman Austin Unglaub is heating up -- going 3-for-4 against PJ, 3-for-4 with an RBI against Morris Knolls and 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs vs. High Point. Ace Kevin Foulds struck out 10 in the win over Knolls and went 2-for-4 with a solo homer against PJ. No. 2 Dillon Mendel got the win against High Point and was 3-for-4 with three RBIs at the plate.

Up next: at Montville on Wednesday (a win clinches the division title); at Vernon on Thursday.

4. Pope John (11-9) -- Lions have won four of their last 11 including wins over Morris Hills (7-1 last Thursday) and Delbarton (7-5 on Friday) before an 8-2 loss at home to Hunterdon Central on Monday in the HWS semifinals. Second baseman Axel D'Addario had two hits in each win and was 2-for-4 with a double against Central. No. 2 pitcher Ethan Collins got the win over Delbarton and is 3-3 on the season. Kyle Malejko was 3-for-4 with an RBI against Morris Hills.

Up next: at Morris Knolls on Wednesday; at Montville on Thursday; vs. Malvern Prep at Delbarton on Saturday.

5. Vernon (7-11) -- Vikings went 1-3 last week, earning a 4-1 win over High Point on Friday for its first win in the NJAC American Division after an 0-8 start in divisional play. First baseman Dave Baxter went 4-for-4 with an RBI and catcher Connor Fitzsimmons was 2-for-3 with three RBIs to back winning pitcher Christian Capuano (2-0). That win avenged an 8-6 loss to High Point two days earlier. Coach Scott Berge's team dropped a 6-0 decision to North Hunterdon in Saturday's HWS semifinals. The Vikes made history by becoming the first No. 10 seed to win a tri-county game and reached the semis for the second straight year. Second baseman Mike Harboy had a big week, going 2-for-4 in a 6-1 loss to Mount Olive and the loss to High Point.

Up next: at Montville today; at Morris Hills on Wednesday; Sparta at home on Thursday; Montville at home on Friday.

6. Lenape Valley (14-3) -- Patriots won their first NJAC Freedom Division title -- the program's first conference championship since 2006 -- with a 6-4 win in nine innings over Wallkill Valley on Monday. Junior first baseman Pat Togno delivered the go-ahead single in the ninth as part of a three-hit day and ace Jim Fluke (7-1) earned the win in relief with seven strikeouts, raising his season total to a remarkable 73. Coach Bob Klinck's team also earned the No. 2 seed for the upcoming North 1, Group 2 playoffs. The Pats have won four in a row -- also beating North Warren (5-4 last Tuesday), Hopatcong (5-1 on Wednesday) and Butler (5-3 on Saturday). Togno, who is 8-for-16 in his last four games, went 2-for-3 against North Warren and Butler.

Up next: Hackettstown at home on Wednesday; Jefferson at home on Friday; at Belvidere on Saturday.

7. Newton (10-8) -- Braves rolled to a 13-0 win over North Warren last Wednesday before back-to-back losses against West Orange (3-2 in 12 innings on Thursday) and Jefferson (3-1 on Monday). Center fielder Ben Cramer went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Nick Grant had a double and two RBIs to back winning pitcher Steve Kelly against North Warren, while third baseman Joe Maker went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the loss to West Orange. After scoring 23 runs in wins over Lenape Valley and North Warren, the offense produced three in the last two losses. Last year's NJAC Freedom Division champs are battling Jefferson for second place in the standings.

Up next: at Kittatinny on Wednesday; Hopatcong at home in a doubleheader on Thursday; High Point at home on Saturday.

8. Wallkill Valley (8-9) -- Rangers have gone 1-5 since a season-high six-game win streak, including a tough 6-4 loss in nine innings to Lenape Valley on Monday in an NJAC Freedom Division clash. Lefty starter Joe Colosimo struck out eight in a no-decision, while Brandon Grabkowski went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the loss. In Friday's 13-3 win over Hopatcong, Michael Armstrong went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Larry Ball was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to back winning pitcher Grabkowski, who helped himself by going 5-for-5 with three doubles and five RBIs. Colosimo belted his first homer.

Up next: Jefferson at home on Wednesday; at North Warren on Friday.

9. Delaware Valley (9-7) -- Terriers opened this week with a 6-3 win over Delran in a game played at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton (home of the Double-A Thunder). Coach Marty White's team went 2-1 the previous week with wins over Franklin (5-0 last Tuesday) and Phillipsburg (7-6 on Friday night). Ace right-hander Logan Brown (5-1) got the wins over Franklin and P'burg with a combined nine K's. Nick Perna was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI vs. Franklin, while catcher Mike Pilone finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs against the Stateliners.

Up next: North Plainfield at Riegel Ridge Park tonight; at Bernards on Wednesday.

10. Hackettstown (8-9) -- Tigers re-enter the rankings after a 1-2 week, including a 10-5 win over Wallkill Valley on Wednesday in an NJAC Freedom Division clash -- the first win in three meetings with the Rangers this season. Justin Nicholls drove in a pair of runs while John Franco went 2-for-3 with three RBIs to back winning pitcher Tyler Prouflias (4-2). Nicholls went 2-for-4 with a double, homer and five RBIs and Prouflias struck out four for the win in Monday's 10-5 victory over North Warren.

Up next: at Lenape Valley on Wednesday; Kittatinny at home on Thursday.

On the bubble: High Point (5-10-1); North Warren (8-8); Warren Hills (10-11).

Baseball: Lenape wins Freedom; Central beats PJ

HARDYSTON -- It took a little longer than usual, but Lenape Valley's baseball team was more than happy to work a little overtime considering the championship payday.

Junior first baseman Pat Togno delivered a go-ahead single in the ninth inning as part of a three-hit day as the Patriots earned a 6-4 win over Wallkill Valley on Monday at Hal Sisco Field to secure the NJAC Freedom Division title.

Lenape Valley (14-3, 11-1 division), which has won four in a row and seven of nine, claims its first conference title -- the program's eighth overall dating to 1977 -- since winning the now defunct Sussex County Interscholastic League banner in 2006.

Coach Bob Klinck's club, which owns a three-game lead over second-place Jefferson with two division games to play, also earned the No. 2 seed for the upcoming North 1, Group 2 playoffs.

"This is our fifth year in the NJAC and we've finished second twice [in the Freedom Division]," said Klinck, who is in his seventh season as head coach and is a Lenape alum. "It's not like we haven't been knocking on the door. But this is the first one and it feels good."

A leadoff walk and a hit batsman by Wallkill reliever Travis Hill, who also uncorked a wild pitch in an abbreviated frame, set the stage for a Lenape rally in the ninth. With Brett Hill now on in relief, Togno, who finished 3-for-5 with a run scored, stepped to the plate after a successful sacrifice bunt by Ryan Lindner moved the runners to second and third. Togno laced a single to center to score Nick Sabatini to break the tie and an error off the bat of Tom Armstrong added an insurance run.

"I saw a pitch [fastball] that I wanted to hit and went after it," said Togno, who leads the Patriots in RBIs and is 8-for-16 with five RBIs in his last four games. "I knew he had just come into the game and didn't get too many warmups."

Ace Jim Fluke, who came on in relief in the sixth, retired Wallkill in order in the ninth for his seventh win in eight decisions. The hard-throwing right-hander worked four innings with seven strikeouts -- raising his season total to 73 K's.

Wallkill Valley (8-9, 6-6), which has lost five of six following a season-high six-game win streak, forced extra innings without benefit of a hit in the sixth against Fluke, who replaced starter Dan Rafferty. Fluke walked leadoff batter Wes Walton, who advanced to second on Fluke's wild throw on a pickoff attempt, and then tried to make a play on a ball hit up the box by Kyle Rosencranz, but the ball tipped off the pitcher's glove to shortstop Rafferty, who had no play, and the result was an infield hit and runners on first and third.

A passed ball allowed Rosencranz to move to second and Walton later scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-4 game.

But the Rangers managed just two singles the rest of the way and stranded runners on first and third with two outs in the seventh. Michael Armstrong provided two strong innings in relief of Colosimo and kept the game tied.

"We left the bases loaded three times and left [12] runners on base the whole game," said sixth-year coach Kevin Lukich, whose Rangers will be either an 11 or 12 seed in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs. "We played well, we just couldn't get a big hit."

Lenape Valley rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to take the lead with a four-run fourth inning against Wallkill starter Joe Colosimo, who went six innings and struck out eight. The lefty created his own trouble by hitting Lindner to start the frame and later made a costly error on a comebacker that loaded the bases with none out. A sacrifice fly by Rafferty made it 3-1 and a single by catcher Rob Sparacino reloaded the bases. Tyler Rogers' single to second made it a one-run game and Fluke fisted a pitch into right field for another RBI single to tie it.

With the bases still loaded, Sabatini pushed across the go-ahead run with a fielder's choice grounder to second. Colosimo retired David DelSontro on a grounder to third as Lenape sent all nine batters to the plate.

"They battled back," said Klinck, now 35-23 overall in Freedom Division contests. "They're tough kids and they never stop fighting. We've won a lot of games this year when we were down. They never give up. It's a great quality to have."

Wallkill jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first as Rich Stecher drew a bases-loaded walk after singles by McWilliams and Brandon Grabkowski. The Rangers added two in the second -- taking advantage of a Lenape error -- as Grabkowski hit a single through the left side to score Walton and Rosencranz, who both reached without a hit.

Rafferty settled down from there and gutted out five innings despite fouling a ball off his left foot while batting in the second inning. The right-hander allowed four hits and three runs (one earned) with five walks and four strikeouts. He exited with Lenape up, 4-3, but received a no-decision.

"He had a pretty high pitch count [around 100], but he threw great," Klinck said. "He's a bulldog and has thrown fantastic all year. Danny gave us five strong innings. He wanted to stay in there, but we had Jimmy on a weeks' rest for relief. He threw four innings and could come back on Wednesday [against Hackettstown]. His pitch count was only in the 40s."

After a shaky first two innings, Rafferty retired Wallkill in order in the third and Togno said that was a big key in getting the Patriots settled in.

"He did a good job after a couple of hard innings," Togno said. "We know we're a good team and were capable of playing better."

With one title in hand, Lenape now sets its sights on a sectional championship. The team's success has inspired an entire school.

"They're excited about it and they're proud of us," Togno said. "We just have to keep playing our style of baseball and stay hot."

LENAPE VALLEY (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Fluke ss-p 4-0-1-1, Cole Swanson ph 1-0-0-0, Sabatini rf 4-1-1-1, DelSontro dh/Adam Varian 2b 3-1-1-0, Lindner 3b 3-1-0-0, Togno 1b 5-1-3-1, Armstrong lf 4-1-0-0, Tyler Shaw pr 0-0-0-0, Rafferty p-ss 4-0-1-1, Kyle Piekarz pr 0-0-0-0, Sparacino c 4-0-1-0, Dan Willoughby cr 0-1-0-0, Rogers cf 4-0-2-1. Totals: 36-6-10-6.

WALLKILL VALLEY (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Rosencranz 2b 5-1-1-0, McWilliams c 5-1-1-0, Michael Armstrong cf-p-3b-rf 2-0-1-0, Grabkowski dh/Colosimo p-rf 4-0-2-2, Stecher lf-cf 4-0-0-1, Sean Endres 3b 2-0-0-0, T. Hill ph-3b-p 3-0-0-0, Larry Ball ss 5-0-0-0, B. Hill 1b-p 3-0-1-0, Jordan Florio pr 0-0-0-0, Walton rf-cf 3-2-0-0. Totals: 36-4-6-3.

                                            123       456      789       R   H  E

Lenape Valley (14-3)            000       400      002  --   6  10  3

Wallkill Valley (8-9)              120       001      000  --   4   6   2

E -- Varian 2, Fluke; Colosimo, Rosencranz. DP -- Wallkill Valley (Ball-Rosencranz-B. Hill, 7th). LOB -- Lenape Valley 11, Wallkill Valley 12. SB -- DelSontro; McWilliams. CS -- Sabatini. Sac -- Lindner. SF -- Rafferty.

Rafferty, Fluke (6) and Sparacino; Colosimo, Armstrong (7), T. Hill (9), B. Hill (9) and McWilliams. W -- Fluke (7-1). L -- T. Hill (1-1). SO-BB -- Rafferty 4-5, Fluke 7-1; Colosimo 8-1, Armstrong 1-1, T. Hill 0-1, B. Hill 1-0. WP -- Colosimo, T. Hill; Rafferty 2, Fluke. PB -- Sparacino; McWilliams. BK -- Colosimo; Rafferty. HBP -- Sparacino, Lindner (by Colosimo), DelSontro (by T. Hill).

Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals

Hunterdon Central 8, Pope John 2 -- In the continuation of a game that was halted by weather on Saturday, Brett McManus, Christian Carey and Matt Stalter all went 2-for-4 while ace Pat Clare earned the win for the Red Devils (18-3), who advanced to Saturday's championship game at Diamond Nation. Coach Mike Raymond's club, seeking the program's third HWS title, will square off against North Hunterdon, which has beaten Central twice this season, in the first All-Hunterdon final.

McManus belted a solo homer -- his team-leading fourth of the season -- and Stalter went deep to back Clare (6-1), who picked up victories in all three of the team's county games and no-hit High Point in the second round. Central is now 17-2 all-time in tri-county games and has played for the title each season in the tournament's five-year history.

Axel D'Addario went 2-for-4 with a double for the top-seeded Lions (11-9), who were trying to get past the semifinals for the first time since winning Sussex County's only title in 2011. Coach Vin Bello's teams are now 1-2 vs. Central in the HWS, beating the Red Devils, 8-1, in the '11 final before being ousted in the quarters last year, 4-2.

                                                   123       456      7       R   H  E

Hunterdon Central (18-3)             310       040      0  --   8   8   1

Pope John (11-9)                         000       101      0  --   2   6   2

E -- Vacca; Sanford. LOB -- Hunterdon Central 9, Pope John 8. 2B -- D'Addario. HR -- McManus (4), Stalter (2). SB -- Gustites, Hanigan; Kopnick, Young. Sac -- Korn.

Nelson, Cunico (6), Miller (7) and Leach; Clare, Horzepa (8) and Vacca. W -- Clare (6-1). L -- Nelson (2-1). SO-BB -- Nelson 5-3, Cunico 2-4, Miller 1-0; Clare 2-3, Horzepa 2-2. WP -- Cunico 2.

Baseball: HWS weekly schedule for May 12-17

Monday, May 12

(All games 4 p.m., unless noted)

Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament

Hunterdon Central at Pope John (continuation of semifinal), 4:30 p.m.

Skyland Conference

Phillipsburg at Voorhees, 3:45 p.m.

Bound Brook at South Hunterdon
Watchung Hills at North Hunterdon

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

High Point at Sparta

Kittatinny at Hopatcong

Lenape Valley at Wallkill Valley

Jefferson at Newton

Pope John at Vernon (ppd. TBA)

Kinnelon at Sussex Tech

Hackettstown at North Warren

Independent

Delaware Valley vs. Delran at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, May 13

(All games 3:45 p.m., unless noted)

Skyland Conference

Bridgewater-Raritan at Phillipsburg

Hillsborough at Hunterdon Central

North Hunterdon at Immaculata
Belvidere vs. South Hunterdon at Diamond Nation, 6:30 p.m.

North Plainfield vs. Delaware Valley at Riegel Ridge Park, 7 p.m.

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Vernon at Montville, 4 p.m.
Kittatinny at High Point, 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday, May 14

(All games 4 p.m., unless noted)

Skyland Conference

Delaware Valley at Bernards
Hillsborough at Phillipsburg, 3:45 p.m.
Franklin at Voorhees, 3:45 p.m.

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Mount Olive at High Point

Newton at Kittatinny

Hackettstown at Lenape Valley

Pope John at Morris Knolls

Sparta at Montville

Sussex Tech at Pequannock

Vernon at Morris Hills

Jefferson at Wallkill Valley

North Warren at Hopatcong

Thursday, May 15

(All games 3:45 p.m., unless noted)

Skyland Conference

Warren Hills at Belvidere

South Hunterdon at Bound Brook

Phillipsburg at North Hunterdon

Hunterdon Central at Bridgewater-Raritan

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Kittatinny at Hackettstown, 4 p.m. (ppd.to 5/21)

Jefferson at Lenape Valley

Hopatcong at Newton, 3 p.m.
High Point at Morris Hills, 4 p.m.
Sparta at Vernon, 4 p.m.
Pope John at Montville, 4 p.m.

Independent

Voorhees at Morris Knolls, 4:15 p.m.

Friday, May 16

(All games 4 p.m.)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Sussex Tech at Boonton (ppd. to 5/21)

Montville at Vernon (ppd. to 5/22)

Wallkill Valley at North Warren (ppd. to 5/24)

Skyland Conference

Bernards at South Hunterdon, 4:15 p.m. (ppd. to 5/27)

Saturday, May 17

(All games 11 a.m. unless noted)

Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament 

North Hunterdon vs. Hunterdon Central in championship game at Diamond Nation, 7:30 p.m.

Skyland Conference

Phillipsburg at Watchung Hills, 10 a.m.

Independent

Rutgers Prep at Voorhees, 10 a.m.
Sussex Tech at Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.)

Pope John vs. Malvern Prep at Delbarton, noon

Baseball: Lions, Red Devils picks in HWS semifinals

To a man, Vernon's baseball team can only describe its recent Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament success in one word:

"Confidence," said second baseman Mike Harboy following the Vikings' thrilling 5-2 win in eight innings over Wallkill Valley in last Saturday's quarterfinals.

Harboy had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs as his two-run single through the left side capped a three-run rally in the eighth. Not to be lost in that uprising was a single by left fielder Josh Rodriguez that gave the Vikings runners on first and second with none out after Dave Baxter's leadoff hit. Rodriguez, a recent addition to the starting lineup due to another player's injury, has made an immediate impact, particularly with his speed.

"He's stepped up for us and is getting it done," Berge said. "Shame on me for not putting him in there sooner."

Whatever the reason, coach Scott Berge's team is making another charge through the brackets -- this time as a No. 10 seed -- the first to win a tri-county game much less three straight to reach the semifinals.

Vernon will travel to face No. 1 seed North Hunterdon at 11 a.m. on Saturday. No. 2 Hunterdon Central will be at No. 1 Pope John at 1 p.m. in the other matchup. The winners will play for the championship at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 at Diamond Nation.

North Hunterdon (14-7) has picked up the pace in the second half. After dropping three of four from April 13-21, coach Mike Kane's Lions have won eight of their last nine, including a 14-0 pasting of Hunterdon Central on April 29 -- their second win this season over the Red Devils.

In last year's semifinals, Vernon scored a 3-1 win in eight innings over North to reach its first title game. On the other side, Pope John will be looking to avenge a 4-2 loss to Central in the 2013 quarters.

"We're happy to be in the semifinals," Berge said. "That was a great semifinal win last year and I'm sure North Hunterdon will out for redemption."

Here's a closer look at the semifinal matchups (seeds precede teams). Records through Thursday:

10B-Vernon (6-10)  at 1A-North Hunterdon (14-7), 11 a.m. -- Vikings have dropped two in a row since the win over Wallkill -- both NJAC American Division contests against Mount Olive and High Point. Ace right-hander Anthony Germinario is 3-0 in the HWS games. The junk ball-specialist, who features a nasty curve and slider that produce a ton of ground-ball outs, has 22 K's in those three wins. Harboy is really tearing it up at the plate. The No. 3 hitter is batting .615 (8-for-13) with a double, triple and eight RBIs in the tri-county tournament. Germinario also is helping himself at the plate, batting .538 (7-for-13) with a double, triple and six RBIs. North has won four in a row starting with that second win over Central and has yielded just two runs during that streak. Outfielder Marc Monks and third baseman Tom Schumacher are pacing the offense. Monks has seven hits with two doubles and two RBIs during the win streak. Ace John Wilson has started both tri-county wins and got the victory in a 7-0 win over Belvidere in the second round. He struck out seven in a no-decision against Newton. North has reached the semifinal round in four of the five tournaments -- missing in 2011 with a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Pope John.

Coaches: Scott Berge (45-80, sixth season); Mike Kane (43-35, third season).

All-time HWS records: Vernon 7-4; North Hunterdon 10-4.

How they got here: Vernon beat South Hunterdon, 18-2, Lenape Valley, 5-1, and Wallkill Valley, 5-2 in eight innings. North Hunterdon defeated Belvidere, 7-0; beat Newton, 2-1 in nine innings.

The Pick: North Hunterdon, 3-2.

2A-Hunterdon Central (17-3) at 1B-Pope John (10-8), 1 p.m. -- Red Devils were the hottest team going in three counties before a stunning 14-0 loss to North Hunterdon, which also won their first meeting, 6-1, on April 3. The only other loss for coach Mike Raymond's club is 4-3 at Montgomery on Tuesday in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division clash. Central is an impressive 16-2 all-time in this tournament's five-year history and has won two titles (2010 and '13). The other two losses came against Pope John (8-1) and Phillipsburg (2-1) in the 2011 and '12 title games. Red-hot second baseman Brett McManus entered the week batting .417 with 13 RBIs and went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI in Monday's 12-1 win over Voorhees. Zac Vacca leads the team with 20 RBIs. Outstanding first baseman Matt Toke (.442, 16 RBIs) has been sidelined by an illness, while ace Pat Clare improved to 5-1 with the win in last Saturday's 8-4 victory over Sparta in the quarters. Pope John has gone just 3-7 since a 7-1 start, but the Lions pounded Warren Hills, 10-0, in the quarters to make their second semifinal appearance and first since winning it all in 2011. Second baseman Axel D'Addario belted a two-run double, while winning pitcher Jack Nelson (2-0) struck out six and had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs.

Coaches: Mike Raymond (285-101, 14th season); Vin Bello (240-156-1, 15th season).

All-time HWS records: Hunterdon Central 16-2; Pope John 8-3.

How they got here: Hunterdon Central defeated High Point, 5-0; beat Sparta, 8-4. Pope John defeated Phillipsburg, 3-1; beat Warren Hills, 10-0.

The Pick: Hunterdon Central, 4-2.

Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings

   (Through Wednesday's games)

Skyland Conference
Delaware Division
		Overall	Division
Hunterdon Central		(16-3)	(8-3)
North Hunterdon		(14-7)	(7-3)
Bridgewater-Raritan		(12-6)	(4-4)
Hillsborough		(9-5)	(4-4)
Watchung Hills		(9-10)	(5-5)
Immaculata		(8-10)	(5-6)
Montgomery		(5-11)	(4-5)
Phillipsburg		(4-14)	(1-8)
Raritan Division
		Overall	Division
x-Ridge		(19-2)	(9-1)
Somerville		(12-7)	(7-2)
Warren Hills		(9-9)	(5-4)
Delaware Valley		(7-7)	(4-5)
Franklin		(5-10)	(2-7)
Voorhees		(0-13)	(0-8)
Valley Division
		Overall	Division
Bernards		(13-3)	(9-0)
Belvidere		(10-5)	(7-3)
South Hunterdon		(4-9)	(4-3)
Gill St. Bernard's		(8-11)	(6-5)
Pingry		(6-8)	(4-4)
North Plainfield		(6-8)	(4-6)
Bound Brook		(3-9)	(2-7)
Manville		(2-9)	(0-8)
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Freedom Division
		Overall	Division
y-Lenape Valley		(12-3)	(10-1)
Jefferson		(11-10)	(7-4)
Newton		(10-7)	(6-4)
Wallkill Valley		(7-8)	(5-5)
Hackettstown		(7-9)	(5-6)
North Warren		(6-7)	(4-6)
Kittatinny		(4-11)	(3-7)
Hopatcong		(3-14)	(1-8)
American Division
		Overall	Division
Sparta		(12-5)	(9-1)
Mount Olive		(13-6)	(8-3)
Montville		(11-6-1)	(5-3-1)
Pope John		(10-8)	(6-5)
Morris Knolls		(9-10)	(5-5)
High Point		(5-8-1)	(4-5-1)
Morris Hills		(5-14)	(2-9)
Vernon		(6-10)	(0-8)
Independence Division
		Overall	Division
y-Morris Catholic		(13-6)	(9-0)
Kinnelon		(10-7)	(6-3)
Mountain Lakes		(10-6)	(6-4)
Pequannock		(10-6-1)	(5-4)
Butler		(9-10)	(5-4)
Boonton		(3-12)	(1-8)
Sussex Tech		(4-15)	(0-9)
x-division champion
y-clinched share of division title