Baseball: North Brunswick's ace and slugger comes through in GMCT semifinal win

EAST BRUNSWICK – Big-time Ace vs. Big-time Ace.

When two certified bulldogs are going at it on the mound, true stoppers, just one big swing can make all the difference.

Saturday, Monroe jumped to an early lead against North Brunswick in a Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinal.

In the third inning, North Brunswick’s Omar Carreras took a steady, beautiful cut and the ball boomed over the left field fence. EJ Accettura rounding third looked back and did a little arm pump and hop on his way home in the two-run blast.

That was the difference, as North Brunswick won 2-1 and advanced to its second-straight GMCT final at host East Brunswick Magnet School.

The Raiders’ Zack Konstantinovsky gave up four hits and a run in the first inning, made adjustments and allowed just one walk the rest of the way. He retired the last 17 hitters in a row and had 11 strikeouts.

“Once Omar hit the home run you felt the confidence kind of shift,” Raiders coach Mark Blevins said. “He (Konstantinovsky) was getting out in front a little bit more on all his pitches and finishing. He settled down and did a good job and that’s what he does.”

Konstantinovsky said, “After that swing I was confident in shutting them down the rest of the way. EJ, great at-bat there, and Omar putting that swing over the fence was huge. So a lot of momentum for us there and I think we carried that throughout the rest of the game.”

What does it mean

The top-seeded Raiders (15-5) will meet third-seeded St. Joseph in Saturday’s 2 p.m. final for the second season in a row. Last year, North Brunswick edged St. Joe’s 4-2 to win the program’s first GMCT title.

Fourth-seeded Monroe (11-7) looks to regroup for the NJSIAA playoffs starting in two weeks. The Falcons had a great second half and had a stretch of seven-straight wins at one point after starting 1-4.

Marquee pitching matchup

The Rutgers-bound Konstantinovsky, a senior righty, faced off against Monroe junior right-hander Harrison Lollin, who has committed to Oregon, in Round 2.

On April 11, North Brunswick edged Monroe 1-0. Lollin struck out 11 and gave up four hits and the one run, while Konstantinovsky twirled a one-hitter with no walks and three strikeouts.

Saturday, Lollin scattered three hits and four walks with six strikeouts in six innings.

How is it like pitching against another top-shelf thrower?

“It’s awesome,” Konstantinovsky said. “He’s a great pitcher. He kept us off balance for a good portion of the game, but it’s definitely a cool rivalry that we have and hopefully I can see him again.”

Monroe seizes lead

The Falcons surprisingly jumped on the Raiders in the first inning. After Konstantinovsky struck out the leadoff hitter on three pitches, Aidan Lane carried the first pitch to the left field fence for a double. He reached third on a wild pitch. After another strikeout, Trevor Wallace singled to right field for a 1-0 lead.

Lucas White followed with a single into left field on the first pitch and Kyle McCauley bunted for a single toward third to load the bases. Konstantinovsky got out of the inning with his third strikeout.

Game balls

Konstantinovsky settled down, noting that he “just made a couple adjustments. Read their swings a little bit and was able to execute.”

Omar Carreras, a senior catcher, now has a team-high 26 RBI and seven home runs.

Unsung hero

Credit Raiders shortstop Yomar Carreras (Rutgers commit) for making a handful of slick and diving plays that drew cheers from the crowd.

They said it

Mark Blevins on his team’s comeback, “They came out with a purpose. Monroe’s a tough team. Hat’s off to them. They came with a game plan and it was to attack first pitch fastballs and that’s what they did. They did a good job of putting the ball in play early on. They had a nice bunt that was unexpected, so they came in with a good game plan and we really had to fight. We really had to dig in and dig deep."

Blevins on the senior leadership and first baseman Frankie Garbolino addressing the team which helped spark the comeback, “Frankie Garbolino brings up everyone. After the third inning, he said before you guys know it, this is going to be over and that was the inning that we scored. We got great leadership. We’re confident right now. They feel great and it’s a really nice feeling.”

Konstantinovsky said, “We got a lot of experience on this team. I think it’s probably one of the reasons why it helped us win today. I’m proud of all the guys on our team today.”

Konstantinovsky on his mentality after the first inning, “We got to score anyway – that’s kind of my mindset. I’m confident in my offense coming out there and we got the job done. A big swing by Omar, but you know, teams are going to hit. They’ve seen me once this year already. They’re a good team out there. I adjusted to their swings and was able to get the job done throughout the rest of the game. … I think just having a slow heart beat throughout the game not letting anything get too big is a big deal and just throwing strikes, attacking the zone.”

Omar Carreras said of playing in a big game, “I remember my freshman year when I was in this position, the little nerves would come out. But now, I don’t get nervous anymore. I like these situations. This is where I shine.”

North Brunswick’s EJ Accettura hit leadoff in the beginning of the season before moving back to No. 9 in the order. The Raiders lineup has been balanced and he went 2-for-2 Saturday, noting, “I hit nine all of last year and I was like, I fed the top of the order RBIs. Being moved up at the top of the order helped me face better pitching and see more breaking balls. And now at the bottom of the order, I’m more confident.”

North Brunswick has a busy week before Saturday’s final. The Raiders play at Metuchen on Monday, they host J.P. Stevens on Tuesday and host Colonia on Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Baseball: North Brunswick rallies to win GMCT semifinal game