Point Pleasant Beach baseball wins first sectional championship.

MIDDLESEX – Middlesex: Where the Point Pleasant Beach seniors came to end their season.

That was the expression that head coach Angelo Fiore and the rest of his team used when they described Middlesex High School.

For two straight years, the Gulls had lost to the Blue Jays in the NJSIAA Central Group 1 final, and for four straight years the Gulls had their season end at the hands of the Blue Jays in the bracket.

Until Friday, June 10. What a celebration it was for the Gulls, who finally got the monkey off their back and defeated the Blue Jays 6-4 to win the Central Group 1 title and move on to the Group 1 semifinals next week.

"We had this expression that Middlesex is where our seniors came to die,” Fiore said. “If you're going to win a championship, you’ve got to come through Middlesex. Those guys are an extraordinary opponent. Every time we've come up here we've always had a good team, but we've never really done anything great that season. This season has just been extraordinary for us with big wins over West Windsor, Toms River North and South and East. So for us to come up here and be battle tested, we've done it against some really good teams so we were more prepared for today. Just play the game and keep it simple and good things will happen.”

Down early by three runs, the Gulls (20-9) battled back to take the lead before allowing the Blue Jays (23-6) to tie the game up in the bottom of the sixth.

But a two-out double to right field in the top of the seventh drove in the winning run, and a run scored on a passed ball was all the insurance that Point Beach needed to wrap up the sectional title.

"This is an extraordinary group of kids,” Fiore said. “Every year our program’s been improving, and we’ve built it on three components, and that's mental toughness, work ethic, and a steadfast dedication to teamwork. These kids have all bought into it and come out here and just grind for every opportunity.”

This game is an annual postseason affair, and for the last two seasons it has not disappointed as it’s come down to each teams' final few batters to determine the outcome.

This time, the Gulls played their cards right to put the pressure on the Blue Jays to rally to win.

In the madness that was the Gulls celebration after the final out, Fiore could be seen clutching the trophy under his arm like it was a newborn baby. Then once they got on the bus to go back home, music blared through the windows and horns honked nonstop. Just another example of after years of losses to one school, what this win means to the Gulls and how much they won’t forget it.

“For us to lose last year the way we did and then come back up here again and win the way we did, what a story,” Fiore said. “I didn't sleep well at all last night. I was like, ‘Here we go, going to Middlesex again.’ My wife had to remind me that it's the school that's the same. The teams are different. She reminded me that we have a different team. It was awesome to score those last two runs and finally get this done.”

What it means

For the first time in five seasons someone other than Middlesex has won the Central Group 1 championship.

It’s the first-ever sectional title for Point Beach.

What’s next

In the Group 1 semifinals the Gulls will play Woodstown, who defeated Paulsboro in the South sectional final on Monday afternoon.

Keys plays

Middlesex opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when Tommy Lavornia doubled to left-center, then Avery West singled and the Blue Jays led 2-0. A sacrifice squeeze bunt from Michael Salvatore added the third and final run of the inning for the Blue Jays.

But Point Beach would load the bases to start the top of the third, and got two runs back on two sacrifice flies from Kyle McPherson and Andrew Banick.

With the Gulls threatening to tie the game in the top of the fourth, Blue Jays center fielder Matt Venutulo made a diving catch on the warning track to keep the Blue Jays' lead.

One inning later, though, was when the Gulls took the lead, as Warren Beyer singled to drive in the tying run. Then a single from Colin Reinhard put the Gulls up 4-3 for their first lead of the game

Another great defensive play was made in the bottom of the fifth, this time by Hunter Roselli, whose diving catch for the first out of the inning kept the only runner on at first base. Middlesex wouldn’t score in that half inning.

But a two-out double by West in the bottom of the sixth gave the Blue Jays another shot to tie the game. One batter later, Aidan Kozak singled up the middle, driving in West to tie the game at 4-4.

But on the mound in the top of the seventh Kozak got himself in trouble by walking a batter with one out, then another with two out.

Reinhard would them double to right field to drive in the winning run, then Beyer scored on a passed ball to give the Gulls the biggest lead of the day at 6-4, and one that they wouldn’t give up.

They said it

Middlesex coach Justin Nastasi on what went wrong for the Blue Jays: “We hurt ourselves on the mound. We definitely fought on the mound. But when you have eight walks and put those guys on base all the time, it's hard. We still did a great job.  But when that happens you give them opportunities to score.”

Fiore on the diving defensive plays from both sides: "Those guys right there, every player in this game. I have never seen so many ESPN moments. The defense was great. The defense was insane. It was a crazy and exciting game. I don't even know how else to explain that."

Nastasi on the Blue Jays sectional title run ending and the postgame feeling: “They’re upset, but I hope that this isn’t how they feel about themselves all the time. Because as a career, these guys did an awesome job. We won the (GMC) White Division for the first time in school history. They have a lot to be happy about. They’ve accomplished a lot. This isn’t the ending that we wanted obviously, but I’m very happy with them. These guys are my family. I’d go to war with them and love them to death. This game isn’t life or death. They’ve accomplished a lot, and I hope that they know that.”

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Shore NJ Baseball: Point Pleasant Beach wins first sectional title