COLTS BATS START SEASON HOT IN SWEEP OF SUNY ORANGE

Middlesex College Baseball started their 2024 season with their offense in full swing in a doubleheader sweep of SUNY Orange.

The Colts topped SUNY Orange 15-1 in game one and used a 13-run fifth inning to break open a close game on their way to a 24-6 game two win.

From the start of the doubleheader, Middlesex was sharp on both sides of the ball. Michael Wansaw (Sophomore/Elizabeth, NJ) struck out the side in the top of the first and the Colts offense gave him immediate support.

Middlesex plated five runs in the first, four of them on a grand slam by Sal Della Fave (Freshman/Edison, NJ).

Gavin McBeath (Freshman/Indianapolis, IN) doubled in a run in and Hunter Almeida (Sophomore/Sayreville, NJ) singled home a run as Middlesex added two more in the second.

The Colts had another big inning in the bottom of the fourth when they pushed across four more runs, highlighted by an RBI triple by Brett Lukachyk (Freshman/Woodbridge, NJ).

John Oranchak (Freshman/East Brunswick, NJ), Lukachyk and McBeath each drove home runs in the sixth to give the Colts their winning margin.

Ryan Tomasula (Sophomore/Edison, NJ) and Paul DiPasquale (Freshman/Edison, NJ) each pitched an inning to close out the win for Wansaw.

In game two, Middlesex and SUNY Orange both had the bats working early as the game was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the fourth. Middlesex was boosted by a three-run homer in the third by Roberto Gonzalez (Sophomore/South Plainfield, NJ).

Middlesex finally started to separate themselves from SUNY Orange when they scored five in the fifth, aided by a two-run Wansaw home run.

After a scoreless fifth by Jakob Anderson (Freshman/Middlesex, NJ), Middlesex erupted for 13 runs to give them a decisive win.

The Colts are scheduled to be back in action Friday when they begin a three-game set with RCSJ-Gloucester, the nation's top NJCAA Division III team. Game one will be home on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 2:00PM.