Tyler Manarang pitched a complete game and Cresskill used a three-run fifth inning to defeat Pompton Lakes, 5-3, in the first round of the North 1, Group 1 tournament in Cresskill.
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5/27 - 4:00 PM Baseball Final Pompton Lakes 3 Cresskill 5
Manarang went the distance on the mound for Cresskill, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking one.
The victory marks Cresskill’s (15-10-1) first state tournament win since 2019, ending a drought for a program that didn’t even qualify for the tournament last season when it finished 10-13.
Pompton Lakes (13-9) struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but Cresskill answered in the second to tie the game. After the Cardinals regained the lead with a run in the fourth, Cresskill responded again with a run of its own in the bottom half to make it 2-2.
The decisive fifth inning saw the eighth-seeded Cougars push across three runs to take control. Anthony Santilli and Andrew Koprowski both delivered key doubles in the game, with Orri Shapira contributing two singles and two RBI to the winning effort.
Eric Nam went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base for Cresskill, while Angelo Cristantiello added a double and an RBI.
For ninth-seeded Pompton Lakes, Jon Popovich led the offense with a 2-for-4 performance and an RBI. Jack Babich and Vincent Caruso also drove in runs for the Cardinals.
Cresskill advances to face top-seeded Pequannock in the quarterfinals.
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Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff.