Just call them the Marathon Men -- and a resilient group at that! Following an early setback in this weekend's North Atlantic District / Region 19 tournament, the Runners showed why they are the defending DIII national champions and current No. 1 ranked team in the nation.
In a nutshell, they refused to go down for the count despite an early defeat, bad weather Saturday and a marathon Sunday in which they needed to win three games -- in one day -- to repeat as District / Region kingpins.
No problem, they got the job done in roaring fashion.
After dropping into the loser's bracket with a loss to Northaampton CC on Friday, the top-ranked RCSJ squad rallied to beat Brookdale, 7-5, in the elimination round, and then followed with surprisingly easy 20-9 and 15-2 triumphs over Northampton in the championship finals.
The No. 1 seed Runners not only won their third straight District / Region crown, but they will also enter next weekend's NJCAA DIII National Championships looking to repeat their 2023 title while winning the proud program's 9th overall DIII national championship. The DIII Nationals will be held May 25-29/30, 2024 at Falcon Park in Auburn, NY.
Outfielder Max D'Alessandro, the Region 19 tourney MVP, proved clutch, but especially during the elimination game vs. Brookdale early Sunday when the Jersey Blues held a late 5-1 lead and had the Runners on the ropes.
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Max promptly stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning and changed the momentum in its entirety by launching a three-run home run to put RCSJ to within 5-4. The Runners then followed that gigantic blast with three more runs in the sixth to finish with a 7-5 win.
"That single hit changed the direction for us," said Coach Rob Valli. "If Max doesn't come through like that, we could have been eliminated right there. Instead, we gained the momentum we needed for that win and the two that followed."
Yes, the win over the Jersey Blues set the stage for a dramatic showdown vs. Northampton Community College, the No. 2 seed and No. 3 nationally ranked DIII team that drubbed the Runners in a winners' bracket contest on Friday by an 11-4 count.
"We know Northampton well since we've played them several times this year -- and we know they are a good team," said D'Alessandro a Lenape High grad. "But there was never any doubt among our players that this tournament was ours to win. We were resilient, and we showed it this weekend."
One player who stepped up in a major way was rightfielder RJ Mustaro, a Gloucester Catholic graduate, who played superb defense throughout the tourney while delivering two key home runs, including a walk off grand slam to beat Middlesex Friday and a three-run shot in Sunday's title game.
"It's playoff time, and that's what it's all about," said Mustaro afterwards. "That's why all of our players are here. This is an amazing team and a great program."
The Runners' potent lineup came alive vs. Northampton with top hitters such as Gavin Degnan, Juan Peralta, Caden Dulin, Ernesto Polanco, Edwin Hernandez, Joe Spaccavento, Andrew Lombardi, and Wyatt Hoffman all making contributions throughout the weekend.
The pitching staff held their own against a loaded Spartan lineup as well, especially in the Game 2 championship triumph, as Patrick Taney, Enzo Descalzi and Doug King combined for the victory. Earlier, against a talented Brookdale lineup, pitching standouts Anthony Magliozzi Thomas Goldberg, Danny Kerr, and Mason Dobbs kept the Jersey Blues in check.
Watch for more details on the upcoming DIII National Championships as the Runners look to defend their national title!