Belleville, NJ – After almost a month off thanks to two off-weeks on Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekend and an ill-timed rain-out against the Woodbridge Pirates, the Jersey Barons took the field on a gorgeous June day for two contests with their long-time rivals, the Clifton Mets. The Barons and Mets have battled on the diamond countless times over the years in their Roy Campanella days, and now both in the Mel Ott, they look to continue their classic ballgames in 2008. Game 1 of their twinbill would not disappoint, with another one-run decision and late-inning heroics to decide the match-up.

The Mets manufactured a run as they always do in the top of the 1st. 3B Dave Londono, a one-time Baron, led off with a single and promptly swiped second. CF Anthony Donato moved Londono over to 3rd on a grounder to 1B, and SS Vinnie Malba then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left. Barons starter Craig Tscherednikov settled down after that, keeping the Mets off the board and striking out 5 for the next three innings. A tough luck starter once again, Tscherednikov would leave the game with a no-decision despite delivering another quality start for the Barons – 5 innings pitched, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 0 walks, and 5 punch-outs.

The Barons tied the score in the bottom of the 4th when LF Matt Mazon doubled in 2B Chris Fucci with a long drive to right-center. But the Mets would break through again on Tscherednikov with two runs in the top of the 5th. Back-to-back doubles by Donato and Malba scored Donato, and Malba went home on an error, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead. The Barons also responded right away, scoring a run in their half of the 5th, to bring the score closer 3-2. 3B Dylan Steitz led off with a single, stole second, reached third on a wild pitch, and then scored easily on a single by C Pat Santorsola.

With the Mets up a run, Giancarlo Cifelli would take the hill for the Barons and hold the fort, keeping the Mets scoreless in the final two innings of the game. The Barons would come up empty in the 6th, but would break through in a big way with a come-back effort in the bottom of the 7th. SS Dave Micallef led off with a single, and manager Phil Barone inserted the speedy RF Phil Mazzetta to run. Mazzetta reached second on a wild pitch and then scored standing up on a long, one-out triple to left-center by 1B Aaron Kalb.

The Mets pulled their starter John Luciano after that, moving Londono to the hill. Londono was then instructed to intentionally walk the Barons 3-hitter, 2B Chris Fucci. With Kalb the winning run on 3rd, it was a sound decision, setting up the double play for the next hitter. Barone then hit a ball to third that was fielded cleanly and anchored Kalb at 3rd base, but a poor throw to first allowed Barone to reach on the error, loading the bases with one out. The next batter, CF Tom Greene, hit another hard shot to third, and the third baseman cleanly fielded the play this time, gunning Kalb out at home for the force play. Now with two outs and the game teetering on going to extras, up stepped Matt Mazon, looking to end it. Mazon blistered a single to left on the very first pitch he saw, driving in the game-winning run and providing the Barons with a great W to cap off their return from the break.