Columbia HS baseball team, seeded No. 5, seeks good run in the GNT

MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The Columbia High School varsity baseball team hopes to make a good run in the Greater Newark Tournament.

The Cougars, seeded fifth, will host a first round game on May 5 against the winner of No. 21 seed North 13th St. Tech and No. 12 seed Caldwell. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals on May 10. The semifinals are May 12 at Verona. The final is May 19 at Verona. The top seed is five-time defending champion Seton Hall Prep. Millburn is the No. 2 seed; Livingston is No. 3 and Nutley is No. 4.

The GNT is considered as the Essex County tournament.

Columbia defeated Caldwell and East Side to extend its winning streak to three games and improve to a 7-5 record.

The Cougars defeated Caldwell, 9-8, April 24. Phil Whitney went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI; Christian Pierre drove in a run and scored twice; Luke Jackson doubled and drove in three runs; Jake Lefferts went 2-for-4 with two runs; Rowan Marbury had three hits, including a double, and an RBI; and John DelGreco had an RBI. Ben Mintz allowed two hits and two runs in five innings, striking out two, for the win.

Columbia defeated East Side, 7-5, April 26, in Newark. DelGreco went 3-for-4 with two singles, one double, and three RBI; Eliot Dix went 2-for-3 with a single, double and three RBI; Whitney went 2-for-3 with two singles and three runs; and Spencer Melee had an RBI. Ethan Messeri pitched 6 ⅔ innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts for the win.

  Columbia High School baseball