Rutherford cather Alex Gomez and the Bulldogs' offense were productive at the plate on Saturday scoring a 12-2 win over Midland Park.

RUTHERFORD - After rallying from an eight-run deficit to pull into a tie against state-ranked Millburn before eventually losing 12-9 on Thursday, the Rutherford players went through all the emotions. The initial feeling was dismay over letting a game against a quality opponent slip away. But it was quickly followed by the feeling that this could be a special season if the Bulldogs shore things up come county and state tournament time. The first step towards reaching their lofty pre-season goals, however, was to put that loss behind them and focus on the game in front of them.

Midland Park put up two runs in the top of the first which was just the wake-up call the Bulldogs needed. They dominated from that point on with Chris Gioia doing the job on the mound and a slew of teammates backing him up at the plate. Luke Cerulli broke the game open with a grand slam to cap an eight-run fourth inning as Rutherford bounced back with a 12-2, five-inning win over Midland Park on Saturday morning at Memorial Field in Rutherford.

"We had a tough loss to Millburn but we showed we were right there as one of the top teams in the state," said Rutherford catcher Alex Gomez. "The last few years we've come up short. It's driving us to work hard every single day to get better."

Rutherford was not the only team who took a tough loss, Midland Park was also reeling from a one-run loss to Butler in which the tying and go-ahead runs were left in scoring position to end the game. The Panthers started seven underclassmen, including four freshmen, on Saturday. One of those freshmen, Braiden Russell, walked, stole second and then came home on an error. Ryan Clark shot in the hole was knocked down, but no play could be made to bring in another run and give the Panthers a 2-0 lead early.

The Bulldogs pulled back into the lead by taking Panthers' southpaw Zack Dennis the other way on outside pitches. Dennis made a pair of good pitches in the first and second innings with runners on base, but the Bulldogs were ready. Henry Hui punched a single through the right in the first inning to get Rutherford on the scoreboard. An inning later, Sam Kelly picked a good time for his first hit of the season with a seeing-eye base knock through the right side to plate two runs and give the Bulldogs the lead.

Midland Park's Ryan Clark knocked in one of the the two Panthers' runs.

After a rough first inning, Gioia found the zone and quickly got into a rhythm. He had all of his pitches working and was able to keep the Panthers off-balance. His teammates rewarded him with six hits in the fourth inning alone, with Cerulli's second HR in as many games busting it wide open.

"In the second inning I really found the feel on my slider, it gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the game," said Gioia. "When you lock in it's easier to throw strikes and trust your defense behind you."

Gioia picked up the win for Rutherford (3-1) by going the distance, scattering seven hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Both of the runs he allowed were unearned. The Bulldogs also showed balance up and down the lineup at the plate. Seven of the nine starters had at least one hit, and five of the nine had at least two.

Dennis took the loss for Midland Park (1-2) but did have a perfect 3-3 day at the plate. The Panthers will try to snap the two-game skid on Monday against Emerson.

With the Millburn loss now well in the rear-view mirror, the Bulldogs are looking to heat up as the weather warms up. With tons of talent and senior leadership all over the diamond, this team looks to be one of the top public school teams in North Jersey and a legitimate contender for a state sectional title.

"We're doing all the little things and focusing on different things in practice and kudos to our coaches because they know what kind of team we can have," said Gomez. "We have a really good team and we're preparing to go the distance."

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