Heading to the net      Holmdel's Lindsey Gagliardi tries to slip in between a slew of Jackson Liberty defenders during the first half of a game at Holmdel High School on May 2. ERIC SUCAR staff More ... Brookdale women regain Region crown National championships are next for softball team BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer       The first thing Bo Scannapieco wanted to know when he got off the bus was which way the wind was blowing. Scannapieco was bringing one of his most prolific Brookdale Community College offenses to the Region XIX softball tournament played at Cape May Court House last weekend, and he knew his hitte... More ... Trio of local teams on the bubble this week BY DOUG McKENZIE Staff Writer       For those of you who simply can't wait for the high school baseball and softball postseason tournaments to begin, this should be a good week for you. While the NJSIAA state and Shore Conference tournaments are still a couple of weeks away, the cutoffs for those tournaments are rapidly approaching... More ... Brookdale baseball GSAC champions BCC defends Region title this weekend in Lincroft BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer       You might say that the Brookdale Community College baseball team powered its way to another Garden State Athletic Conference championship. Johnny Johnson's Jersey Blues used a .384 batting average to slug their way to a 16-2 conference mark in 2008 and the top seed for the Region XIX tournament. ... More ... Sports Shorts       Matawan/Aberdeen Pop Warner has added registration dates. The registration dates for cheerleaders and football players are: Wednesday evening, May 14 and June 8, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, June 21, from 9 a.m. to noon. All registrations will take place at Matawan Regional High School in the ... More ... Mater Dei baseball on the fence to make playoffs Seraphs need a strong week to qualify for state tourney BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer       The Mater Dei High School baseball team has gotten used to playing close games, and coach Pat Riddell noted that a few more hits could easily have impacted his team's 5-9 record. "Our pitching has been outstanding and we've played well defensively, the coach said. "It's just that we're not hittin... More ... Raritan softball still fighting to make state playoffs Rockets play Marlboro this afternoon, Barnegat tomorrow BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer       With the qualification deadline for the NJISAA Central Jersey Group II and Shore Conference tournaments looming on Friday, the Raritan High School softball team needs two victories in its three games this week to get into both tourneys. More ...