High Point defeats Mahwah, 7-6

Ayden Ellis launched a two-run, go-ahead home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift the sixth-seeded High Point Regional High School baseball team to a 7-6 victory over 11th-seeded Mahwah in the opening round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament at home Friday afternoon, May 24.

With the win, the Wildcats (19-6) advanced to the sectional quarterfinal round, where they will play at third-seeded Pascack Hills on Wednesday, May 29.

High Point trailed Mahwah, 6-4, before scoring three times in the bottom of the fifth. Ellis finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs, with Ethan Rasmussen adding a two-run single and Jake Henningsen providing an RBI single and two runs. Austin Mitchell also scored twice and stole a base, and Reed Peterson added a run.

Peterson also came in to relieve starter Matt Sabato and struck out four in three innings of work. Sabato surrendered one hit and no earned runs in the first four frames.

Here’s how other High Point teams fared last week:

Softball

Grace Meyers hurled a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk and also went 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace fifth-seeded High Point to a 3-0 victory over 12th-seeded Vernon in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament at home Wednesday, May 22.

High Point (20-4) is slated to play at fourth-seeded Glen Rock in a sectional quarterfinal Tuesday, May 28.

Mikayla Conklin singled in a run, scored once and stole two bases, and Abby Macfie added two singles in the victory.

The Wildcats have won 20 games for the first time since they went 28-2 and won the overall Group 2 state title in 2014.

Boys lacrosse

The Wildcats (4-10) were led this season by Brian Gruber (27 goals, nine assists), Dylan Jenkins (14 goals, 15 assists), Ethan Munoz (10 goals, 13 assists), Alex Sonvico (14 goals, one assist), Eli Nosal (nine goals, one assist), Dan Cunha (six goals, four assists), Jaden Cali (two goals), John Carambatos (one goal), Santino Loyola (two goals, two assists), Eugene Davina (one assist) and Neeko Basanyi (128 saves).

Girls lacrosse

Madison Tallamy ended her senior season with 52 goals and five assists for High Point (4-11).

Tallamy, who finished her career with 79 goals and 12 assists, scored multiple goals 12 times this season and scored four or more goals nine times, including a career-high seven-goal output in a 16-14 loss at North Warren on May 7.

Isabelle Fancera (29 goals, two assists), Paige Farber (nine goals), Lindsey VanOrden (eight goals, two assists), Ashley Boffa (nine goals, two assists), Hailey Mazzie-White (one goal, one assist), Madeline Salerno (one goal) and goalie Brianna Francois (187 saves) also aided the Wildcats this spring.

Boys tennis

High Point, the 11th seed, bowed to sixth-seeded Pequannock, 5-0, in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 tournament there Thursday, May 23.

Chase Krisanda (first singles), Isaac Schuman (second singles), Nohlan Wehrli (third singles), Zach Sprung and Carter Van Stone (first doubles), and Devin Rosser and Leo Castillo (second doubles) all competed for the Wildcats (7-7).

Boys golf

Ty Woods shot a 36 and was followed by Brendan Percey (38), John Elko (39), Parker Okeson (39), Jacob Dippel (41) and Carson Citro (48) as High Point defeated Vernon, 152-180, on Tuesday, May 21 at the Black Bear Golf Course in Franklin.

The win improved the Wildcats’ record to 20-3 and clinched a perfect 8-0 record in the Freedom Division of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.