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Made for the Moment: Toms River East Stars Shine in 1st Sectional Final Win Since 2006

Matt Manley|June 6, 2025|Last Updated June 16, 2025

TOMS RIVER — Toms River East High School junior Lucas Melton missed his entire sophomore season due to injury, so if there is anyone on the Raiders 2025 baseball roster who has not taken a single opportunity for granted this season, it is him.

On Thursday night, in front of a throng of spectators the likes of which Bill Frank Field has not seen in more than a decade, Melton’s team appeared to have its first NJSIAA sectional title in hand thanks to a pair of early home runs by a pair of seniors and another dominant championship performance by its senior on the mound.

For a matter of seconds in the top of the sixth inning, however, that security hung in the balance when Ben McEwan’s drive with the bases loaded headed for the rightfield fence and Melton got turned around in pursuit of the ball.

In a game that felt all but decided, in a town that has already had enough baseball history unfold to last two lifetimes, it was time to write a new chapter — both within Thursday’s game and in Toms River baseball. As McEwan watched his drive sail toward the other side of the fence, Toms River South’s junior catcher was on the verge of writing that chapter.

Melton, however, stole the home run, stole the moment and stole the show in front of a town that also learned not to take night’s like Thursday for granted.

Melton robbed a potential grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to protect a five-run lead — the exclamation point in Toms River East’s 6-1 win over Toms River South in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III final that delivered the Raiders their first sectional championship since 2006.

“This is amazing,” Melton said. “I had an injury last year and I was out for the whole season. Came back this season and it worked out.”

“Knowing the history between these two teams, not winning a state title in twenty years, coming out here with over 1,000 fans on the hill, you’ve got to perform,” said senior Mike Vaccarino who hit the second of two Toms River East home runs on Thursday night. “That’s what we did. We took care of the little things and we got it done today.”

Toms River East built its lead with a solo home run by senior shortstop Matt Ferrara in the bottom of the first, Vaccarino’s two-run shot in the fourth and an RBI single by starting pitcher and fellow senior Dan Nafziger.

“I always say, ‘You only go as far as your seniors,'” Toms River East coach Keith Smicklo said. “That goes back to when I was playing here for Bill Frank. “You’re senior’s have to carry you and if you look at the game tonight, Danny carried us, Matty hit a home run, Mikey hit a home run, Danny hit the other base hit that put us up by five. Our seniors led the team tonight.”

Toms River East coach Keith Smicklo congratulates senior Mike Vaccarino (4) on his fourth-inning home run in the South Group 3 final vs. Toms River South. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - TRE Mike Vaccarino

Toms River East coach Keith Smicklo congratulates senior Mike Vaccarino (4) on his fourth-inning home run in the South Group 3 final vs. Toms River South. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

The run that scored on what turned out to be a sacrifice fly by McEwan in the sixth was the lone run allowed by Toms River East in four games during its run to the championship and on Thursday, it was Nafziger who was primarily responsible for keeping the Indians’ bats quiet, with an assist to Melton.

For the second time this season, Nafziger pitched a complete game in a tournament championship game while setting a new career-high for strikeouts in a single game. Thirty days after striking out 10 in a 3-1 win over Brick Memorial in the Ocean County Tournament championship game, the 6-foot-3 right-hander punched out 13 in a five-hit complete game game against Toms River East to continue his big-game brilliance while also improving his senior-year record to 9-0.

“The adrenaline was pumping tonight,” Nafziger said. “Looking up at the crowd, I knew I had to do my job and that’s what I went out and did. It was adrenaline from the first pitch. The crowd, the hype — it all got me going. I love the high-pressure moments.”

“The thing about Danny is you know what you’re getting,” Smicklo said. “He’s going to throw strikes, he’s not going to walk people, he’s going to compete and he is going to keep you in every game. There is never a game that we’re out of when he is on the mound. As a coach, it’s awesome knowing what you’re going to get. I can’t say enough about the kid. He has been great since he set foot in this program.”

For the first five innings, Nafziger pitched a relatively stress-free game thanks to his own command of his arsenal, plus a couple of big swings from two seniors in the heart of the Raiders order.

Toms River East opened the scoring courtesy of sophomore third baseman and leadoff hitter Joey DiMeo, who started the game with a single into leftfield. DiMeo then stole both second and third base, which officially gave him 40 stolen bases for the season. On the steal of third, McEwan’s throw hit off the glove of third baseman Evan Schmidt and carried into shallow leftfield, allowing DiMeo to trot home with a run courtesy of his game-breaking speed on the bases.

DiMeo singled twice Tuesday night, scored twice and stole three bases, bringing him within three of the single-season record of 44, held by Ocean’s Cip Apicelli, who is now the head coach at his alma mater.

“I feel like I’m ready for this moment,” DiMeo said. “I played in the Little League World Series, so I’m used to an atmosphere like this. I’m always aggressive and into the game and my teammates look to me for energy and to set the tone.”

After DiMeo created a run with his legs, senior shortstop Matt Ferrara added one with his barrel. The University of Pittsburgh commit crushed a towering solo home run beyond the 354-foot sign in left-centerfield for a 2-0 Raiders lead in the bottom of the first.

“It got me hyped, honestly,” Nafziger said of DiMeo’s base-running, followed by Ferrara’s blast. “This whole season, we have had Joey DiMeo leading off and getting us on the board first. He sets the tone for us at the top and then you have guys like Matt who can go deep. It’s a dangerous lineup.”

Ferrara now has three home runs on the season and two have come in tournament championship games, with Ferrara also hitting a solo home run in the OCT final win over Brick Memorial. His other home run came in a road win over Jackson Memorial — the second-place team in the Class A South division this season.

“When the crowd is here and the lights come on, he shows up,” Smicklo said of Ferrara. “It’s amazing. Him and Danny both and Mikey (Vaccarino) too. It didn’t surprise me. They (Toms River South) got him out a few times when we played them a few weeks ago and I knew he was going to be locked in. He got a fastball first at-bat and smoked it.”

In the bottom of the fourth, Nafziger led off with a walk and senior second baseman Mike Vaccarino followed that up by scorching a two-run home run to leftfield for his third homer of the season and a 4-0 Raiders lead.

“We saw (Toms River South starter Aiden Moylan) a few weeks ago when we walked them off,” Vaccarino said, referencing an 8-7 Toms River East regular-season win over Toms River South on May 23, after the state playoff field was already set. “He was throwing a lot of two-seamers that had a lot of run. I feel like we really dialed it in on that run when it was coming inside and everyone was on that pitch. We got it and went deep. In front of this crowd, it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Vaccarino has primarily played leftfield this season while Nafziger has manned second base, but Nafziger pitching means Vaccarino moves to second base. That flexibility has been a big part of what Vaccarino has brought to roster beyond just his senior leadership and hitting prowess.

“He is a total team guy,” Smicklo said of Vaccarino. “He’ll do anything you ask of him. I know he wants to play more on the infield, but he is the first to say, ‘Coach, if you need me in the outfield, I’m in the outfield.’ He has been with us at the varsity level for three years, he has worked hard and to see him come through on the big stage was great.”

Nafziger padded the lead for himself by lining an RBI single into right-centerfield for a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, which scored DiMeo after the sophomore collected his second single and third stolen base of the game.

The top of the sixth was Melton’s moment, but first, Toms River South strung together its first serious threat of the game against Nafziger. Up to that point, Nafziger struck out 11 batters in five innings, including striking out the side around a single in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth inning, though, McEwan gave Nafziger a nine-pitch battle that ended with him taking a slider that caught the inside corner for an inning-ending strikeout. Nafziger threw 24 pitches in the inning, which was the highest total in any one of his seven innings on Thursday.

In the sixth, Nafziger hit Toms River South sophomore shortstop Christian Mascaro with a pitch with one out and junior first baseman Brett Rankin dunked a single into leftfield for his second hit of the game. Both runners then advanced on a balk by Nafziger, who then issued his only walk of the game to load the bases for McEwan.

Nafziger again tried to fool McEwan with a breaking ball on 1-2, but his curveball broke into McEwan’s left-handed swing patch and he tagged it toward the rightfield fence. Melton adjusted to the ball in the air after losing it briefly and made his leaping catch, pulling the ball down into the field of play and firing it into the infield as Mascaro tagged up and scored from third.

Lucas Melton (22) and Mike Vaccarino following Melton's catch in rightfield that prevented a grand slam in the sixth inning of the South Group 3 final. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - TRE Lucas Melton

Lucas Melton (22) and Mike Vaccarino following Melton’s catch in rightfield that prevented a grand slam in the sixth inning of the South Group 3 final. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

“It was about a foot-and-a-half over the fence,” Melton said. “I trusted my body, trusted my glove and got it done. I had to re-adjust. I misread it at first. It sliced and then I pretty much turned around and caught the ball, simple as that.

“I was surprised. I didn’t think I was going to catch it. I thought it was way gone, but I scaled the fence and caught it.”

“Lucas is maybe the best athlete on the field for us,” Smicklo said. “He can run, he can jump, he’s got power, he’s got a great arm. He missed last year, so it was good for him to come back this year and contribute the way he has been contributing.”

After barely escaping a momentum-swinging grand slam, Nafziger responded by striking out the next batter to strand two runners at the end of the sixth.

“I thought it was a bomb,” Nafziger said of McEwan’s long sacrifice fly. “I gave him a 3-2 slider inside the last time to strike him out and I tried to throw it again. Honestly, it was a good pitch, but he loved it inside, so I should have gone away. I thought it was out, but hell of a catch by Lucas.”

In the bottom of the sixth, Melton led off with a walk, reached second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Jax Buatez, stole his third base of the game to reach third, then scored on junior Chase Caswell’s RBI single with one out, pushing the Toms River East lead to 6-1.

Melton and DiMeo each stole three bases, accounting for all six of Toms River East’s stolen bases in the game.

“If we got the right guys on, we were going to go,” Smicklo said.

Senior Aiden Lynch led off the top of the seventh with a double, but Nafziger did not let any other Indians hitters join him on the base paths. Nafziger retired the next two hitters with his 13th strikeout, followed by a pop-out and on the final swing of the game, Toms River South junior Jaden Geremia lofted a deep fly ball to right that Lucas coasted under for the game-clinching catch on Nafziger’s 110th pitch of the game.

Since taking over the baseball program at his alma mater, Smicklo has made strides with the Raiders before this current group of players entered high school. He took Toms River East to back-to-back OCT semifinal rounds, including the championship game in 2018. In 2019, the Raiders also reached the South Jersey Group III semifinals as a No. 12 seed.

Over the past two seasons, however, Toms River East has gone to a level not seen since the late 2000’s, when the Raiders won a South Jersey Group IV championship in 2006, the Ocean County Tournament title in 2007 and upset Mike Trout’s No. 1 seeded Millville team in the South Group IV first round in 2009 as a No. 16 seed.

This current group of seniors, led by Ferrara, Nafziger, Vaccarino, catcher Gavin Toth and pitcher Mason Pentz, have elevated Toms River East back to that stature after a decade in the 2010’s that saw the Raiders have their moments — including a 2014 Class A South championship in coach Bill Frank’s final season of his 30-year tenure — but fall short of sustained success. With back-to-back Ocean County Tournament championships in 2024 and 2025, a 20-win season and a sectional championship this year and a core of non-seniors due back in 2026, Toms River East is squarely within its best window of baseball in two decades.

Toms River East senior Matt Ferrara connects on a first-inning home run against Toms River South in the South Jersey Group 3 final. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - TRE Matt Ferraro watches his first inning home run

Toms River East senior Matt Ferrara connects on a first-inning home run against Toms River South in the South Jersey Group 3 final. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

The turnout from the town to watch Toms River East complete its climb back to a sectional championship made the night extra special for the players and Smicklo, who is a 1999 graduate of Toms River East.

“I knew it would be crowded, but I didn’t think it would be this crowded,” Toms River East coach Keith Smicklo said, describing the atmosphere. “It was cool to get text from alumni and friends saying they were coming to the game. It was about the fourth or fifth inning when I looked up and was like, ‘Holy cow, this place is packed.’ I don’t know how many people were here, but it was a great night for Toms River baseball, in general.”

As for Toms River South, its dramatic turnaround falls one win shy of the first sectional title for the Indians baseball program since 2003, which was also the last year in which Toms River South reached a South Jersey Group III final. Last year, the Indians went 5-18, which marked the worst single-season record in program history.

Legendary head coach and all-time state wins leader Ken Frank (934) retired at the end of the 2024 season and his former player and assistant, Jim Rankin, took over the program. In Rankin’s first year, Toms River South finished 18-10 overall and second place behind Brick in the Shore Conference Class C South standings. The Indians won their first Shore Conference Tournament game since 2018, their first NJSIAA Tournament game since 2017 and reached a sectional final for the first time since 2003.

“Jimmy did a great job this year with that program,” said Smicklo, who was Rankin’s assistant at Jackson Liberty and grew up friends with Jim Rankin and his brother, Billy. “Where they were last year to where they are now, he did an unreal job and their kids played hard tonight.”

Like Toms River East, the future appears to be very promising for Rankin and his squad. Lynch — the team’s ace and workhorse on the mound in each of the past two seasons — and second baseman Ruben Febres are the only starters in Toms River South’s lineup on Thursday set to graduate. The rest of the starters are due back, including sophomore left-hander Aiden Moylan on the mound.

In his final start of a breakout sophomore season, the two home runs did Moylan in, as did Toms River East’s hyper-aggressive base-stealing. Outside of those factors, the southpaw was again impressive, striking out eight and walking just one over five innings.

“Moylan is a really good pitcher and he threw the ball well tonight,” DiMeo said. “It’s just that the top of our lineup, it’s the best in the state.”

After conquering Toms River South in front of a lively, expansive crowd at Raider Ravine, Toms River East moves on to face Northern Burlington — the Central Jersey Group II champion that improved to 26-2 with its 8-4 win over Brick Memorial on Thursday. Beginning in 2021, the NJSIAA went to an alternating host system for the Group semifinals, with the Central Jersey winner hosting in odd years and the South Jersey winner hosting in even years. This year, the Central Jersey champion holds home field advantage, which means the Raiders will head to Northern Burlington on Monday with a spot in the NJSIAA Group III championship game on the line.

Toms River East has not won an overall state championship since winning Group IV in 2001.

“This year, we had a lot of expectations,” Vaccarino said. “We have a lot of talent on this team and everyone was expecting us to do something great. We all came together, put our stats aside and got it done as a team.”

“Everyone in 2001 was a dog,” DiMeo said. “Our whole team is just like that. This is our 20th win. I know our boys are going to bring it every game and that’s what we’re going to keep doing.”

Toms River East celebrates winning the 2025 NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 championship. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - TRE State Champs

Toms River East celebrates winning the 2025 NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 championship. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

Box Score

Toms River East 6, Toms River South 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
TR South (18-10) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 1
TR East (20-6) 2 0 0 2 1 1 X 6 9 1

Pitching

Toms River South IP H R ER BB SO PC
Aiden Moylan (L, 6-2) 5 8 5 5 1 8 89
Christian Mascaro 1 1 1 1 1 0 13
Toms River East IP H R ER BB SO PC
Dan Nafziger (W, 9-0) 7 5 1 1 1 13 110

Top Hitters

Toms River South Game Stats
Christian Mascaro 1-2, HBP, R
Brett Rankin 2-3
Aiden Lynch 2-3, 2B
Toms River East Game Stats
Mike Vaccarino 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI
Joey DiMeo 2-4, 2 R, 3 SB
Matt Ferrara 1-3, HR, R, RBI
Dan Nafziger 1-2, BB, R, RBI
Lucas Melton 1-2, BB, R, 3 SB
Chase Caswell 1-3, RBI

 

 

 

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