To put it mildly, when the RCSJ bats woke up during the Region 19 Baseball championship Saturday, they hit No. 2 seed Brookdale with an explosive missile that left little doubt as to who would emerge victorious.

The Runners erupted for 24 runs in their final four at bats -- yes, 24 runs!

They turned a 17-1 deficit into a mind-boggling 25-18 victory to take back the Region 19 and North Atlantic District crowns and head back to the NJCAA DIII World Series, where they look to win a fourth straight national title.

And it all happened in a blink of an eye, when a certain defeat was blown apart by the mighty Roadrunner bats and an avalanche of RCSJ pride and determination.

Thanks to offensive outbursts and key home runs from tourney MVP Alex Apicella and Nick Slogik, plus timely hitting by Joe Maier, Scott Lynch, Nick Izzo and Jack Mustaro, the Runners pulled off the amazing comeback. Apicella led the offensive assault with 3 home runs, including a grand slam, and 9 RBIs in the contest. 

"We never give up, and we weren't going to let this one get away," said Slogik. "We picked each other up like we have all season."

It proved to be one of the greatest comebacks in NJCAA Region 19 Baseball history -- and it may even top the all-time list.

Click Here to View Region 19 Championship Game Photos

While the No. 1 seed Roadrunners came away with the historic triumph, that final score, which resembled a football final, does not even begin to scratch the surface.

After the Runners notched a memorable 12-11 walk off win in Game 1 to extend the championship series into a winner-take-all finale, things started going badly right away.

The Jersey Blues, who won the Region 19 title here in 2025, rolled out to a quick 4-0 first inning lead. The Runners narrowed the margin to 4-1 thanks to a solo home run before Brookdale scored 14 more runs over the next three innings to take a commending 17-1 lead.

Yes, the outcome appeared headed toward an ugly conclusion until Roadrunner pride -- and muscle -- took over. That's when the Runners' offense woke up. They scored four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth -- and suddenly it was 18-8.

Apicella launched a key three-run blast in the seventh and Slogik highlighted a 12-run 8th inning outburst with another three-run homer while Apicella crushed a grand slam to put the Runners ahead for good over the stunned Jersey Blues' team.

When Brookdale's lineup was retired in the top of the ninth, the celebration began on the heels of the 25-18 triumph.

Earlier in the tournament, Slogik ripped a walk-off single in the ninth inning to help the Runners take a 12-11 win over Brookdale in Game 1 of the championship series. On Friday, the Runners topped Middlesex College to avenge an opening round loss to the Colts and advance to the championship series.

Next up will be the NJCAA Division III World Series at TVA Credit Union Stadium in Johnson City, TN, May 23-28. Watch for full details and a preview of the upcoming tournament,