JEFFGRANIT staff Milltown second baseman Eric Miele tries to cover second base while South Brunswick's John Haas slides safely underneath during a game on Friday in South Brunswick. Few fans who follow Middlesex County American Legion baseball are surprised to see Milltown and South Brunswick battling for the South Conference title once again.

The two teams entered the summer season as the teams to beat, and have proven to be just that, with less than two weeks to play in the regular season.

On Friday, two teams squared off, with Milltown earning the 6-4 victory on the strength of Matt Metsch's bat and his right arm. At the dish, Metsch swatted a key bases-clearing triple in the fourth inning to spark a rally, while on the hill, he pitched six and 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, before giving the ball to Steve Curry, who earned the save.

The biggest play of the game came in the bottom of the sixth, when South Brunswick loaded the bases with no one out for Rutgers-bound Jared Jimenez, one of the top hitters in the state. Jimenez got good wood on the Metsch pitch, hitting a shot to third, where Milltown third baseman Garrett Andrin gloved it, tagged third and fired home for a 5-2 double play. Metsch then ended the threat with a strikeout.

With the win, Milltown (8-2) pulled within two points of the conference-leading Vikings (9-3, 18 points). However, there is still a third team in the picture. The team from Middlesex knocked off the North Conference-leading team from Piscataway, 1-0, on Friday to get to 8-5 on the year (16 points), and tie Milltown.

Middlesex's Rob Tolomeo was brilliant on the mound, tossing a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts, while Jose Perez scored the game's only run on a Corey Lasala single.

With the loss, Piscataway fell to 12-2 (24 points) on the year, and found themselves ties with Father & Son Post 435 (12-3). Those two teams have run away from the rest of the division, with Iselin Post 471 in third place at 7-3 (14 points).

This week's action could go a long way toward determining the winners of both conference's. Yesterday, Middlesex was scheduled to play host to Iselin, while Milltown traveled to Edison to face Father & Son. Today, South Brunswick plays host to Perth Amboy (0-11), while MIlltown faces Clara Barton (7-5). Father & Son will face North Brunswick (4-7), while Piscataway takes on JFK (5-7), and Middlesex travels to South River to take on the Rams (2-11).

On Monday, a pair of games - South Brunswick at Father & Son, and Middlesex at Milltown - could help clear up the title chase in the South Conference.

The regular season wraps up next Friday.

- Doug McKenzie