Lawrence’s Teak Toto reacts after working a bases-loaded walk to knock in a run in the fourth inning against Robbinsville during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Lawrence relief pitcher Aiden Poot, left, slaps gloves with catcher Dan Dryzga, right, after getting the last out of an inning against Robbinsville during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Robbinsville catcher Chris Naperkowski, right, tags out Lawrence’s Kellen Moore, left, at home plate to end the first inning during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Lawrence starting pitcher Connor Crowley follows through after throwing a pitch against Robbinsville during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Robbinsville starting pitcher Brody Patterson throws to the plate against Lawrence during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Robbinsville second baseman Christian Yoo, left, tries to turn a doubleplay as Lawrence’s Gio Brogle, right, slides into second base during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Lawrence’s Robert Kelly, left, and Riley Rivera, right, celebrate after Kelly scored a run in the first inning against Robbinsville during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Lawrence relief pitcher Robert Kelly throws to the plate against Robbinsville during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Robbinsville coach Mike Kinsella, left, and assistant Gregg Lerner, right, react to the last out of the first inning against Lawrence during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
Lawrence coach Jim Maher goes over ground rules against Robbinsvilel during a Central Group III quarterfinal baseball game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ – Photo)
LAWRENCE — The magic carpet ride that is the Lawrence High baseball team’s season isn’t slowing down.
In fact, the Cardinals are picking up speed.
Robert Kelly threw three scoreless innings of relief after Lawrence pushed across a pair of runs in the fourth inning and the fourth-seeded Cardinals beat their 12th-seeded Robbinsville, 5-3, on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Central Group III state tournament.
The news got even better when Lawrence (20-6) learned it will host that semifinal after Matawan upset top-seeded Steinert in the quarterfinals.
The Ravens (13-12) actually drew first blood with three runs in the first inning. Dylan Carmignani knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Grayson Hopkins followed with a two-run bloop double down the first-base line.
The lead, however, was short lived.
The Cards put three on the board in their half of the first thanks to RBI singles from Teak Toto, Kellen Moore and Riley Rivera. It could have been more had Robbinsville center fielder Noah Schwartz not thrown out Moore at the plate.
The score stayed tied until the fourth when Toto walked with the bases-loaded to force in the go-ahead run and Gio Brogle sprinted home on a wild pitch for an insurance tally.
Robbinsville got the leadoff man to second base in both the fifth and sixth innings, but Kelly got consecutive strikeouts to extinguish the threat on both occasions. Kelly had six strikeouts in his three innings of work.
