The New Providence Reds will open the NJABL Summer North Division playoffs Sunday, Aug. 2, at 11 a.m. at Oakwood Park as the No. 1 seed, carrying a nine-game winning streak and a 9-1 regular-season record into the double-elimination bracket.

The Reds locked up the top seed with a doubleheader sweep of the NJ Mariners on Sunday, July 26, winning 6-3 and 10-0, according to TAPinto.

Rob Grasso, the defending league MVP, hammered three home runs across the two games. In Game 1, his fourth-inning blast broke a 2-2 tie, and he added a sacrifice fly in the sixth. In Game 2, he launched two more over the fence as the Reds cruised to the shutout.

Michael Pierce, the back-to-back NJABL Cy Young Award winner in 2024 and 2025, went the distance in Game 1. He scattered nine hits over seven innings, struck out eight, and allowed just two earned runs to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Game 2 belonged to the entire lineup. Caden Breault doubled home a run in the first inning and Dean Licari added a sacrifice fly, and the Reds blew the game open with a five-run third featuring RBIs from Breault, Robbie Costello, Pierce, Nick Santacross, and Nick Draben. Shortstop Matt Nesto tacked on another run in the fourth.

Ryan Grill handled the pitching in Game 2, spinning four scoreless innings on two hits and five strikeouts. He finished the regular season 3-0 with a 0.88 ERA. Breault closed the game by striking out the side in his Reds pitching debut.

The team's only loss this summer came on opening day, a 2-1 pitchers' duel against the 908 Panthers. They avenged that defeat June 16 with an 18-8 rout, according to TAPinto, and never lost again.

Manager Matt Sommo, assisted by Matt and Derek Nesto, has guided the club to six NJABL division titles since 2013, including the Summer North championship last year.

The Reds' first-round opponent has not been announced. First pitch Sunday is at 11 a.m. at Oakwood Park in New Providence.