Sure, it’s sectional final day for the public schools, but let’s not forget our non-public teams playing in the sectional semis.
We ran public sectional finals previews boxes, complete with predictions, in today’s Courier News. You can find those here.
You can also listen to a review and preview of the tournament on the Week 8 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast which is up and running at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Meanwhile, here is a look at the North Jersey Non-Public A semis:
MOUNT ST. MARY vs. IMMACULATA HEART ACADEMY
Despite being the top seed, Mount St. Mary is not battle-tested against the type of perennial powerhouse that is Immaculate Heart. Could I see the Mount Lions winning? Sure. Anytime you have the kind of quality in the circle Dani Accardi brings, as well as quality clutch bats in Accardi, Alyssa D'Addio, Sam and Alex Russomagno, Gina Capriglione and others, you have a chance. But the toughest opponent MSM faced all season was Hillsborough in the county quarters, and while the Mount Lions played a quality game, they ultimately were denied.
Advanatage: IHA
IMMACULATA vs. MT. ST. DOMINIC
Mt. St. Dominic is another program that has been very successful over the past decade. But Immaculata should be ready. The Spartans play in one of the most competitive conferences in the state, and I don't figure MSD is going to show Immaculata anything it hasn't seen before. With Katelyn Piazzolla and Jen Lapicki wearing Spartans blue, talent won't be an issue. Still, while Immaculata hasn't shown to be invincible, it has shown the ability to win big games in big spots under the most pressured conditions. Rookie coach Erica Bell is no stranger to this tournament, having played in four straight sectional finals during her varsity career, and she has shown that she is willing to make a gutsy call in a big spot. This should be another close one that comes down to a big play late in the game.
Advantage: Immaculata
The winners of these games will face off at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Bellville High School.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Down the Stretch They Come...
Four local teams have advanced to sectional finals in the public school brackets with semifinals victories Tuesday, making for an exciting slate for Thursday's championships.
Leading the pack is the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group II, Governor Livingston, which got another sterling pitching performance from Capri Catalano.
The senior righty who finally broke the all-time state strikeout mark after tying it last week, and blanked Shore 1-0, as she allowed just one hits and struck out 21.
Catalano fanned Shore leadoff hitter Ally Roma on three pitches to start the game, breaking the mark of 1,281 set by Freehold Boro's Ashley Forsyth last season.
Catcher Heather Bergman had three hits and left fielder Nicole Ruggiero homered to lead a nine-hit Highlanders' attack, and if GL can keep this offensive output going -- don't forget about the 10-0 win over Roselle Park in the quarters -- this could finally be the year the Highlanders go all the way, or at least win a sectional crown.
GL's win sets up Thursday's game with third-seeded Delaware Valley, which won a wild one with Matawan on Tuesday.
The Terriers had just one hit and trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh before three straight one-out singles loaded the bases. After a strikeout, Brittany Brown-Webster lined a 1-2 pitch the other way, down the right-field line for a two-run double to send Del Val to its first sectional final since 1997.
Michelle Jensen turned in a brilliant performance in the circle, allowing one unearned run and just two hits.
This is the kind of win Delaware Valley needed to restore its confidence. The Terriers struggled a bit down the stretch and looked terrible against Hunterdon Central in the HWT semifinals. If Del Val hopes to win a sectional crown, or more, these are the types of games they're going to have to win.
Governor Livingston will play host to Delaware Valley at 4 p.m. Thursday in Berkeley Heights.
Meanwhile, in North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV, top-seeded North Hunterdon edged fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 1-0, as Ali Freedman topped Lauren Fitzsimmons in a brilliant pitcher's duel.
Check out Jason Sherman's story in Wednesday's print and online editions of the Courier News for a complete review of the game.
Like Del Val, North also struggled down the stretch and did not look anywhere close to the team that won it all last year in Group IV. By beating Fitzsimmons, who is arguably the best pitcher in the Skyland Conference, it proved North still has what it takes to beat the best, especially a squad that had beaten it earlier this year. The Lions proved they've still got it, not only to their detractors, but to themselves.
North Hunterdon will play host to J.P. Stevens at 4 p.m. Thursday in Clinton Township, as the Lions continue their march toward repeating as state Group IV champions.
In North Jersey, Section 2, Group III, seventh-seeded South Plainfield blasted Mendham 14-1 in five innings to return to the sectional final for the first time since winning the state Group III crown in 2005.
The Tigers got two doubles each from Kelly Downes and Lauren Fry as the pair combined for five RBIs in the victory.
The offense is clicking, pitcher Jen Little is cruising, and the defense that has let South Plainfield down at times this season looks like it's gotten its stuff together. Could the Tigers be in for their third state group title in the past eight years? Stay tuned.
South Plainfield will travel to top-seeded JFK at 4 p.m. Thursday, setting up the fourth meeting of the season between the Tigers and Mustangs -- South Plainfield leads the season series 2-1.
Check out Wednesday's Courier News for a review of Tuesday's action, and make sure to pick up Thursday's edition for previews of all three sectional final games.
Meanwhile, the North Jersey Non-Public A Tournament semifinals are set as two locals got through Tuesday's quarterfinal action, while a third was eliminated.
Third-seeded Immaculata got a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to edge sixth-seeded Paramus Catholic 1-0.
Kaitlyn Piazzolla not only pitched another brilliant game, allowing no runs on two hits, walking none and striking out eight, but the junior delivered the game-winning hit, knocking in Kristen Titus, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the frame.
Senior catcher Jen Lapicki was right in the middle of the rally, as usual, providing a key hit in the eighth to move Titus into scoring position.
Immaculata will face second-seeded Mount St. Dominic at 4 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Mount St. Mary, meanwhile, blanked St. Dominick 4-0 behind senior right-hander Dani Accardi.
Accardi not only threw a three-hit shutout, but she delivered an RBI double in a three-run third inning for the Mount Lions. Alyssa D'Addio and Gina Capriglione also drove in runs in the frame.
MSM will face fourth-seeded Immaculate Heart in Thursday's semifinals.
Look for a preview of both North Non-Public A games here Thursday.
****
THE DEPARTED
In addition to Bridgewater-Raritan's loss to North Hunterdon and Union Catholic getting bounced by Mt St. Dom's 6-0 in North Non-Public A quarters, four other teams had their run through the state tourney halted Tuesday, including one that had a 17-game winning streak snapped.
No. 8 seed Hunterdon Central, which followed up a 6-6 start by winning 17 straight on its way to the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament championship and the Skyland Conference Delaware West Division title, fell to fourth-seeded Rancocas Valley 3-2 in eight innings of their Central Jersey Group IV contest. Jenna Carmon pitched well again for the Red Devils and did not allow an earned run.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood, which shocked Cranford in the quarterfinals, couldn't get past top-seeded JFK in North 2, Group III, falling to the Hawks 6-0.
In Central Jersey Group I, Middlesex fell to Florence 6-0, while Dunellen was edged by South Amboy 3-2.
****
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
South Plainfield topped JFK 1-0 in eight innings Saturday to advance to Monday's GMC final, where the Tigers fell to Monroe 5-1.
***
PROGRAMMING NOTE:
The Week 8 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast was recorded Tuesday night. Look for it to be posted sometime Wednesday afternoon at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Leading the pack is the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group II, Governor Livingston, which got another sterling pitching performance from Capri Catalano.
The senior righty who finally broke the all-time state strikeout mark after tying it last week, and blanked Shore 1-0, as she allowed just one hits and struck out 21.
Catalano fanned Shore leadoff hitter Ally Roma on three pitches to start the game, breaking the mark of 1,281 set by Freehold Boro's Ashley Forsyth last season.
Catcher Heather Bergman had three hits and left fielder Nicole Ruggiero homered to lead a nine-hit Highlanders' attack, and if GL can keep this offensive output going -- don't forget about the 10-0 win over Roselle Park in the quarters -- this could finally be the year the Highlanders go all the way, or at least win a sectional crown.
GL's win sets up Thursday's game with third-seeded Delaware Valley, which won a wild one with Matawan on Tuesday.
The Terriers had just one hit and trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh before three straight one-out singles loaded the bases. After a strikeout, Brittany Brown-Webster lined a 1-2 pitch the other way, down the right-field line for a two-run double to send Del Val to its first sectional final since 1997.
Michelle Jensen turned in a brilliant performance in the circle, allowing one unearned run and just two hits.
This is the kind of win Delaware Valley needed to restore its confidence. The Terriers struggled a bit down the stretch and looked terrible against Hunterdon Central in the HWT semifinals. If Del Val hopes to win a sectional crown, or more, these are the types of games they're going to have to win.
Governor Livingston will play host to Delaware Valley at 4 p.m. Thursday in Berkeley Heights.
Meanwhile, in North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV, top-seeded North Hunterdon edged fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 1-0, as Ali Freedman topped Lauren Fitzsimmons in a brilliant pitcher's duel.
Check out Jason Sherman's story in Wednesday's print and online editions of the Courier News for a complete review of the game.
Like Del Val, North also struggled down the stretch and did not look anywhere close to the team that won it all last year in Group IV. By beating Fitzsimmons, who is arguably the best pitcher in the Skyland Conference, it proved North still has what it takes to beat the best, especially a squad that had beaten it earlier this year. The Lions proved they've still got it, not only to their detractors, but to themselves.
North Hunterdon will play host to J.P. Stevens at 4 p.m. Thursday in Clinton Township, as the Lions continue their march toward repeating as state Group IV champions.
In North Jersey, Section 2, Group III, seventh-seeded South Plainfield blasted Mendham 14-1 in five innings to return to the sectional final for the first time since winning the state Group III crown in 2005.
The Tigers got two doubles each from Kelly Downes and Lauren Fry as the pair combined for five RBIs in the victory.
The offense is clicking, pitcher Jen Little is cruising, and the defense that has let South Plainfield down at times this season looks like it's gotten its stuff together. Could the Tigers be in for their third state group title in the past eight years? Stay tuned.
South Plainfield will travel to top-seeded JFK at 4 p.m. Thursday, setting up the fourth meeting of the season between the Tigers and Mustangs -- South Plainfield leads the season series 2-1.
Check out Wednesday's Courier News for a review of Tuesday's action, and make sure to pick up Thursday's edition for previews of all three sectional final games.
Meanwhile, the North Jersey Non-Public A Tournament semifinals are set as two locals got through Tuesday's quarterfinal action, while a third was eliminated.
Third-seeded Immaculata got a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to edge sixth-seeded Paramus Catholic 1-0.
Kaitlyn Piazzolla not only pitched another brilliant game, allowing no runs on two hits, walking none and striking out eight, but the junior delivered the game-winning hit, knocking in Kristen Titus, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the frame.
Senior catcher Jen Lapicki was right in the middle of the rally, as usual, providing a key hit in the eighth to move Titus into scoring position.
Immaculata will face second-seeded Mount St. Dominic at 4 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Mount St. Mary, meanwhile, blanked St. Dominick 4-0 behind senior right-hander Dani Accardi.
Accardi not only threw a three-hit shutout, but she delivered an RBI double in a three-run third inning for the Mount Lions. Alyssa D'Addio and Gina Capriglione also drove in runs in the frame.
MSM will face fourth-seeded Immaculate Heart in Thursday's semifinals.
Look for a preview of both North Non-Public A games here Thursday.
****
THE DEPARTED
In addition to Bridgewater-Raritan's loss to North Hunterdon and Union Catholic getting bounced by Mt St. Dom's 6-0 in North Non-Public A quarters, four other teams had their run through the state tourney halted Tuesday, including one that had a 17-game winning streak snapped.
No. 8 seed Hunterdon Central, which followed up a 6-6 start by winning 17 straight on its way to the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament championship and the Skyland Conference Delaware West Division title, fell to fourth-seeded Rancocas Valley 3-2 in eight innings of their Central Jersey Group IV contest. Jenna Carmon pitched well again for the Red Devils and did not allow an earned run.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood, which shocked Cranford in the quarterfinals, couldn't get past top-seeded JFK in North 2, Group III, falling to the Hawks 6-0.
In Central Jersey Group I, Middlesex fell to Florence 6-0, while Dunellen was edged by South Amboy 3-2.
****
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
South Plainfield topped JFK 1-0 in eight innings Saturday to advance to Monday's GMC final, where the Tigers fell to Monroe 5-1.
***
PROGRAMMING NOTE:
The Week 8 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast was recorded Tuesday night. Look for it to be posted sometime Wednesday afternoon at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Friday, May 25, 2007
THE COUGARS, CAPRI, AND THE GMC
Last fall, when Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney learned that I would be returning as a regular at the Courier News and resuming the softball beat after a two-year absence (I left toward the end of the 2004 season), he told me about the "Simeon Pincus curse." You see, during my absence, Montgomery won a state title and a county crown, after not winning anything since their days as a Group I school in 1999, my first year on the beat.
According to Rooney, now that I was back, he said he felt my presence would doom the Cougars, and after a loss to Hillsborough in the county semifinals, well, I thought twice about disputing his claim even though I'm sure he was kidding. But then Montgomery won the Skyland Delaware East with a victory over Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday in a big spot and I was ready to show Rooney that the Pincus Curse was all in his mind.
That was until the second-seeded Cougars got trounced by No. 7 seed East Brunswick 8-1 in Thursday's quarterfinals of the Central Jersey Group IV Tournament.
Perhaps Rooney is on to something.
I am amazed that Montgomery's postseason run ended so unceremoniously.
East Brunswick?
These aren't the same Bears that won state and sectional titles in the early 2000's. This is a squad that got blanked by 11th-seeded Sayreville last week in the GMC tourney as the No. 6 seed.
I guess I underestimated East Brunswick. Or did I overrate the Cougars?
We'll soon find out as East Brunswick faces Manalapan in the semifinals, while eighth-seeded Hunterdon Central, which, as predicted, handled top-seeded Old Bridge on Thursday, battles No. 5 seed Rancocas Valley in the other semi, which is certainly not where we thought the Red Devils would be a few weeks ago.
Speaking of correct predictions for a change, fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan trounced No. 4 Elizabeth 11-0 in six innings Thursday to advance to face top-seeded North Hunterdon in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV semifinals, a team the Panthers have already beaten once this season.
Look for a story on that game in next Wednesday's Courier News. If I can't get there, one of my colleagues definitely will.
Elsewhere, Governor Livingston and Delaware Valley both advanced to the CJ II semi, and could face off in the final. South Plainfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood, meanwhile, both moved on in the North 2 Group III tourney and would face each other in the final if they were to beat Mendham and JFK, respectively Tuesday.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood's victory over UCT champ Cranford on Thursday is the leader in the clubhouse for most impressive victory by a local team so far in the state tournament.
Union Catholic also advanced Thursday, topping Kent Place in the Non-Public A North Tournament, and will face Mount St. Dominic in Tuesday's quarterfinals.
After Bernards, Somerville and Hillsborough checked out in the first round, two more local teams joined Montgomery in leaving the perverbial building on Thursday, as Westfield fell to J.P. Stevens in North 2, Group IV -- a mild upset -- and New Providence was ousted by Matawan in CJ I, a bigger surprise.
CAPRI WATCH HITS ZERO
Governor Livingston senior right-hander Capri Catalano posted 11 strikeouts Thursday and tied Ashley Forsythe's state record of 1,231 career strikeouts as the Highlanders handled Roselle Park 10-0 in six innings in their CJ II quarterfinal.
Check out Friday's print edition of the Courier News for the story, or read it online
Also, make sure to check out Jerry Carino's column on Catalano in Friday's CN. It tells a very interesting and heart-warming tale about how she has overcome a handicap and a childhood disease that nearly killed her to become the most dominant pitcher in state history. Excellent work, as usual, by Jerry.
GMC TOURNAMENT: ONE LOCAL REMAINS
Fifth-seeded South Plainfield advanced to the GMCT semifinal Wednesday by knocking off No. 4 seed Old Bridge 8-4, and will face top-seeded JFK in the semis Saturday. The final is slated for Monday.
Eighth-seeded Dunellen, meanwhile, did not fare very well against JFK, losing 18-0 while getting no-hit.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The latest Bats and Balls podcast (Week 7, dated, May 22) is up at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Enjoy your holiday weekend!
According to Rooney, now that I was back, he said he felt my presence would doom the Cougars, and after a loss to Hillsborough in the county semifinals, well, I thought twice about disputing his claim even though I'm sure he was kidding. But then Montgomery won the Skyland Delaware East with a victory over Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday in a big spot and I was ready to show Rooney that the Pincus Curse was all in his mind.
That was until the second-seeded Cougars got trounced by No. 7 seed East Brunswick 8-1 in Thursday's quarterfinals of the Central Jersey Group IV Tournament.
Perhaps Rooney is on to something.
I am amazed that Montgomery's postseason run ended so unceremoniously.
East Brunswick?
These aren't the same Bears that won state and sectional titles in the early 2000's. This is a squad that got blanked by 11th-seeded Sayreville last week in the GMC tourney as the No. 6 seed.
I guess I underestimated East Brunswick. Or did I overrate the Cougars?
We'll soon find out as East Brunswick faces Manalapan in the semifinals, while eighth-seeded Hunterdon Central, which, as predicted, handled top-seeded Old Bridge on Thursday, battles No. 5 seed Rancocas Valley in the other semi, which is certainly not where we thought the Red Devils would be a few weeks ago.
Speaking of correct predictions for a change, fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan trounced No. 4 Elizabeth 11-0 in six innings Thursday to advance to face top-seeded North Hunterdon in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV semifinals, a team the Panthers have already beaten once this season.
Look for a story on that game in next Wednesday's Courier News. If I can't get there, one of my colleagues definitely will.
Elsewhere, Governor Livingston and Delaware Valley both advanced to the CJ II semi, and could face off in the final. South Plainfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood, meanwhile, both moved on in the North 2 Group III tourney and would face each other in the final if they were to beat Mendham and JFK, respectively Tuesday.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood's victory over UCT champ Cranford on Thursday is the leader in the clubhouse for most impressive victory by a local team so far in the state tournament.
Union Catholic also advanced Thursday, topping Kent Place in the Non-Public A North Tournament, and will face Mount St. Dominic in Tuesday's quarterfinals.
After Bernards, Somerville and Hillsborough checked out in the first round, two more local teams joined Montgomery in leaving the perverbial building on Thursday, as Westfield fell to J.P. Stevens in North 2, Group IV -- a mild upset -- and New Providence was ousted by Matawan in CJ I, a bigger surprise.
CAPRI WATCH HITS ZERO
Governor Livingston senior right-hander Capri Catalano posted 11 strikeouts Thursday and tied Ashley Forsythe's state record of 1,231 career strikeouts as the Highlanders handled Roselle Park 10-0 in six innings in their CJ II quarterfinal.
Check out Friday's print edition of the Courier News for the story, or read it online
Also, make sure to check out Jerry Carino's column on Catalano in Friday's CN. It tells a very interesting and heart-warming tale about how she has overcome a handicap and a childhood disease that nearly killed her to become the most dominant pitcher in state history. Excellent work, as usual, by Jerry.
GMC TOURNAMENT: ONE LOCAL REMAINS
Fifth-seeded South Plainfield advanced to the GMCT semifinal Wednesday by knocking off No. 4 seed Old Bridge 8-4, and will face top-seeded JFK in the semis Saturday. The final is slated for Monday.
Eighth-seeded Dunellen, meanwhile, did not fare very well against JFK, losing 18-0 while getting no-hit.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The latest Bats and Balls podcast (Week 7, dated, May 22) is up at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Here We Go!
We've had the build up, now for the payoff
The 2007 NJSIAA Softball Tournament is set to begin today with first-round games. And while most of our locals have a first-round bye, there are some quality games on tap for this afternoon.
The featured contest will be Hillsborough at Colts Neck at 3:45 p.m., as the Raiders look to build on their county tournament success and try to knock off the No. 6 seed.
For a complete look at the state tourney, check out last Thursday's blog, or listen to Week 7 of the Bats and Balls podcast, which was recorded Monday night.
The podcast should be up sometime Tuesday afternoon at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia.
Also included in the podcast is the latest, and hopefully final edition of Helmet-Gate.
Lastly, there are a couple of key regular-season contests coming up this week, including today's showdown between Montgomery and Bridgewater-Raritan, 3:45 p.m. at North Bridge Street Park.
Montgomery is currently one game up on the Panthers in the Skyland Delaware East after a 4-2 victory over Immaculata today, with each team having one other game remaining in conference (Bridgewater at Watchung Hills on Friday, and Montgomery vs. Hillsborough the same day).
The scenarios are simple:
If Montgomery wins, they clinch the conference.
If Bridgewater-Raritan wins, and both teams win or both teams lose their remaining conference game, there is a co-title since they will finish with the same conference record and will have split their head-to-head meetings.
If B-R wins, then beats Watchung Hills, AND Montgomery loses to Hillsborough, the Panthers win the title outright.
Elsewhere, North Hunterdon and Hunterdon Central are tied for first place in the Skyland Delaware West, and each team has two conference games left, including Friday against each other at North.
North Hunterdon will play Voorhees today, which should be an easy win, while Central has Warren Hills next Monday, which should be a Red Devils victory.
That means Friday's game is for all the marbles. Hunterdon Central, which has already beaten North this season, is trying to win its 20th straight conference crown. Yes. You read that right. TWENTIETH!
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
COMING IN WEDNESDAY'S COURIER NEWS: The weekly softball notebook we will take a look at what Governor Livingston needs to do to make a run in the state tournament, as well as an update on the Capri Watch and a roundup of the county tournaments. We'll also have a new Top 10, standings, and the latest Varsity Spotlight.
COMING THURSDAY/FRIDAY MORNING: Check back to The Inner Circle for an update on the state tournament. We'll be looking at the sectional semifinals, and we'll have a better idea of which teams truly will have a shot at a state title.
The 2007 NJSIAA Softball Tournament is set to begin today with first-round games. And while most of our locals have a first-round bye, there are some quality games on tap for this afternoon.
The featured contest will be Hillsborough at Colts Neck at 3:45 p.m., as the Raiders look to build on their county tournament success and try to knock off the No. 6 seed.
For a complete look at the state tourney, check out last Thursday's blog, or listen to Week 7 of the Bats and Balls podcast, which was recorded Monday night.
The podcast should be up sometime Tuesday afternoon at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia.
Also included in the podcast is the latest, and hopefully final edition of Helmet-Gate.
Lastly, there are a couple of key regular-season contests coming up this week, including today's showdown between Montgomery and Bridgewater-Raritan, 3:45 p.m. at North Bridge Street Park.
Montgomery is currently one game up on the Panthers in the Skyland Delaware East after a 4-2 victory over Immaculata today, with each team having one other game remaining in conference (Bridgewater at Watchung Hills on Friday, and Montgomery vs. Hillsborough the same day).
The scenarios are simple:
If Montgomery wins, they clinch the conference.
If Bridgewater-Raritan wins, and both teams win or both teams lose their remaining conference game, there is a co-title since they will finish with the same conference record and will have split their head-to-head meetings.
If B-R wins, then beats Watchung Hills, AND Montgomery loses to Hillsborough, the Panthers win the title outright.
Elsewhere, North Hunterdon and Hunterdon Central are tied for first place in the Skyland Delaware West, and each team has two conference games left, including Friday against each other at North.
North Hunterdon will play Voorhees today, which should be an easy win, while Central has Warren Hills next Monday, which should be a Red Devils victory.
That means Friday's game is for all the marbles. Hunterdon Central, which has already beaten North this season, is trying to win its 20th straight conference crown. Yes. You read that right. TWENTIETH!
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
COMING IN WEDNESDAY'S COURIER NEWS: The weekly softball notebook we will take a look at what Governor Livingston needs to do to make a run in the state tournament, as well as an update on the Capri Watch and a roundup of the county tournaments. We'll also have a new Top 10, standings, and the latest Varsity Spotlight.
COMING THURSDAY/FRIDAY MORNING: Check back to The Inner Circle for an update on the state tournament. We'll be looking at the sectional semifinals, and we'll have a better idea of which teams truly will have a shot at a state title.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
STATE TOURNAMENT SET
The 2007 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Softball Tournament brackets were released today and are available for viewing at http://www.njsiaa.org/.
Let's take a look at the brackets containing local teams, shall we?
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IV
The Favorite: Montgomery (No. 2 seed) - the Cougars are in for a tough game in the semifinals, but should cruise past whomever they face in the final.
The Darkhorse: Hunterdon Central (8) - The Red Devils got a No. 8 seed here, but remember, they began the season 6-6 and have since won 10 straight. If Central can get by Jackson in the first round, expect a win over top-seeded Old Bridge in the final.
The Sleeper: Hillsborough (11) - The Raiders proved last season that their seed was irrelevant, as they went to the final as a No. 8 seed. Hillsborough will not have an easy path, even in the first two rounds.
Outlook: I expect Hunterdon Central in the final, but there are several teams, including Manalapan, that could come out of the other side of the bracket. Hillsborough has shown it can play with anyone, including Montgomery, when the chips are down. This is Montgomery's first year as a Group IV school, so there could be some growing pains in this tournament.
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP II
The Favorite: Governor Livingston (1) - I'm going to pretend the Union County Tournament never happened. It's a simple equation for Governor Livingston: Score runs, win a state title.
The Darkhorse: Delaware Valley (3) - The 9-1 loss to Hunterdon Central in the Hunterdon/Warren semifinals last week seems to have knocked the Terriers for a loop. First, Del Val goes out and gets 10-runned by Mount St. Mary on Tuesday, and then barely beats North Warren on Thursday, 2-1. Now is not the time for a slump. If Del Val can focus, expect a trip to the final.
The Sleeper: Roselle Park (9) -- Roselle Park's been through the wars in Union County, and could have something to say if it can get past Governor Livingston in the quarterfinals.
Outlook: Barring an offensive drought of epic proportions, Governor Livingston should waltz into the final. Once there, there are several teams that could give the Highlanders a run, including New Providence. It's not looking like Somerville is going to get past the first round unless junior right-hander Lindsay Ciresa can find the plate, if she's even given the chance.
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I
The Favorite: Florence (1) - No mystery there.
The Darkhorse: Dunellen (2) - Should make the final.
The Sleeper: Middlesex (4) - Gonna take a miracle to beat Florence in the semis.
Outlook: Considering there are only four teams in the bracket, this shouldn't be too hard to analyze. Florence is the overwhelming favorite, while I expect Dunellen to win what has essentially become the GMC Gold championship game with South Amboy (the teams split their regular-season meetings and finished tied atop the division).
NORTH JERSEY GROUP IV
The Favorite: North Hunterdon (1) -- Hopefully, for the Lions, they won't take anyone too lightly in this tournament. North has the talent to repeat as state champions, but they're are a marked team and won't be sneaking up on anybody this time around.
The Darkhorse: Bridgewater-Raritan (5) -- The Panthers will 10-run Elizabeth in the quarterfinals, and if they manage to upset North Hunterdon in the semifinals, expect a Bridgewater-Raritan sectional title.
The Sleeper: Union (3) -- The Farmers have been a fickle bunch. Capable of beating a great team one day and losing to a mid-level team the next. Should they beat UCT runners-up Linden in the quarterfinals, a semi against Westfield would be very intersting as the Blue Devils dropped both regular-season meetings with Union, though they beat the Farmers in the UCT quarters.
Outlook: North Hunterdon is clearly the most talented of this group, though it has shown chinks in the armor. With Lauren Fizsimmons in the circle, Bridgewater-Raritan is capable of beating anyone if its firing on all cylinders. A Panthers/Lions semifinal would be, for all intents and purposes, the sectional championship game.
NORTH JERSEY GROUP III
The Favorite: Cranford (4) - The Cougars have shown they are a force to be reckoned with after their performance in winning the Union County title. When you consider Cranford beat Governor Livingston in the UCT semi, and lost in extra-innings to the Highlanders on opening day, and that GL blanked JFK 6-0 earlier this week, well, I don't see anyone stopping the Cougars on their side of the bracket.
The Darkhorse: J.F. Kennedy (1) - JFK was given the top seed in the GMC Tournament for a reason, though I don't see it getting past Cranford.
The Sleeper: South Plainfield (7) -- If South Plainfield's defense can make the plays behind Jen Little, and the Tigers can score some runs, Jen Little is a good enough pitcher to lead South Plainfield to the final.
Outlook: I see this section as Cranford's to lose. Scotch Plains-Fanwood is capable of the upset, but I think the Cougars are in the zone and should handle the Raiders. We're probably looking at Cranford against one of the Morris County teams in the final.
NORTH JERSEY GROUP II
The Favorite: Caldwell (2) - Expect a meeting with Jefferson in the semifinals.
The Darkhorse: West Essex (4) -- If West Essex can get out of the quarterfinals, expect an easy time in the semis.
The Sleeper: Jefferson (6) -- They're still Jefferson, despite the seed.
Outlook: I don't quite know what to make of this section except that Bernards figures to be one and done.
NORTH NON-PUBLIC A
The Favorite: Immaculata (3) -- The Somerset County champs have never won this section. I think this is the year.
The Darkhorse: Mount St. Dominic (2) -- MSD is always good. They're the only squad standing in Immaculata's way to a sectional final.
The Sleeper: Immaculate Heart (4) -- Considering Immaculata fell to Immaculate Heart in the sectional final all four years of Erica Bell's pitching career (1997-2000), I don't know if the Spartans' coach wants to see the Eagles in the final, or if the nightmares leading up to game day would be too much for her to handle.
Outlook: Top-seeded Mount St. Mary fattened up its record against the Raritan and Valley Divisions of the Skyland Conference, but the Mount Lions are not going to find any Manvilles or North Warrens here. Not that MSM isn't talented. With Dani Accardi in the circle and a solid lineup led by Alyssa D'Addio, the Mount Lions definitely have a shot. Union Catholic should cruise in its opening game with Kent Place, but I don't see the Vikings getting past Mount St. Dom's. Pingry could beat St. Dominic in its first-round game, but the Big Blue are not getting past Mount St. Mary. This is the strongest and deepest this section has been in years, but expect whomever wins a potential Mount St. Dom's/Immaculata matchup to win the section.
***
Check out next week's Bats and Balls podcast, which is scheduled to be recorded Monday night and posted Tuesday, for more analysis of the state tournament.
Let's take a look at the brackets containing local teams, shall we?
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IV
The Favorite: Montgomery (No. 2 seed) - the Cougars are in for a tough game in the semifinals, but should cruise past whomever they face in the final.
The Darkhorse: Hunterdon Central (8) - The Red Devils got a No. 8 seed here, but remember, they began the season 6-6 and have since won 10 straight. If Central can get by Jackson in the first round, expect a win over top-seeded Old Bridge in the final.
The Sleeper: Hillsborough (11) - The Raiders proved last season that their seed was irrelevant, as they went to the final as a No. 8 seed. Hillsborough will not have an easy path, even in the first two rounds.
Outlook: I expect Hunterdon Central in the final, but there are several teams, including Manalapan, that could come out of the other side of the bracket. Hillsborough has shown it can play with anyone, including Montgomery, when the chips are down. This is Montgomery's first year as a Group IV school, so there could be some growing pains in this tournament.
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP II
The Favorite: Governor Livingston (1) - I'm going to pretend the Union County Tournament never happened. It's a simple equation for Governor Livingston: Score runs, win a state title.
The Darkhorse: Delaware Valley (3) - The 9-1 loss to Hunterdon Central in the Hunterdon/Warren semifinals last week seems to have knocked the Terriers for a loop. First, Del Val goes out and gets 10-runned by Mount St. Mary on Tuesday, and then barely beats North Warren on Thursday, 2-1. Now is not the time for a slump. If Del Val can focus, expect a trip to the final.
The Sleeper: Roselle Park (9) -- Roselle Park's been through the wars in Union County, and could have something to say if it can get past Governor Livingston in the quarterfinals.
Outlook: Barring an offensive drought of epic proportions, Governor Livingston should waltz into the final. Once there, there are several teams that could give the Highlanders a run, including New Providence. It's not looking like Somerville is going to get past the first round unless junior right-hander Lindsay Ciresa can find the plate, if she's even given the chance.
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I
The Favorite: Florence (1) - No mystery there.
The Darkhorse: Dunellen (2) - Should make the final.
The Sleeper: Middlesex (4) - Gonna take a miracle to beat Florence in the semis.
Outlook: Considering there are only four teams in the bracket, this shouldn't be too hard to analyze. Florence is the overwhelming favorite, while I expect Dunellen to win what has essentially become the GMC Gold championship game with South Amboy (the teams split their regular-season meetings and finished tied atop the division).
NORTH JERSEY GROUP IV
The Favorite: North Hunterdon (1) -- Hopefully, for the Lions, they won't take anyone too lightly in this tournament. North has the talent to repeat as state champions, but they're are a marked team and won't be sneaking up on anybody this time around.
The Darkhorse: Bridgewater-Raritan (5) -- The Panthers will 10-run Elizabeth in the quarterfinals, and if they manage to upset North Hunterdon in the semifinals, expect a Bridgewater-Raritan sectional title.
The Sleeper: Union (3) -- The Farmers have been a fickle bunch. Capable of beating a great team one day and losing to a mid-level team the next. Should they beat UCT runners-up Linden in the quarterfinals, a semi against Westfield would be very intersting as the Blue Devils dropped both regular-season meetings with Union, though they beat the Farmers in the UCT quarters.
Outlook: North Hunterdon is clearly the most talented of this group, though it has shown chinks in the armor. With Lauren Fizsimmons in the circle, Bridgewater-Raritan is capable of beating anyone if its firing on all cylinders. A Panthers/Lions semifinal would be, for all intents and purposes, the sectional championship game.
NORTH JERSEY GROUP III
The Favorite: Cranford (4) - The Cougars have shown they are a force to be reckoned with after their performance in winning the Union County title. When you consider Cranford beat Governor Livingston in the UCT semi, and lost in extra-innings to the Highlanders on opening day, and that GL blanked JFK 6-0 earlier this week, well, I don't see anyone stopping the Cougars on their side of the bracket.
The Darkhorse: J.F. Kennedy (1) - JFK was given the top seed in the GMC Tournament for a reason, though I don't see it getting past Cranford.
The Sleeper: South Plainfield (7) -- If South Plainfield's defense can make the plays behind Jen Little, and the Tigers can score some runs, Jen Little is a good enough pitcher to lead South Plainfield to the final.
Outlook: I see this section as Cranford's to lose. Scotch Plains-Fanwood is capable of the upset, but I think the Cougars are in the zone and should handle the Raiders. We're probably looking at Cranford against one of the Morris County teams in the final.
NORTH JERSEY GROUP II
The Favorite: Caldwell (2) - Expect a meeting with Jefferson in the semifinals.
The Darkhorse: West Essex (4) -- If West Essex can get out of the quarterfinals, expect an easy time in the semis.
The Sleeper: Jefferson (6) -- They're still Jefferson, despite the seed.
Outlook: I don't quite know what to make of this section except that Bernards figures to be one and done.
NORTH NON-PUBLIC A
The Favorite: Immaculata (3) -- The Somerset County champs have never won this section. I think this is the year.
The Darkhorse: Mount St. Dominic (2) -- MSD is always good. They're the only squad standing in Immaculata's way to a sectional final.
The Sleeper: Immaculate Heart (4) -- Considering Immaculata fell to Immaculate Heart in the sectional final all four years of Erica Bell's pitching career (1997-2000), I don't know if the Spartans' coach wants to see the Eagles in the final, or if the nightmares leading up to game day would be too much for her to handle.
Outlook: Top-seeded Mount St. Mary fattened up its record against the Raritan and Valley Divisions of the Skyland Conference, but the Mount Lions are not going to find any Manvilles or North Warrens here. Not that MSM isn't talented. With Dani Accardi in the circle and a solid lineup led by Alyssa D'Addio, the Mount Lions definitely have a shot. Union Catholic should cruise in its opening game with Kent Place, but I don't see the Vikings getting past Mount St. Dom's. Pingry could beat St. Dominic in its first-round game, but the Big Blue are not getting past Mount St. Mary. This is the strongest and deepest this section has been in years, but expect whomever wins a potential Mount St. Dom's/Immaculata matchup to win the section.
***
Check out next week's Bats and Balls podcast, which is scheduled to be recorded Monday night and posted Tuesday, for more analysis of the state tournament.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Rain Delay Edition
With the rain pretty much washing out today's slate, it's a good time to look back at some of the headline results of the week so far.
The week's shocker, and we talked about this on the podcast, was in the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament semifinals Monday when top-seeded and defending champ North Hunterdon fell victim to seven errors in an 8-3 loss to fourth-seeded Warren Hills -- just another in a long line of games I've picked wrong in the county tournaments, as I had North going all the way.
What compounded my frustration, as well as those of the Lions, North Hunterdon came back Tuesday with an 8-1 victory over the Blue Streaks, begging the question: Did North take Warren Hills too lightly, perhaps looking past the Streaks toward a potential championship game rematch with Hunterdon Central?
Lesson learned, I hope, with the state tournament set to get started next week.
Another interesting result from Monday was Governor Livingston's 6-0 victory over J.F. Kennedy, which was given the top seed in the GMC Tournament earlier in the day.
The Highlanders' win suggests two things: 1. Union County is stronger the Middlesex County this year; 2. GL's loss to Cranford in the UCT quarterfinals was an aberration.
Look for the Highlanders to get a top seed in the CJ II Tournament and challenge for the sectional title.
Finally, Hillsborough earned a measure of revenge against Immaculata on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory as righty Megan McInaw's two-run homer and strong pitching keyed the Raiders win.
Sure, it's a small consolation for Hillsborough after Saturday's 1-0 loss in the Somerset County Tournament final, but if the Raiders are looking to play spoiler in the race for the Skyland Conference Delaware East title, they bit a huge chunk out of the Spartans' hopes with Tuesday's win.
Immaculata now sits three games behind Montgomery and two behind Bridgewater-Raritan with four conference games left. A long shot, to say the least.
NOTES: Congratulations to Rutgers Prep, which beat Pennington on Tuesday for the Prep B Tournament championship. For the Argos last, who won the title in 2005, this is their third Prep B championship in their history.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Check back here Thursday for a break down of the NJSIAA Tournament, as the brackets are due for release.
The week's shocker, and we talked about this on the podcast, was in the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament semifinals Monday when top-seeded and defending champ North Hunterdon fell victim to seven errors in an 8-3 loss to fourth-seeded Warren Hills -- just another in a long line of games I've picked wrong in the county tournaments, as I had North going all the way.
What compounded my frustration, as well as those of the Lions, North Hunterdon came back Tuesday with an 8-1 victory over the Blue Streaks, begging the question: Did North take Warren Hills too lightly, perhaps looking past the Streaks toward a potential championship game rematch with Hunterdon Central?
Lesson learned, I hope, with the state tournament set to get started next week.
Another interesting result from Monday was Governor Livingston's 6-0 victory over J.F. Kennedy, which was given the top seed in the GMC Tournament earlier in the day.
The Highlanders' win suggests two things: 1. Union County is stronger the Middlesex County this year; 2. GL's loss to Cranford in the UCT quarterfinals was an aberration.
Look for the Highlanders to get a top seed in the CJ II Tournament and challenge for the sectional title.
Finally, Hillsborough earned a measure of revenge against Immaculata on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory as righty Megan McInaw's two-run homer and strong pitching keyed the Raiders win.
Sure, it's a small consolation for Hillsborough after Saturday's 1-0 loss in the Somerset County Tournament final, but if the Raiders are looking to play spoiler in the race for the Skyland Conference Delaware East title, they bit a huge chunk out of the Spartans' hopes with Tuesday's win.
Immaculata now sits three games behind Montgomery and two behind Bridgewater-Raritan with four conference games left. A long shot, to say the least.
NOTES: Congratulations to Rutgers Prep, which beat Pennington on Tuesday for the Prep B Tournament championship. For the Argos last, who won the title in 2005, this is their third Prep B championship in their history.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Check back here Thursday for a break down of the NJSIAA Tournament, as the brackets are due for release.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Podcast is Up
The Week 6 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast is up for your listening pleasure, with a special guest appearance.
Check it out at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm
Check it out at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm
Monday, May 14, 2007
HELMET-GATE '07 UPDATE: Carino speaks
Courier News staff writer Jerry Carino, who originally bought Helmet-Gate to our attention, reponded today to the question of which fans -- Immaculata's or Hillsborough's -- were jeering Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney during last Wednesday's Somerset County Tournament semifinal at North Branch Park.
Here's Jerry's latest statement:
"I would like the record to show that an OBJECTIVE reporter from another newspaper and a tournament official both have verified that Hillsborough fans taunted Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney as he tried to fix a clearly broken catcher's mask for 10 never-ending minutes in last week's semifinal. However, upon further review I will clarify that it most likely was a MIX of Immaculata and Hillsborough fans who engaged in this poor show of sportsmanship.
I have covered Rooney's team several times over the past four years, including the Cougars' entire run to the Group III title in 2004, and it's true that he makes more trips to the diamond than your average coach -- some strategic, some in the name of gamesmanship.
However, I've been covering high school sports long enough to know poor sportsmanship when I see it, and I saw it in spades at that semifnal. The majority of adults who sat in the bleacher behind home plate that night -- wherever they were from -- should be ashamed of themselves. End of story. "
The saga continues....
Here's Jerry's latest statement:
"I would like the record to show that an OBJECTIVE reporter from another newspaper and a tournament official both have verified that Hillsborough fans taunted Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney as he tried to fix a clearly broken catcher's mask for 10 never-ending minutes in last week's semifinal. However, upon further review I will clarify that it most likely was a MIX of Immaculata and Hillsborough fans who engaged in this poor show of sportsmanship.
I have covered Rooney's team several times over the past four years, including the Cougars' entire run to the Group III title in 2004, and it's true that he makes more trips to the diamond than your average coach -- some strategic, some in the name of gamesmanship.
However, I've been covering high school sports long enough to know poor sportsmanship when I see it, and I saw it in spades at that semifnal. The majority of adults who sat in the bleacher behind home plate that night -- wherever they were from -- should be ashamed of themselves. End of story. "
The saga continues....
GMCT Bracket Set
The Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament was seeded Monday morning, and J.F. Kennedy received the top spot.
Locally, South Plainfield is the No. 5 seed, Dunellen No. 8, Middlesex No. 16, and Piscataway No. 21.
The top seven seeded will have byes in Wednesday's first round, with the Sweet 16 scheduled for Saturday at South Plainfield.
The quarterfinals will be Wednesday, May 23, the semis on Saturday, May 26, and final on Memorial Day, Monday May 28.
Here are the matchups and seeds:
17-Metuchen at 16-Middlesex, winner plays 1-JFK; 24-Cardinal McCarrick at 9-South Amboy; 25-New Brunswick at 8-Dunellen; 21-Piscataway at 12-J.P. Stevens, winner at 5-South Plainfield; 13-Woodbridge at 20-South River, winner at 4-Old Bridge; 14-Carteret at 19-South Brunswick, winner at 3-Monroe; 22-Perth Amboy at 11-Sayreville, winner at 6-East Brunswick; 23-Mother Seton at 10-Edison, winner at 7-Colonia; 18-North Brunswick at 15-Spotswood, winner at 2-Bishop Ahr.
Locally, South Plainfield is the No. 5 seed, Dunellen No. 8, Middlesex No. 16, and Piscataway No. 21.
The top seven seeded will have byes in Wednesday's first round, with the Sweet 16 scheduled for Saturday at South Plainfield.
The quarterfinals will be Wednesday, May 23, the semis on Saturday, May 26, and final on Memorial Day, Monday May 28.
Here are the matchups and seeds:
17-Metuchen at 16-Middlesex, winner plays 1-JFK; 24-Cardinal McCarrick at 9-South Amboy; 25-New Brunswick at 8-Dunellen; 21-Piscataway at 12-J.P. Stevens, winner at 5-South Plainfield; 13-Woodbridge at 20-South River, winner at 4-Old Bridge; 14-Carteret at 19-South Brunswick, winner at 3-Monroe; 22-Perth Amboy at 11-Sayreville, winner at 6-East Brunswick; 23-Mother Seton at 10-Edison, winner at 7-Colonia; 18-North Brunswick at 15-Spotswood, winner at 2-Bishop Ahr.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Immaculata squeezes past Hillsborough for SCT crown
The 2007 Somerset County Tournament final was as advertised: Another classic.
The Immaculata and Hillsborough High School softball teams both played an excellent game, and not only did I finally pick a game right, but it came down to what I expected, a big play late in the game.
Due to the Courier News’ ridiculously early Saturday-night deadline, all we were able to get in the paper was a box score. So here’s what you need to know, for those of you who might have missed it.
It was another in a long line of what has become this tournament’s staple: A great pitching duel by two outstanding hurlers, and it’s a pity one of them had to lose.
Immaculata junior right-hander Kaitlyn Piazzolla and Hillsborough junior righty Megan McInaw battled their hearts out, as they both turned in masterful performances at North Branch Park.
The game was decided in the bottom of the seventh inning as Immaculata senior catcher Jen Lapicki scored the winning run in a 1-0 game on a suicide squeeze by senior second baseman Jenna George with one out.
Not only was it a great job by George, as well as Piazzolla who bunted Lapicki to third base after a lead-off double, to get those bunts down, but you gotta give Immaculata rookie coach Erica Bell a ton of credit for making a gutsy call in the biggest of spots.
“I did not have any doubt,” Bell said. “We practiced bunting for so long, and I kept telling them, ‘it’s going to come down to a game where you’re going to need a bunt,’ and this was the game and it was perfectly placed. I said, ‘whatever you do, just put it on the ground.’ She (Lapicki) was going the whole way and it was perfect. I couldn’t have planned it any better.”
Lapicki, who had been held in check by McInaw through the first six innings, led off with a double to left field, as the ball, which was a sinking liner, couldn’t be caught or played on one hop by Hillsborough’s Lauren Singer and went past her and to the fence
McInaw, who had held Lapicki to two weak pop ups in her first two at bats, tried the same approach in her seventh-inning at bat, but this time Lapicki was ready.
“I knew she was coming inside the first ones because of my first couple of bats, and the last one was a little bit over and I just went with it,” said Lapicki, who also admitted she was looking to jack one out of the park if she got the right pitch. “I just wanted a line-drive base hit and let everyone else do their job. I was rounding first and I saw it go by so I just took off.”
“She knew and I knew where they were going to pitch her,” Bell said. “It wasn’t going to be a surprise. I thought they were either going to pitch around her, or they were going to jam her inside. She knew that going up (in the seventh inning) and I think she was smarter this time by getting her hands around. The first two at bats she was just over anxious and Megan (McInaw) did any awesome job by jamming her.”
With Lapicki on second, Piazzolla did a fantastic job sacrificing Lapicki to third as McInaw tried to stay away from the junior. That bought up George, who dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt toward first base on the first pitch she saw. By the time McInaw fielded it and got it to catcher Margaret Gilroy, Lapicki slid across the plate with the game-winning run.
“I was looking for the first pitch, squeeze it or foul it off so I don’t get Jen caught in a run-down and get her out,” George said. “(The pitch) was outside, it was actually a perfect pitch to bunt to first base. The crowd went crazy. It was an adrenaline rush. It was awesome. I waited four years for this.”
McInaw allowed the one run on three hits, she walked none and struck out 12, while Piazzolla earned her seventh victory with a two-hit shutout, two walks and nine strikeouts.
Hillsborough’s golden chance came in the fourth inning as second baseman Courtney Fedor reached on a swinging-bunt single with one out. McInaw followed, and after falling behind in the count 1-2, took advantage of a pitch that stayed over the plate and hit a bullet off the left-field fence for double, putting runners on second and third.
Piazzolla, who jammed her middle finger on her pitching hand while catching in Thursday’s game against Voorhees, admitted that she was having trouble with her breaking pitches. She acknowledged she was being carefull with McInaw, who hit what proved to be a game-winning homer against Mount St. Mary in last week’s quarterfinals, and the junior crushed it.
They were the only two hits Piazzolla would allow, as she stepped up and truly showed her grit. She fanned shortstop Tara Van Doren on a 1-2 fastball away, and struck out third baseman Katie Yard swinging at three pitches to escape the jam, with the deciding offering hitting the exact spot off the outside corner she was aiming for against McInaw.
“It didn’t bother me. I’ve been in situations like that before. I’m used to it,” Piazzolla said. “I know have a great infield and outfield behind me. I have a great catcher, and I knew we could get them out.
“She’s not going to give up,” said Bell of her ace. “She (McInaw) hit a rope, and I had confidence that she’s going to get the next batter out, and she has confidence. I think that’s the difference between some pitchers. She doesn’t get rattled easily, at all. And I think it shows with the other players, too. The players react to her. They know that she’s ready to play and I think they stepped up their game because of it.”
As for her injured finger, though it did affect her at times, for the most part she was able to ignore it and she turned in the crowning pitching performance of her varsity career.
“Once I started going in the game, I didn’t feel it anymore. I was too pumped to really recognize it. A couple of times it did sting, but I just shook it off. I knew I had to do what I had to do.”
The victory marked Immaculata’s first championship crown since 2000 – which, ironically featured the same final score. The game, actually, was very reminiscent of the 2000 championship over Watchung Hills, and not just because Erica Bell was on the field.
In the 2000 final, which was also played in damp weather, featured a classic pitcher’s duel between Bell, who was a senior for Immaculata, and Watchung Hills senior righty Kacey Stewart.
In that game, which was decided by a couple of first-inning errors, Bell turned in one of the most memorable performances of her brilliant varsity career She allowed one hit, no walks and struck out eight against a fierce Watchung Hills lineup, while Stewart was equal to the task, allowing three hits, no walks, and fanning nine.
Anyway, let’s get back to the present, shall we? The important thing is I finally picked one right in the tournament!
HILLSBOROUGH (9-9) 000-000-0—0-2-1
IMMACULATA (10-3) 000-000-1—1-3-1
2B: H—McInaw; I—Lapicki; WP: Piazzolla (7-3); LP—McInaw (6-9).
****
NOTE: Unfortunately, the Hillsborough contingent had departed the field before I had a chance to interview coach Cheryl Iaione or any of the Raiders players. Look for a more in-depth review of Hillsborough’s sterling performance in Wednesday’s softball notebook in the online and print editions of the Courier News, as well as the Week 6 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast, which is scheduled to be recorded Monday night and should be posted at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia some time Tuesday.
***
ON THE ‘HELMET GATE’ FRONT: Immaculata coach Erica Bell confirmed Saturday that her Montgomery counterpart, Johnny Rooney, did, indeed, delay Tuesday’s game between the Spartans and Cougars in the middle of an Immaculata rally to fix catcher Tara Bucci’s helmet.
Is it possible the two incidents were purely coincidental in that the helmet needed repair during the opposition’s rally? Absolutely. Is it possible it was just gamesmanship? Sure.
I will ask Rooney about it as soon as I get the chance, but it doesn’t excuse adults from behaving like children at a high school softball game.
I’m still trying to get a definitive answer as to which team’s fans were began the jeering in the stands Wednesday night.
Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione told me Hillsborough fans were not involved, that it was actually Immaculata supporters that began chiding Rooney during the delay Wednesday. I have talked to several people who were in attendance and are unaffiliated with Montgomery, Immaculata or Hillsborough, and I have gotten conflicting accounts.
It is possible it was a joint-effort by the Immaculata and Hillsborough faithful, in which case it really doesn’t matter who started it (I agree with Jerry Carino – adults should know better). I will continue to investigate.
More on ‘Helmet Gate’ to come.
***
ELSEWHERE: My personal prognosticating hell continued Friday night as I swung and missed on my predictions of the semifinals of the Union County Tournament, which did not end well for our local teams.
Both second-seeded Westfield and fifth-seeded New Providence were upset Friday night at Memorial Field, with New Prov falling to Cranford 5-0 – the Pioneers’ first loss of the season – while Westfield was edged by Linden 4-3. I had predicted victories for both local squads.
Luckily, for me and my ego, Hunterdon Central bailed me out of my funk by, as predicted, taking care of business against Delaware Valley on Saturday morning in the Hunterdon/Warren semifinals.
The Red Devils scored an impressive 9-1 victory to advance to next Saturday’s championship game against the winner of Monday’s game between North Hunterdon and Warren Hills.
I made it a perfect 2-for-2 Saturday night with Immaculata’s win over Hillsborough.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and a very happy Mothers Day to all you moms out there.
The Immaculata and Hillsborough High School softball teams both played an excellent game, and not only did I finally pick a game right, but it came down to what I expected, a big play late in the game.
Due to the Courier News’ ridiculously early Saturday-night deadline, all we were able to get in the paper was a box score. So here’s what you need to know, for those of you who might have missed it.
It was another in a long line of what has become this tournament’s staple: A great pitching duel by two outstanding hurlers, and it’s a pity one of them had to lose.
Immaculata junior right-hander Kaitlyn Piazzolla and Hillsborough junior righty Megan McInaw battled their hearts out, as they both turned in masterful performances at North Branch Park.
The game was decided in the bottom of the seventh inning as Immaculata senior catcher Jen Lapicki scored the winning run in a 1-0 game on a suicide squeeze by senior second baseman Jenna George with one out.
Not only was it a great job by George, as well as Piazzolla who bunted Lapicki to third base after a lead-off double, to get those bunts down, but you gotta give Immaculata rookie coach Erica Bell a ton of credit for making a gutsy call in the biggest of spots.
“I did not have any doubt,” Bell said. “We practiced bunting for so long, and I kept telling them, ‘it’s going to come down to a game where you’re going to need a bunt,’ and this was the game and it was perfectly placed. I said, ‘whatever you do, just put it on the ground.’ She (Lapicki) was going the whole way and it was perfect. I couldn’t have planned it any better.”
Lapicki, who had been held in check by McInaw through the first six innings, led off with a double to left field, as the ball, which was a sinking liner, couldn’t be caught or played on one hop by Hillsborough’s Lauren Singer and went past her and to the fence
McInaw, who had held Lapicki to two weak pop ups in her first two at bats, tried the same approach in her seventh-inning at bat, but this time Lapicki was ready.
“I knew she was coming inside the first ones because of my first couple of bats, and the last one was a little bit over and I just went with it,” said Lapicki, who also admitted she was looking to jack one out of the park if she got the right pitch. “I just wanted a line-drive base hit and let everyone else do their job. I was rounding first and I saw it go by so I just took off.”
“She knew and I knew where they were going to pitch her,” Bell said. “It wasn’t going to be a surprise. I thought they were either going to pitch around her, or they were going to jam her inside. She knew that going up (in the seventh inning) and I think she was smarter this time by getting her hands around. The first two at bats she was just over anxious and Megan (McInaw) did any awesome job by jamming her.”
With Lapicki on second, Piazzolla did a fantastic job sacrificing Lapicki to third as McInaw tried to stay away from the junior. That bought up George, who dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt toward first base on the first pitch she saw. By the time McInaw fielded it and got it to catcher Margaret Gilroy, Lapicki slid across the plate with the game-winning run.
“I was looking for the first pitch, squeeze it or foul it off so I don’t get Jen caught in a run-down and get her out,” George said. “(The pitch) was outside, it was actually a perfect pitch to bunt to first base. The crowd went crazy. It was an adrenaline rush. It was awesome. I waited four years for this.”
McInaw allowed the one run on three hits, she walked none and struck out 12, while Piazzolla earned her seventh victory with a two-hit shutout, two walks and nine strikeouts.
Hillsborough’s golden chance came in the fourth inning as second baseman Courtney Fedor reached on a swinging-bunt single with one out. McInaw followed, and after falling behind in the count 1-2, took advantage of a pitch that stayed over the plate and hit a bullet off the left-field fence for double, putting runners on second and third.
Piazzolla, who jammed her middle finger on her pitching hand while catching in Thursday’s game against Voorhees, admitted that she was having trouble with her breaking pitches. She acknowledged she was being carefull with McInaw, who hit what proved to be a game-winning homer against Mount St. Mary in last week’s quarterfinals, and the junior crushed it.
They were the only two hits Piazzolla would allow, as she stepped up and truly showed her grit. She fanned shortstop Tara Van Doren on a 1-2 fastball away, and struck out third baseman Katie Yard swinging at three pitches to escape the jam, with the deciding offering hitting the exact spot off the outside corner she was aiming for against McInaw.
“It didn’t bother me. I’ve been in situations like that before. I’m used to it,” Piazzolla said. “I know have a great infield and outfield behind me. I have a great catcher, and I knew we could get them out.
“She’s not going to give up,” said Bell of her ace. “She (McInaw) hit a rope, and I had confidence that she’s going to get the next batter out, and she has confidence. I think that’s the difference between some pitchers. She doesn’t get rattled easily, at all. And I think it shows with the other players, too. The players react to her. They know that she’s ready to play and I think they stepped up their game because of it.”
As for her injured finger, though it did affect her at times, for the most part she was able to ignore it and she turned in the crowning pitching performance of her varsity career.
“Once I started going in the game, I didn’t feel it anymore. I was too pumped to really recognize it. A couple of times it did sting, but I just shook it off. I knew I had to do what I had to do.”
The victory marked Immaculata’s first championship crown since 2000 – which, ironically featured the same final score. The game, actually, was very reminiscent of the 2000 championship over Watchung Hills, and not just because Erica Bell was on the field.
In the 2000 final, which was also played in damp weather, featured a classic pitcher’s duel between Bell, who was a senior for Immaculata, and Watchung Hills senior righty Kacey Stewart.
In that game, which was decided by a couple of first-inning errors, Bell turned in one of the most memorable performances of her brilliant varsity career She allowed one hit, no walks and struck out eight against a fierce Watchung Hills lineup, while Stewart was equal to the task, allowing three hits, no walks, and fanning nine.
Anyway, let’s get back to the present, shall we? The important thing is I finally picked one right in the tournament!
HILLSBOROUGH (9-9) 000-000-0—0-2-1
IMMACULATA (10-3) 000-000-1—1-3-1
2B: H—McInaw; I—Lapicki; WP: Piazzolla (7-3); LP—McInaw (6-9).
****
NOTE: Unfortunately, the Hillsborough contingent had departed the field before I had a chance to interview coach Cheryl Iaione or any of the Raiders players. Look for a more in-depth review of Hillsborough’s sterling performance in Wednesday’s softball notebook in the online and print editions of the Courier News, as well as the Week 6 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast, which is scheduled to be recorded Monday night and should be posted at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia some time Tuesday.
***
ON THE ‘HELMET GATE’ FRONT: Immaculata coach Erica Bell confirmed Saturday that her Montgomery counterpart, Johnny Rooney, did, indeed, delay Tuesday’s game between the Spartans and Cougars in the middle of an Immaculata rally to fix catcher Tara Bucci’s helmet.
Is it possible the two incidents were purely coincidental in that the helmet needed repair during the opposition’s rally? Absolutely. Is it possible it was just gamesmanship? Sure.
I will ask Rooney about it as soon as I get the chance, but it doesn’t excuse adults from behaving like children at a high school softball game.
I’m still trying to get a definitive answer as to which team’s fans were began the jeering in the stands Wednesday night.
Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione told me Hillsborough fans were not involved, that it was actually Immaculata supporters that began chiding Rooney during the delay Wednesday. I have talked to several people who were in attendance and are unaffiliated with Montgomery, Immaculata or Hillsborough, and I have gotten conflicting accounts.
It is possible it was a joint-effort by the Immaculata and Hillsborough faithful, in which case it really doesn’t matter who started it (I agree with Jerry Carino – adults should know better). I will continue to investigate.
More on ‘Helmet Gate’ to come.
***
ELSEWHERE: My personal prognosticating hell continued Friday night as I swung and missed on my predictions of the semifinals of the Union County Tournament, which did not end well for our local teams.
Both second-seeded Westfield and fifth-seeded New Providence were upset Friday night at Memorial Field, with New Prov falling to Cranford 5-0 – the Pioneers’ first loss of the season – while Westfield was edged by Linden 4-3. I had predicted victories for both local squads.
Luckily, for me and my ego, Hunterdon Central bailed me out of my funk by, as predicted, taking care of business against Delaware Valley on Saturday morning in the Hunterdon/Warren semifinals.
The Red Devils scored an impressive 9-1 victory to advance to next Saturday’s championship game against the winner of Monday’s game between North Hunterdon and Warren Hills.
I made it a perfect 2-for-2 Saturday night with Immaculata’s win over Hillsborough.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and a very happy Mothers Day to all you moms out there.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Somerset County Tournament final preview
THE MATCHUP
Fourth-seeded Hillsborough Raiders (9-8) vs. second-seeded Immaculata Spartans (10-3)
WHEN/WHERE
First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at North Branch Park in Bridgewater.
DIRECTIONS
Take Route 202 South to Milltown Rd. (just past 4-H overpass). Make a right, and the field is about ¼ mile down on your left.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Hillsborough rallied past top-seeded Montgomery 6-5 in the semifinals, and beat No. 5 Mount St. Mary 2-1 in the quarters.
Immaculata rallied past third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 5-2 in the semifinals, and beat No. 10 Rutgers Prep 5-0 in the quarters.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Hillsborough is playing in its sixth straight final, a run that included three consecutive titles from 2002-2005. Overall, Hillsborough will be playing in its 12th final in the tournament’s 33-year history, and is looking for its sixth championship (1974, 1975, 2003, 2004, 2005).
Immaculata is making its first final appearance since 2000 when it was winning its second championship in a row behind right-hander Erica Bell, who is now the Spartans’ coach. Immaculata is making its ninth overall appearance in the final, and is vying for its seventh championship (1977, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2000).
PITCHING MATCHUP
Hillsborough: Megan McInaw (6-8), junior right-hander
Immaculata: Kaitlyn Piazzolla (6-3), junior right-hander
OFFENSIVE PLAYER WHO COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Hillsborough: Katie Yard, senior, third base
Immaculata: Jen Lapicki, senior, catcher
COACHES
Hillsborough: Cheryl Iaione (12th season)
Immaculata: Erica Bell and Bob Gillespie (first seasons)
HILLSBOROUGH REPORT
After losing seven regulars to graduation, the Raiders have struggled at times in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division East. The lowlight for the Raiders came last Thursday with a 9-1 loss to Hunterdon Central, prompting Iaione to challenge her team to play to its ability or defer their spot in the lineup to someone who will. McInaw has not only been pitching lights out, but she has delivered several clutch hits for Hillsborough over the past few games, including a two-run homer in the first inning against Mount St. Mary in last Saturday’s quarterfinals to account for all the Raiders’ runs. Katelyn Derewecki, Courtney Fedor and Katie Yard are also at the heart of the Raiders’ offensive attack, which must produce in key situations. Hillsborough is undefeated in games where it’s scored two runs or more this season, but the Raiders are winless in games where they score one run or less. Center fielder Caitlin Katzelnick and freshman catcher Margaret Gilroy were key, defensively, in Hillsborough’s victory over Montgomery in the semifinals, and Hillsborough must continue to play good defense and avoid mistakes if it is to have a chance here.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO WIN:
“Score some runs. I think both pitchers, if they’re on tomorrow night, you’re not going to see eight or 10 hits per team. You’re might see three. Whoever takes advantage and capitalizes on that is going to win the game. Good pitching silences goods hitting.”
-- Cheryl Iaione
IMMACULATA REPORT
Immaculata won the regular-season meeting between these teams, 1-0 on April 10. Piazzolla tossed a two-hitter and struck out 12, while Lapicki drove in the only run with a sixth-inning single (the teams are scheduled to play again Tuesday in a regular-season game). With Piazzolla in the circle, Immaculata doesn’t have to worry about having to score too many runs, as long as the defense plays its game, but the Spartans cannot expect to win if they’re held to just one or two. Immaculata has experienced offensive trickles at times this year, surprising, considering they have, arguably, the best hitter in the county in Lapicki, as well as Piazzolla and some other solid bats all over the lineup. Immaculata will get a huge boost tonight with the return of Caitlin Bay to the starting lineup, leading off and playing center field. Bay, who was the starting shortstop last season, broke her pinky in the preseason and hadn’t played at all this year until she pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh inning in Wednesday night’s semifinals. Though Bay was retired, Bell believes her presence was the catalyst that sparked the Spartans’ rally. McInaw held Immaculata to one run in their last meeting, and the Hillsborough right-hander has been pitching her best softball of the season of late. The Spartans must get to her for at least a couple, preferably early, if they are to take home the trophy. If Lapicki, especially, can hit like she did against Bridgewater-Raritan in the semis, Immaculata should be fine.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO WIN:
“Hit. My No. 9, No. 1 and No. 2 (hitters) have to get on base for Piazzolla and Lapicki. We have to stay focused, defensively. I have a lot of young kids in the field. They told me they got their nerves out Wednesday night (in the semis), so let’s hope they’re right.”
– Erica Bell
OUTLOOK
My analysis of this tournament, especially when it’s come to Hillsborough, has been way off in the latter rounds, so far. But, for the record, I’ll make another prediction here.
I expect Piazzolla and McInaw both to pitch excellent games – this game has had some classic pitching performances over the years – and the winner is going to be decided by a clutch hit or a mistake late in the contest.
I give Piazzolla a slight edge over McInaw both in the circle and at the plate, and with Lapicki’s bat in the Immaculata lineup; you’ve got to give the Spartans the nod offensively, especially if Bay is near 100 percent. The key for Hillsborough, at the plate, will be Katie Yard, who has yet to break out big in this tournament. If she can provide some firepower, this could be Hillsborough’s day. Defensively, I will give Hillsborough the edge.
PREDICTION
Immaculata 2-0... but hey, what do I know?
*****
NOTES: In the interest of telling both sides to the story, I spoke with Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione on Friday and she wanted to set the record straight in response to Thursday's guest blog by Jerry Carino concerning some of the extra-curricular activity that went on during the Montgomery-Hillsborough semifinal Wednesday night.
Jerry wrote:
"It was exciting because of the sheer intensity and emotion of the rivalry, which has to be Top 5 in all sports in the Courier News area. There is bad blood here and you could feel it. At times the intensity spilled over into poor sportsmanship.
One instance was when Montgomery catcher Tara Bucci's mask broke while Hillsborough was starting to mount a rally, and it took Rooney almost 10 minutes to fix it. Hillsborough fans were jeering him, accusing him of stall tactics -- I was sitting four feet from home plate and the mask was BROKEN, people.
When Rooney finally did fix it he got a Bronx cheer, to which the coach tipped his cap as he walked to the dugout.A couple of Hillsborough's adult fans were really obnoxious, riding the players on both sides, Rooney, the umpires, everybody but the park rangers. Boorish behavior and a poor example -- adults should know better.
According to what Cheryl told me, it was not the Hillsborough fans that were acting obnoxious Wednesday night, but some of the remaining fans of Immaculata, who stayed to watch the second game after the Spartans had topped Bridgewater in the opener.
Cheryl said Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney had delayed action to fix his catcher's helmet the previous day when Montgomery and Immaculata played, and those fans felt that he was doing it again Wednesday to try and break up Hillsborough's momentum.
I plan to ask Rooney about the delay(s), and confirm whether or not he had indeed spent time fixing Bucci's mask during the Immaculata game, as well as which school's fans he thought was riding him Wednesday.
More on this as it becomes available.
Fourth-seeded Hillsborough Raiders (9-8) vs. second-seeded Immaculata Spartans (10-3)
WHEN/WHERE
First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at North Branch Park in Bridgewater.
DIRECTIONS
Take Route 202 South to Milltown Rd. (just past 4-H overpass). Make a right, and the field is about ¼ mile down on your left.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Hillsborough rallied past top-seeded Montgomery 6-5 in the semifinals, and beat No. 5 Mount St. Mary 2-1 in the quarters.
Immaculata rallied past third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 5-2 in the semifinals, and beat No. 10 Rutgers Prep 5-0 in the quarters.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Hillsborough is playing in its sixth straight final, a run that included three consecutive titles from 2002-2005. Overall, Hillsborough will be playing in its 12th final in the tournament’s 33-year history, and is looking for its sixth championship (1974, 1975, 2003, 2004, 2005).
Immaculata is making its first final appearance since 2000 when it was winning its second championship in a row behind right-hander Erica Bell, who is now the Spartans’ coach. Immaculata is making its ninth overall appearance in the final, and is vying for its seventh championship (1977, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2000).
PITCHING MATCHUP
Hillsborough: Megan McInaw (6-8), junior right-hander
Immaculata: Kaitlyn Piazzolla (6-3), junior right-hander
OFFENSIVE PLAYER WHO COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Hillsborough: Katie Yard, senior, third base
Immaculata: Jen Lapicki, senior, catcher
COACHES
Hillsborough: Cheryl Iaione (12th season)
Immaculata: Erica Bell and Bob Gillespie (first seasons)
HILLSBOROUGH REPORT
After losing seven regulars to graduation, the Raiders have struggled at times in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division East. The lowlight for the Raiders came last Thursday with a 9-1 loss to Hunterdon Central, prompting Iaione to challenge her team to play to its ability or defer their spot in the lineup to someone who will. McInaw has not only been pitching lights out, but she has delivered several clutch hits for Hillsborough over the past few games, including a two-run homer in the first inning against Mount St. Mary in last Saturday’s quarterfinals to account for all the Raiders’ runs. Katelyn Derewecki, Courtney Fedor and Katie Yard are also at the heart of the Raiders’ offensive attack, which must produce in key situations. Hillsborough is undefeated in games where it’s scored two runs or more this season, but the Raiders are winless in games where they score one run or less. Center fielder Caitlin Katzelnick and freshman catcher Margaret Gilroy were key, defensively, in Hillsborough’s victory over Montgomery in the semifinals, and Hillsborough must continue to play good defense and avoid mistakes if it is to have a chance here.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO WIN:
“Score some runs. I think both pitchers, if they’re on tomorrow night, you’re not going to see eight or 10 hits per team. You’re might see three. Whoever takes advantage and capitalizes on that is going to win the game. Good pitching silences goods hitting.”
-- Cheryl Iaione
IMMACULATA REPORT
Immaculata won the regular-season meeting between these teams, 1-0 on April 10. Piazzolla tossed a two-hitter and struck out 12, while Lapicki drove in the only run with a sixth-inning single (the teams are scheduled to play again Tuesday in a regular-season game). With Piazzolla in the circle, Immaculata doesn’t have to worry about having to score too many runs, as long as the defense plays its game, but the Spartans cannot expect to win if they’re held to just one or two. Immaculata has experienced offensive trickles at times this year, surprising, considering they have, arguably, the best hitter in the county in Lapicki, as well as Piazzolla and some other solid bats all over the lineup. Immaculata will get a huge boost tonight with the return of Caitlin Bay to the starting lineup, leading off and playing center field. Bay, who was the starting shortstop last season, broke her pinky in the preseason and hadn’t played at all this year until she pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh inning in Wednesday night’s semifinals. Though Bay was retired, Bell believes her presence was the catalyst that sparked the Spartans’ rally. McInaw held Immaculata to one run in their last meeting, and the Hillsborough right-hander has been pitching her best softball of the season of late. The Spartans must get to her for at least a couple, preferably early, if they are to take home the trophy. If Lapicki, especially, can hit like she did against Bridgewater-Raritan in the semis, Immaculata should be fine.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO WIN:
“Hit. My No. 9, No. 1 and No. 2 (hitters) have to get on base for Piazzolla and Lapicki. We have to stay focused, defensively. I have a lot of young kids in the field. They told me they got their nerves out Wednesday night (in the semis), so let’s hope they’re right.”
– Erica Bell
OUTLOOK
My analysis of this tournament, especially when it’s come to Hillsborough, has been way off in the latter rounds, so far. But, for the record, I’ll make another prediction here.
I expect Piazzolla and McInaw both to pitch excellent games – this game has had some classic pitching performances over the years – and the winner is going to be decided by a clutch hit or a mistake late in the contest.
I give Piazzolla a slight edge over McInaw both in the circle and at the plate, and with Lapicki’s bat in the Immaculata lineup; you’ve got to give the Spartans the nod offensively, especially if Bay is near 100 percent. The key for Hillsborough, at the plate, will be Katie Yard, who has yet to break out big in this tournament. If she can provide some firepower, this could be Hillsborough’s day. Defensively, I will give Hillsborough the edge.
PREDICTION
Immaculata 2-0... but hey, what do I know?
*****
NOTES: In the interest of telling both sides to the story, I spoke with Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione on Friday and she wanted to set the record straight in response to Thursday's guest blog by Jerry Carino concerning some of the extra-curricular activity that went on during the Montgomery-Hillsborough semifinal Wednesday night.
Jerry wrote:
"It was exciting because of the sheer intensity and emotion of the rivalry, which has to be Top 5 in all sports in the Courier News area. There is bad blood here and you could feel it. At times the intensity spilled over into poor sportsmanship.
One instance was when Montgomery catcher Tara Bucci's mask broke while Hillsborough was starting to mount a rally, and it took Rooney almost 10 minutes to fix it. Hillsborough fans were jeering him, accusing him of stall tactics -- I was sitting four feet from home plate and the mask was BROKEN, people.
When Rooney finally did fix it he got a Bronx cheer, to which the coach tipped his cap as he walked to the dugout.A couple of Hillsborough's adult fans were really obnoxious, riding the players on both sides, Rooney, the umpires, everybody but the park rangers. Boorish behavior and a poor example -- adults should know better.
According to what Cheryl told me, it was not the Hillsborough fans that were acting obnoxious Wednesday night, but some of the remaining fans of Immaculata, who stayed to watch the second game after the Spartans had topped Bridgewater in the opener.
Cheryl said Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney had delayed action to fix his catcher's helmet the previous day when Montgomery and Immaculata played, and those fans felt that he was doing it again Wednesday to try and break up Hillsborough's momentum.
I plan to ask Rooney about the delay(s), and confirm whether or not he had indeed spent time fixing Bucci's mask during the Immaculata game, as well as which school's fans he thought was riding him Wednesday.
More on this as it becomes available.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
UCT/HWT Preview
The Union County Tournament semifinals and final are scheduled for this weekend at Memorial Field in Linden, while the Hunterdon/Warren semifinals are scheduled for Saturday and Monday.
UCT PREVIEW:
No. 5 seed New Providence (15-0) vs. No. 8 seed Cranford (13-5), 6 p.m. Friday
The undefeated Pioneers might want to think again before the revel in the fact that they won't have to face top-seeded Governor Livingston tonight. Cranford, the defending champion, made sure of that with a 1-0 upset over the Highlanders in last weekend's quarterfinals.
New Providence, meanwhile, handled fourth-seeded Elizabeth 10-1 to nobody's surprise, and are hoping to advance to its first-ever final.
Cranford, which fell to Governor Livingston in extra innings on opening day, got off to a slow start, but the Cougars have bounced back, and are 13-5 after losing to Union Catholic on Thursday, a team Cranford beat in the Round of 16.
This will easily be the toughest opponent New Providence has faced all season and the Pioneers will need every player in their lineup to bring their A game if the hope to stay unbeaten.
Of course, ace right-hander Caitlin Ross will be the key, but her bat, as well as those of Robin Farrell, Tara Alberse, Kelly Marchisio, Caitlin Sneeden and Lindsey Ross, will also need to come alive Friday night.
PREDICTION: New Providence 2-1
No. 2 Westfield (13-3) vs. No. 6 Linden (13-5), 8 p.m. Friday
Westfield hasn't been to a final since 1998 when it beat Roselle Park for the championship, but came close a couple of times a few years ago with now-assistant coach Caitlin MacDonald in the circle.
Linden, which upset third-seeded Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the quarterfinals, hasn't won the UCT crown since 1980.
This is Westfield's game to lose. If left-hander Lindsay Brown is her usual dominant self and Westfield's, usually potent offense led by Cyndil Matthew gets it done, the Blue Devils should cruise to the final.
PREDICTION: Westfield 4-1
UNION COUNTY FINAL, 7 P.M. SATURDAY at MEMORIAL FIELD
PREDICTION: Westfield 1, New Providence 0
HUNTERDON/WARREN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS PREVIEW
No. 3 Delaware Valley (18-3) at No. 2 Hunterdon Central (12-6), 10:30 a.m. Saturday
There was a point two weeks ago where I was ready to write off Hunterdon Central after a 6-6 start, capped by a 8-4 loss to Warren Hills. But the Red Devils have won six straight, including impressive decisive victories over North Hunterdon, Hillsborough and Bridgewater-Raritan, and, well, Central is back.
Hunterdon Central had a string of seven straight bi-county titles snapped last season, and coach Pete Fick and company are eager to start another run. The tandem of junior right-handers Jamie Ericson and Jenna Carmon have had their struggles this season -- especialy Carmon, who is 7-5 after beating Bridgewater on Thursday -- but they've both been pitching very well lately and should be key in the circle, as well as at the plate. This is purely a guess based on the fact Carmon has started the last two games, but I expect Ericson to get the nod Saturday.
Hunterdon Central has not missed a final since 1999 -- when it was beaten by Delaware Valley in the semis.
Delaware Valley is enjoying the most successful season in program history, and a trip to the championship game would make it all the more sweeter.
Led by righty Michelle Jensen, Delaware Valley's losses have been to Hackettstown, Bridgewater-Raritan and Mount St. Mary. The Terriers have beaten Hillsborough, Somerville and Belvidere, twice, along the way and looking for their first final appearance since 2003 and their first championship since 1997.
This is a tough one to call. If Central brings its A-game, you have to figure the might Red Devils have the edge. But one false move and the super-talented Terriers will be ready to pounce.
I will be covering the game Saturday and I look forward to a fantastic battle.
PREDICTION: Hunterdon Central 3-1
No. 4 Warren Hills (12-6) at No. 1 North Hunterdon (16-4)
I ain't even going to waste my time analyzing this one. Sure, North Hunterdon lost to Watchung Hills on Thursday. A head-scratcher, to say the least, but I would be shocked if the defending champion Lions didn't reach the final for the third time in four years. I mean, c'mon. Sam Pellechio, Becca Schafer, Hilary Murray, Ali Freedman, Jenna Gonzalez. Need I say more?
Prediction: North Hunteron 5-1
The Hunterdon/Warren Tournament final is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19 at HealthQuest Field in Raritan Township
****
ELSEWHERE.....
Hillsborough clinched a spot in the state tournament Thursday with a 7-6 victory over Phillipsburg.
I'm thinking, after an emotional win over Montgomery the night before in the county semi, the Raiders might have come out and taken the State Liners a bit for granted, and it almost cost them a well-deserved berth in states. Hillsborough should have won this game quite handily.
Also, Bound Brook's faint hopes at a state tournament berth melted away Thursday as the Crusaders were blanked by Somerville 3-0. Laura Nevar allowed three hits and struck out two for the Pioneers.
Somewhere Harry Frezza is wiping a tear.
Other noteworthy results from Thursday include a shocker in Warren.
Who woke up Watchung Hills?!?!
The Warriors (5-10) pulled off the upset of the day, topping North Hunterdon (16-4) as Lydia deMartino and friends overcame a two-run first-inning homer by Sam Pellechio to take a 4-2 decision.
Hunterdon Central, meanwhile, showed it is truly back and ready to reclaim its county crown, as well as make a run in the CJ IV tourney with an impressive 4-0 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan.
I don't know if Bridgewater-Raritan is down on itself or whatever after a heartbreaking loss to Immaculata in the county semis Wednesday, but coach Sandy Baranowski better give her team a swift kick in the behind or the Panthers are going to watch their shot at their first conference title disappear and any hopes of making a run in the state tournament vanish.
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Part 2 of the Week 5 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast is up for your listening pleasure at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia. The way it's looking, Part 1 might never see the light of day. I guess it doesn't matter, considering it was all about today's state tournament cutoff date. Those discussions are all moot.
COMING SATURDAY: I will preview the Somerset County Tournament. I've already made a prediction for this game on the podcast, but I will do it again here Saturday in case you don't get around to listening.
Still, at the rate I've been going in predicting results the last two weeks, I should probably be ignored.
Also, since the game Saturday night will most likely end too late to get a full game story -- if any -- in the print and online versions of the Courier News, check in to The Inner Circle late Saturday night or Sunday morning for a recap of the game. Or, better yet, head out to North Branch Park in Bridgewater and take in what should be another SCT classic.
UCT PREVIEW:
No. 5 seed New Providence (15-0) vs. No. 8 seed Cranford (13-5), 6 p.m. Friday
The undefeated Pioneers might want to think again before the revel in the fact that they won't have to face top-seeded Governor Livingston tonight. Cranford, the defending champion, made sure of that with a 1-0 upset over the Highlanders in last weekend's quarterfinals.
New Providence, meanwhile, handled fourth-seeded Elizabeth 10-1 to nobody's surprise, and are hoping to advance to its first-ever final.
Cranford, which fell to Governor Livingston in extra innings on opening day, got off to a slow start, but the Cougars have bounced back, and are 13-5 after losing to Union Catholic on Thursday, a team Cranford beat in the Round of 16.
This will easily be the toughest opponent New Providence has faced all season and the Pioneers will need every player in their lineup to bring their A game if the hope to stay unbeaten.
Of course, ace right-hander Caitlin Ross will be the key, but her bat, as well as those of Robin Farrell, Tara Alberse, Kelly Marchisio, Caitlin Sneeden and Lindsey Ross, will also need to come alive Friday night.
PREDICTION: New Providence 2-1
No. 2 Westfield (13-3) vs. No. 6 Linden (13-5), 8 p.m. Friday
Westfield hasn't been to a final since 1998 when it beat Roselle Park for the championship, but came close a couple of times a few years ago with now-assistant coach Caitlin MacDonald in the circle.
Linden, which upset third-seeded Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the quarterfinals, hasn't won the UCT crown since 1980.
This is Westfield's game to lose. If left-hander Lindsay Brown is her usual dominant self and Westfield's, usually potent offense led by Cyndil Matthew gets it done, the Blue Devils should cruise to the final.
PREDICTION: Westfield 4-1
UNION COUNTY FINAL, 7 P.M. SATURDAY at MEMORIAL FIELD
PREDICTION: Westfield 1, New Providence 0
HUNTERDON/WARREN TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS PREVIEW
No. 3 Delaware Valley (18-3) at No. 2 Hunterdon Central (12-6), 10:30 a.m. Saturday
There was a point two weeks ago where I was ready to write off Hunterdon Central after a 6-6 start, capped by a 8-4 loss to Warren Hills. But the Red Devils have won six straight, including impressive decisive victories over North Hunterdon, Hillsborough and Bridgewater-Raritan, and, well, Central is back.
Hunterdon Central had a string of seven straight bi-county titles snapped last season, and coach Pete Fick and company are eager to start another run. The tandem of junior right-handers Jamie Ericson and Jenna Carmon have had their struggles this season -- especialy Carmon, who is 7-5 after beating Bridgewater on Thursday -- but they've both been pitching very well lately and should be key in the circle, as well as at the plate. This is purely a guess based on the fact Carmon has started the last two games, but I expect Ericson to get the nod Saturday.
Hunterdon Central has not missed a final since 1999 -- when it was beaten by Delaware Valley in the semis.
Delaware Valley is enjoying the most successful season in program history, and a trip to the championship game would make it all the more sweeter.
Led by righty Michelle Jensen, Delaware Valley's losses have been to Hackettstown, Bridgewater-Raritan and Mount St. Mary. The Terriers have beaten Hillsborough, Somerville and Belvidere, twice, along the way and looking for their first final appearance since 2003 and their first championship since 1997.
This is a tough one to call. If Central brings its A-game, you have to figure the might Red Devils have the edge. But one false move and the super-talented Terriers will be ready to pounce.
I will be covering the game Saturday and I look forward to a fantastic battle.
PREDICTION: Hunterdon Central 3-1
No. 4 Warren Hills (12-6) at No. 1 North Hunterdon (16-4)
I ain't even going to waste my time analyzing this one. Sure, North Hunterdon lost to Watchung Hills on Thursday. A head-scratcher, to say the least, but I would be shocked if the defending champion Lions didn't reach the final for the third time in four years. I mean, c'mon. Sam Pellechio, Becca Schafer, Hilary Murray, Ali Freedman, Jenna Gonzalez. Need I say more?
Prediction: North Hunteron 5-1
The Hunterdon/Warren Tournament final is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19 at HealthQuest Field in Raritan Township
****
ELSEWHERE.....
Hillsborough clinched a spot in the state tournament Thursday with a 7-6 victory over Phillipsburg.
I'm thinking, after an emotional win over Montgomery the night before in the county semi, the Raiders might have come out and taken the State Liners a bit for granted, and it almost cost them a well-deserved berth in states. Hillsborough should have won this game quite handily.
Also, Bound Brook's faint hopes at a state tournament berth melted away Thursday as the Crusaders were blanked by Somerville 3-0. Laura Nevar allowed three hits and struck out two for the Pioneers.
Somewhere Harry Frezza is wiping a tear.
Other noteworthy results from Thursday include a shocker in Warren.
Who woke up Watchung Hills?!?!
The Warriors (5-10) pulled off the upset of the day, topping North Hunterdon (16-4) as Lydia deMartino and friends overcame a two-run first-inning homer by Sam Pellechio to take a 4-2 decision.
Hunterdon Central, meanwhile, showed it is truly back and ready to reclaim its county crown, as well as make a run in the CJ IV tourney with an impressive 4-0 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan.
I don't know if Bridgewater-Raritan is down on itself or whatever after a heartbreaking loss to Immaculata in the county semis Wednesday, but coach Sandy Baranowski better give her team a swift kick in the behind or the Panthers are going to watch their shot at their first conference title disappear and any hopes of making a run in the state tournament vanish.
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Part 2 of the Week 5 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast is up for your listening pleasure at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia. The way it's looking, Part 1 might never see the light of day. I guess it doesn't matter, considering it was all about today's state tournament cutoff date. Those discussions are all moot.
COMING SATURDAY: I will preview the Somerset County Tournament. I've already made a prediction for this game on the podcast, but I will do it again here Saturday in case you don't get around to listening.
Still, at the rate I've been going in predicting results the last two weeks, I should probably be ignored.
Also, since the game Saturday night will most likely end too late to get a full game story -- if any -- in the print and online versions of the Courier News, check in to The Inner Circle late Saturday night or Sunday morning for a recap of the game. Or, better yet, head out to North Branch Park in Bridgewater and take in what should be another SCT classic.
A Guest of Honor
The following is a guest blog written by Jerry Carino, who covered Wednesday night's Somerset County Tournament semifinal between Montgomery and Hillsborough for the Courier News.
Check out Jerry's blog at www.jerrycarino.blogspot.com
*****
First, a writers note about the article that appeared in today's Courier News: Because the game ended so late (and our deadlines are soooo early), I had to throw the story together in about 8 minutes. I screwed up the number of hits for both teams and did not include the pitching line.
Hillsborough's Megan McInaw allowed six hits and two walks while striking out six.
Montgomery's Elora Daniele allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out five. She also threw two wild pitches.
Here are Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione's quotes that I didn't have time to include in the story:
On Caitlyn Katzelnick’s critical throw home: "She came up and threw a strike and my little freshman behind the plate (Margaret Gilroy) came up big. It’s a whole different ball game right there."
On the Raiders' resiliency: "They’re young. We haven’t hit. We’ve played good defense and gotten great pitching and it was just a matter of time before the bats broke out, and tonight the bats broke out in a big way. I keep telling them if you guys hit you’re a dangerous team and we showed that tonight."
On making the SCT final for the sixth straight year: "It's tradition. We talked about pride and tradition. It was more relaxed today because we were the underdog. We had that X on our back and now he (Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney) has the X on his back, and it’s a tough one to handle. They played well. It was a great game. Too bad it wasn’t a final but, hopefully, Saturday will be just as good."
NOW TO THE CARINO ANALYSIS:
This was an exciting game but not because of the quality of play, which was sloppy (seven errors, two wild pitches, two passed balls) by these programs' high standards.
It was exciting because of the sheer intensity and emotion of the rivalry, which has to be Top 5 in all sports in the Courier News area. There is bad blood here and you could feel it. At times the intensity spilled over into poor sportsmanship.
One instance was when Montgomery catcher Tara Bucci's mask broke while Hillsborough was starting to mount a rally, and it took Rooney almost 10 minutes to fix it. Hillsborough fans were jeering him, accusing him of stall tactics -- I was sitting four feet from home plate and the mask was BROKEN, people. When Rooney finally did fix it he got a Bronx cheer, to which the coach tipped his cap as he walked to the dugout.
A couple of Hillsborough's adult fans were really obnoxious, riding the players on both sides, Rooney, the umpires, everybody but the park rangers. Boorish behavior and a poor example -- adults should know better.
The game itself, though sloppy, had some wild twists and turns. The bottom line is that Hillsborough's bats got hot when it counted, and Montgomery made critical mistakes in the field, in the circle and on the basepaths over the final three innings. The Cougars had a chance to tie it in the seventh but their momentum fizzled when they got thrown out at second on a double steal.
The MVP was Katzelnick, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, registered the game-winning RBI and made the great throw home to prevent Montgomery from tying the game in the bottom of the sixth.
It wasn't a classic, but it was exciting, unpredictable and intense, which is what we've come to expect from this great rivalry.
Check out Jerry's blog at www.jerrycarino.blogspot.com
*****
First, a writers note about the article that appeared in today's Courier News: Because the game ended so late (and our deadlines are soooo early), I had to throw the story together in about 8 minutes. I screwed up the number of hits for both teams and did not include the pitching line.
Hillsborough's Megan McInaw allowed six hits and two walks while striking out six.
Montgomery's Elora Daniele allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out five. She also threw two wild pitches.
Here are Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione's quotes that I didn't have time to include in the story:
On Caitlyn Katzelnick’s critical throw home: "She came up and threw a strike and my little freshman behind the plate (Margaret Gilroy) came up big. It’s a whole different ball game right there."
On the Raiders' resiliency: "They’re young. We haven’t hit. We’ve played good defense and gotten great pitching and it was just a matter of time before the bats broke out, and tonight the bats broke out in a big way. I keep telling them if you guys hit you’re a dangerous team and we showed that tonight."
On making the SCT final for the sixth straight year: "It's tradition. We talked about pride and tradition. It was more relaxed today because we were the underdog. We had that X on our back and now he (Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney) has the X on his back, and it’s a tough one to handle. They played well. It was a great game. Too bad it wasn’t a final but, hopefully, Saturday will be just as good."
NOW TO THE CARINO ANALYSIS:
This was an exciting game but not because of the quality of play, which was sloppy (seven errors, two wild pitches, two passed balls) by these programs' high standards.
It was exciting because of the sheer intensity and emotion of the rivalry, which has to be Top 5 in all sports in the Courier News area. There is bad blood here and you could feel it. At times the intensity spilled over into poor sportsmanship.
One instance was when Montgomery catcher Tara Bucci's mask broke while Hillsborough was starting to mount a rally, and it took Rooney almost 10 minutes to fix it. Hillsborough fans were jeering him, accusing him of stall tactics -- I was sitting four feet from home plate and the mask was BROKEN, people. When Rooney finally did fix it he got a Bronx cheer, to which the coach tipped his cap as he walked to the dugout.
A couple of Hillsborough's adult fans were really obnoxious, riding the players on both sides, Rooney, the umpires, everybody but the park rangers. Boorish behavior and a poor example -- adults should know better.
The game itself, though sloppy, had some wild twists and turns. The bottom line is that Hillsborough's bats got hot when it counted, and Montgomery made critical mistakes in the field, in the circle and on the basepaths over the final three innings. The Cougars had a chance to tie it in the seventh but their momentum fizzled when they got thrown out at second on a double steal.
The MVP was Katzelnick, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, registered the game-winning RBI and made the great throw home to prevent Montgomery from tying the game in the bottom of the sixth.
It wasn't a classic, but it was exciting, unpredictable and intense, which is what we've come to expect from this great rivalry.
SCT Stunners
I am stunned.
I've been stunned since the phone rang in the Courier News sports dept. at around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday night and I got the news that Hillsborough had rallied past Montgomery in the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament.
It isn't that the Raiders won -- I definitely knew there was a good possibility of that happening -- but it's the way it went down and everything that led up to it that threw me for a loop.
Let's start from the beginning.
When this tournament was first seeded, I predicted a Bridgewater-Raritan/Hillsborough final. I figured the Panthers were a team of destiny this season, while the Raiders have owned the SCT for the past five years.
But as the weeks passed and Hillsborough's fortunes continued its downturn, I started to doubt the Raiders.
When it came time to make a pick in the quarterfinals, I changed it up and went with Mount St. Mary, figuring the then-undefeated Mount Lions and ace righty Dani Accardi would take care of business against a struggling Hillsborough team that was in serious danger of missing the state tournament for the first time this century.
Hillsborough proved me wrong, topping MSM 2-1 behind the right arm and strong bat of Megan McInaw.
But the Raiders had bigger problem than the county tournament. With a record of 7-7 following the victory over Mount St. Mary, Hillsborough had to win 2-of-3 against Bridgewater on Tuesday, Montrgomery in Wednesday night's semis, and Phillipsburg on Thursday.
I figured the P'Burgh game was a slam dunk, meaning Hillsborough would have to beat Bridgewater or Montgomery to get in. Both longshots. But considering the momentum and the high after the Mount St. Mary victory, I gave Hillsborough a strong fighting chance.
After the Raiders blew a 1-0 seventh-inning lead and fell to B-R 2-1 on Tuesday night, I thought the wind was out of the Hillsborough sails and what I originally thought would be a hard-fought, closely played semifinals game with Montgomery -- in which I picked the Cougars 4-3 -- I now felt like Hillsborough could, actually, get blown out.
Once again, what do I know?
After covering the Immaculata/Bridgewater-Raritan game in the first semifinal of the evening at North Branch Park, I headed back to the office to write my story as my colleague, Jerry Carino, replaced me to cover the nightcap.
In the fourth inning, Jerry called me at the office and reported Montgomery led 4-1. At that point, I figured the Cougars had it in the bag and I started thinking about a Immaculata-Montgomery final.
When the phone rang at 10:15 and I heard the result was a 6-5 Hillsborough win, well, I was, literally, stunned.
If you don't believe me, check out the latest podcast, which we recorded about an hour after the Hillsborough-Montgomery game ended.
Once again, I underestimated Hillsborough, which has now made SIX STRAIGHT county finals.
Very impressive work by coach Cheryl Iaione.
Who will I pick to win Saturday's championship game? The answer to that can be found on the podcast (part 2 of the Week 5 edition, which should be up, I hope, sometime Thursday at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia), or by checking back here Saturday.
Look for a guest blog by Jerry Carino late Thursday on the Inner Circle, as he blogs about the Hillsborough-Montgomery game, which featured not only a fantastic comeback by the Raiders, but plenty of extra-curricular activity, too.
*******
In the other semifinal, which I covered, second-seeded Immaculata turned in a stunner of its own, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 5-2 and sending another of yours truly's picks down the toilet.
Yes, I picked Bridgewater-Raritan to go all the way from the start. Yes, I predicted a 2-1 Panthers victory in this game (which looked prophetic for a while, right, Erica?). Yes, once again, I was wrong.
I asked Courier News sports editor Dave Siminoff this evening if he would kindly forbid me from making anymore predictions. He declined. Apparently he finds my prognostication futility hilarious and wants to see me ripped as often as possible.
Nice guy.
Anyway, Bridgewater took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and Lauren Fitzsimmons, who no-hit Immaculata last week in a regular-season game, was cruising, retiring the first 11 batters she faced in the game, nine via strikeout.
But in the fourth, with two outs, Immaculata catcher Jen Lapicki showed why she is the best hitter in the county, blasting a Fitzsimmons offering over the left-field fence for a solo homer.
Fitzsimmons settled down and retired the next four batters she faced, before two singles bought Lapicki up with two on and two outs in the bottom of the sixth after B-R catcher Sammy DeSimone made a great play on a ball bunted foul over her head by Jenna George.
Fitzsimmons' first three offerings to Lapicki were up and away and I, as well as Lapicki, thought Fitzsimmons might be pitching around her. But Fitzsimmons got to within 3-1 with a fastball down the middle, setting up her next pitch, which was away, and Lapicki hit it well in the air to right field. While Bridgewater-Raritan right fielder Kayla Stevens looked like she had it lined up for the third out, the junior suddenly slipped on the grass and the ball went over her head for a two-run double.
Kaitlyn Piazzolla followed with a two-run homer and Immaculata held on for the victory.
What a night!
Immaculata and Hillsborough will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at North Branch Park for the title.
****
ON THE BUBBLE UPDATES:
Four local teams were on the bubble for state tournament berths following Tuesday's action. One clinched a spot Wednesday night, two picked up huge wins to put themselves in great spots to qualify, while another won a big game to keep their slim hopes alive.
* Middlesex blanked Cardinal McCarrick 10-0 for the second straight day and have qualified for the Central Jersey Group I Tournament
* Hillsborough beat Montgomery in the SCT semifinals and now only need to beat Phillipsburg (4-12) to get in.
* Timothy Christian picked up a big 9-4 win over Wardlaw-Hartridge on Wednesday and need only to beat Somerset Tech (2-7) on Friday to get in.
Expect Hillsborough and Timothy Christian to get in easily.
* Bound Brook beat North Warren 4-1 on Wednesday, a big win for the Crusaders, but they still need to beat Somerville on Thursday, a tall order. If Bound Brook can find a way to beat the Pioneers, which almost fell to Manville on Wednesday, the Crusaders would face Somerset Tech on Friday, which should be an easy win.
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Like I said earlier, Jerry Carino, Harry Frezza and I recorded part two of the weekly podcast Wednesday night, completing the one that was cut off in the middle by a dead battery on Monday evening.
Parts 1 and 2 should be up sometime Thursday at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
COMING LATER THURSDAY: Expect a guest blog here from Jerry Carino on the Hillsborough-Montgomery SCT semifinal game. Jerry, who covered the contest for the Courier News, talked to Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione after her team's stunning victory and he will share those thoughts, as well as his own on the game.
COMING FRIDAY: Previews and predictions for the Union County Tournament semifinals and final, which are scheduled for Friday night and Saturday night, respectively Also, I will look at the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament semis, which are slated for Saturday morning and Monday afternoon.
COMING SATURDAY: I will preview the Somerset County Tournament final between Immaculata and Hillsborough.
COMING SUNDAY: A wrap-up of the Somerset and Union county tournaments, as well as a review of Saturday's HWT semifinal between Hunterdon Central and Delaware Valley, which I plan to cover in person. North Hunterdon plays Warren Hills in the other semi on Monday.
COMING NEXT WEEK: The Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament is scheduled to be seeded Monday. Look for a preview of that tournament early next week. Also, the state tournament seeds are slated to be released early next week, we'll take a look at the brackets and see where our local teams stand when they come out.
I've been stunned since the phone rang in the Courier News sports dept. at around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday night and I got the news that Hillsborough had rallied past Montgomery in the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament.
It isn't that the Raiders won -- I definitely knew there was a good possibility of that happening -- but it's the way it went down and everything that led up to it that threw me for a loop.
Let's start from the beginning.
When this tournament was first seeded, I predicted a Bridgewater-Raritan/Hillsborough final. I figured the Panthers were a team of destiny this season, while the Raiders have owned the SCT for the past five years.
But as the weeks passed and Hillsborough's fortunes continued its downturn, I started to doubt the Raiders.
When it came time to make a pick in the quarterfinals, I changed it up and went with Mount St. Mary, figuring the then-undefeated Mount Lions and ace righty Dani Accardi would take care of business against a struggling Hillsborough team that was in serious danger of missing the state tournament for the first time this century.
Hillsborough proved me wrong, topping MSM 2-1 behind the right arm and strong bat of Megan McInaw.
But the Raiders had bigger problem than the county tournament. With a record of 7-7 following the victory over Mount St. Mary, Hillsborough had to win 2-of-3 against Bridgewater on Tuesday, Montrgomery in Wednesday night's semis, and Phillipsburg on Thursday.
I figured the P'Burgh game was a slam dunk, meaning Hillsborough would have to beat Bridgewater or Montgomery to get in. Both longshots. But considering the momentum and the high after the Mount St. Mary victory, I gave Hillsborough a strong fighting chance.
After the Raiders blew a 1-0 seventh-inning lead and fell to B-R 2-1 on Tuesday night, I thought the wind was out of the Hillsborough sails and what I originally thought would be a hard-fought, closely played semifinals game with Montgomery -- in which I picked the Cougars 4-3 -- I now felt like Hillsborough could, actually, get blown out.
Once again, what do I know?
After covering the Immaculata/Bridgewater-Raritan game in the first semifinal of the evening at North Branch Park, I headed back to the office to write my story as my colleague, Jerry Carino, replaced me to cover the nightcap.
In the fourth inning, Jerry called me at the office and reported Montgomery led 4-1. At that point, I figured the Cougars had it in the bag and I started thinking about a Immaculata-Montgomery final.
When the phone rang at 10:15 and I heard the result was a 6-5 Hillsborough win, well, I was, literally, stunned.
If you don't believe me, check out the latest podcast, which we recorded about an hour after the Hillsborough-Montgomery game ended.
Once again, I underestimated Hillsborough, which has now made SIX STRAIGHT county finals.
Very impressive work by coach Cheryl Iaione.
Who will I pick to win Saturday's championship game? The answer to that can be found on the podcast (part 2 of the Week 5 edition, which should be up, I hope, sometime Thursday at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia), or by checking back here Saturday.
Look for a guest blog by Jerry Carino late Thursday on the Inner Circle, as he blogs about the Hillsborough-Montgomery game, which featured not only a fantastic comeback by the Raiders, but plenty of extra-curricular activity, too.
*******
In the other semifinal, which I covered, second-seeded Immaculata turned in a stunner of its own, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan 5-2 and sending another of yours truly's picks down the toilet.
Yes, I picked Bridgewater-Raritan to go all the way from the start. Yes, I predicted a 2-1 Panthers victory in this game (which looked prophetic for a while, right, Erica?). Yes, once again, I was wrong.
I asked Courier News sports editor Dave Siminoff this evening if he would kindly forbid me from making anymore predictions. He declined. Apparently he finds my prognostication futility hilarious and wants to see me ripped as often as possible.
Nice guy.
Anyway, Bridgewater took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and Lauren Fitzsimmons, who no-hit Immaculata last week in a regular-season game, was cruising, retiring the first 11 batters she faced in the game, nine via strikeout.
But in the fourth, with two outs, Immaculata catcher Jen Lapicki showed why she is the best hitter in the county, blasting a Fitzsimmons offering over the left-field fence for a solo homer.
Fitzsimmons settled down and retired the next four batters she faced, before two singles bought Lapicki up with two on and two outs in the bottom of the sixth after B-R catcher Sammy DeSimone made a great play on a ball bunted foul over her head by Jenna George.
Fitzsimmons' first three offerings to Lapicki were up and away and I, as well as Lapicki, thought Fitzsimmons might be pitching around her. But Fitzsimmons got to within 3-1 with a fastball down the middle, setting up her next pitch, which was away, and Lapicki hit it well in the air to right field. While Bridgewater-Raritan right fielder Kayla Stevens looked like she had it lined up for the third out, the junior suddenly slipped on the grass and the ball went over her head for a two-run double.
Kaitlyn Piazzolla followed with a two-run homer and Immaculata held on for the victory.
What a night!
Immaculata and Hillsborough will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at North Branch Park for the title.
****
ON THE BUBBLE UPDATES:
Four local teams were on the bubble for state tournament berths following Tuesday's action. One clinched a spot Wednesday night, two picked up huge wins to put themselves in great spots to qualify, while another won a big game to keep their slim hopes alive.
* Middlesex blanked Cardinal McCarrick 10-0 for the second straight day and have qualified for the Central Jersey Group I Tournament
* Hillsborough beat Montgomery in the SCT semifinals and now only need to beat Phillipsburg (4-12) to get in.
* Timothy Christian picked up a big 9-4 win over Wardlaw-Hartridge on Wednesday and need only to beat Somerset Tech (2-7) on Friday to get in.
Expect Hillsborough and Timothy Christian to get in easily.
* Bound Brook beat North Warren 4-1 on Wednesday, a big win for the Crusaders, but they still need to beat Somerville on Thursday, a tall order. If Bound Brook can find a way to beat the Pioneers, which almost fell to Manville on Wednesday, the Crusaders would face Somerset Tech on Friday, which should be an easy win.
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Like I said earlier, Jerry Carino, Harry Frezza and I recorded part two of the weekly podcast Wednesday night, completing the one that was cut off in the middle by a dead battery on Monday evening.
Parts 1 and 2 should be up sometime Thursday at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
COMING LATER THURSDAY: Expect a guest blog here from Jerry Carino on the Hillsborough-Montgomery SCT semifinal game. Jerry, who covered the contest for the Courier News, talked to Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione after her team's stunning victory and he will share those thoughts, as well as his own on the game.
COMING FRIDAY: Previews and predictions for the Union County Tournament semifinals and final, which are scheduled for Friday night and Saturday night, respectively Also, I will look at the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament semis, which are slated for Saturday morning and Monday afternoon.
COMING SATURDAY: I will preview the Somerset County Tournament final between Immaculata and Hillsborough.
COMING SUNDAY: A wrap-up of the Somerset and Union county tournaments, as well as a review of Saturday's HWT semifinal between Hunterdon Central and Delaware Valley, which I plan to cover in person. North Hunterdon plays Warren Hills in the other semi on Monday.
COMING NEXT WEEK: The Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament is scheduled to be seeded Monday. Look for a preview of that tournament early next week. Also, the state tournament seeds are slated to be released early next week, we'll take a look at the brackets and see where our local teams stand when they come out.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Bubble Boys... errr... Girls
With Friday’s state tournament cutoff date two days away, 17 local teams have clinched spots, 11 are eliminated, while four are still on the bubble for a spot in the sectional tournaments.
Here’s a look at who’s still got a shot and what their chances really are of a postseason berth:
WHO: Hillsborough (7-8)
SECTION: Central Jersey Group IV
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday night vs. Montgomery in the Somerset County Tournament semifinal; vs. Phillipsburg on Thursday.
SCENARIO: The Raiders need to beat both Montgomery and Phillipsburg to gain a berth after losing to Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday.
OUTLOOK: The Phillipsburg game is a slam-dunk, as the State Liners are 4-12 and have just one win in the conference, but Hillsborough still needs to find a way to beat Montgomery (16-2).
I don’t see it happening.
Hillsborough has already lost to its Southwest Somerset County neighbors falling 7-1 last week, and Montgomery is on fire, including a big 4-2 victory over Immaculata on Tuesday.
The Raiders had a ton of momentum and a renewed sense of power after a clutch victory over Mount St. Mary in Saturday’s county quarterfinals, but after a heartbreaking loss to Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday in which the Panthers scored two in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and break up Hillsborough ace Megan McInaw’s no-hitter, well, the wind might have left the Raiders sails.
Still, as I learned, you can’t count out Hillsborough in big games, especially in the county tournament, so I am not ready to declare the Raiders absolutely dead quite yet.
CHANCE OF QUALIFYING: 30%
WHO: Bound Brook (7-10)
SECTION: Central Jersey Group I
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday vs. North Warren; Thursday at Somerville; Friday at Somerset Tech.
SCENARIO: The Crusaders need to sweep their remaining three games after losing to Belvidere on Tuesday.
OUTLOOK: Even if Bound Brook beats North Warren, which it should, and even with a near-automatic victory over Somerset Tech in store for Friday, a victory over Somerville on Thursday is a longshot now that the Pioneers have Lindsey Ciresa in the circle.
I’m not going to count out Bound Brook completely, but I would be surprised to see Bound Brook playing in the state tournament
CHANCES OF QUALIFYING: 10%
WHO: Middlesex (6-4)
SECTION: Central Jersey Group I
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday vs. Cardinal McCarrick; Thursday vs. Bishop Ahr; Friday vs. Metuchen
SCENARIO: The Blue Jays need to just win one of their three remaining games to get in.
OUTLOOK: Considering Middlesex blanked Cardinal McCarrick 10-0 on Tuesday, it’s safe to say another win Wednesday is all but a sure thing. For the Blue Jays sake, they better hope so, as a win against Bishop Ahr (18-2) would be a modern-day miracle, while a game against Metuchen (5-8) isn’t something Jen Grasso’s team wants to find themselves in needing a win to qualify.
CHANCE OF QUALIFYING: 99%
WHO: Timothy Christian (6-7)
SECTION: South Jersey Non-Public B
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday at Wardlaw-Hartridge; Friday at Somerset Tech.
SCENARIO: The Tigers need to win both games to get in
OUTLOOK: While Timothy Christian can pretty much count on a victory Friday against Somerset Tech, the Wardalw-Hartridge game really is a toss-up. The teams have had similar results against their common opponents, though the Tigers do have the desperation factor in their favor.
CHANCE OF QUALIFYING: 49%
Here’s a look at who’s still got a shot and what their chances really are of a postseason berth:
WHO: Hillsborough (7-8)
SECTION: Central Jersey Group IV
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday night vs. Montgomery in the Somerset County Tournament semifinal; vs. Phillipsburg on Thursday.
SCENARIO: The Raiders need to beat both Montgomery and Phillipsburg to gain a berth after losing to Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday.
OUTLOOK: The Phillipsburg game is a slam-dunk, as the State Liners are 4-12 and have just one win in the conference, but Hillsborough still needs to find a way to beat Montgomery (16-2).
I don’t see it happening.
Hillsborough has already lost to its Southwest Somerset County neighbors falling 7-1 last week, and Montgomery is on fire, including a big 4-2 victory over Immaculata on Tuesday.
The Raiders had a ton of momentum and a renewed sense of power after a clutch victory over Mount St. Mary in Saturday’s county quarterfinals, but after a heartbreaking loss to Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday in which the Panthers scored two in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and break up Hillsborough ace Megan McInaw’s no-hitter, well, the wind might have left the Raiders sails.
Still, as I learned, you can’t count out Hillsborough in big games, especially in the county tournament, so I am not ready to declare the Raiders absolutely dead quite yet.
CHANCE OF QUALIFYING: 30%
WHO: Bound Brook (7-10)
SECTION: Central Jersey Group I
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday vs. North Warren; Thursday at Somerville; Friday at Somerset Tech.
SCENARIO: The Crusaders need to sweep their remaining three games after losing to Belvidere on Tuesday.
OUTLOOK: Even if Bound Brook beats North Warren, which it should, and even with a near-automatic victory over Somerset Tech in store for Friday, a victory over Somerville on Thursday is a longshot now that the Pioneers have Lindsey Ciresa in the circle.
I’m not going to count out Bound Brook completely, but I would be surprised to see Bound Brook playing in the state tournament
CHANCES OF QUALIFYING: 10%
WHO: Middlesex (6-4)
SECTION: Central Jersey Group I
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday vs. Cardinal McCarrick; Thursday vs. Bishop Ahr; Friday vs. Metuchen
SCENARIO: The Blue Jays need to just win one of their three remaining games to get in.
OUTLOOK: Considering Middlesex blanked Cardinal McCarrick 10-0 on Tuesday, it’s safe to say another win Wednesday is all but a sure thing. For the Blue Jays sake, they better hope so, as a win against Bishop Ahr (18-2) would be a modern-day miracle, while a game against Metuchen (5-8) isn’t something Jen Grasso’s team wants to find themselves in needing a win to qualify.
CHANCE OF QUALIFYING: 99%
WHO: Timothy Christian (6-7)
SECTION: South Jersey Non-Public B
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Wednesday at Wardlaw-Hartridge; Friday at Somerset Tech.
SCENARIO: The Tigers need to win both games to get in
OUTLOOK: While Timothy Christian can pretty much count on a victory Friday against Somerset Tech, the Wardalw-Hartridge game really is a toss-up. The teams have had similar results against their common opponents, though the Tigers do have the desperation factor in their favor.
CHANCE OF QUALIFYING: 49%
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
SCT Semifinals Preview
Since I began covering softball in 1999, the Somerset County Tournament has always been the pinnacle of the season. Not only is it the only tournament in the state where every team involved is in the Courier News coverage area, but it has produced some of the most exciting, well-played games I have seen on the high school softball field.
After a great quarterfinals round Saturday, I expect we are in for an even better semifinals Wednesday evening at North Branch Park in Branchburg as the top four seeds in the tournament battle for a spot in Saturday's championship game.
We will be double-staffing the games, as yours truly will cover the 6 p.m. opener between second-seeded Immaculata and third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan, while my colleague, Jerry Carino, covers the 8 p.m. nightcap between fourth-seeded Hillsborough and top-seeded Montgomery.
If you aren't able to get out to the game, we will bring you full coverage in the print and online editions of Thursday's Courier News.
Here's a preview:
No. 2 IMMACULATA vs. NO. 3 BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN
Bridgewater-Raritan hasn't been to the final since 2001, while Immaculata hasn't played for the title since 2000 when coach Erica Bell was a senior pitcher for the Spartans and was winning the second of two straight championships.
This is a rematch of last Monday's matchup in which Bridgewater when Panthers ace Lauren Fitzsimmons threw a no-hitter and struck out 14, outdueling Katelyn Piazzolla.
Piazzolla should be able to limit Bridgewater-Raritan's offense to a run or two, so the difference here will be whether the middle of Immaculata's batting order -- Jen Lipicki and Piazzolla -- can come up with a big hit or two against Fitzsimmons, who has been lights out since that game last week. The junior held Watchung Hills to single runs in two games last week, one of which went 11 innings and the other which went eight.
This tournament has featured some classic pitching performances over the years -- often two in the same game -- and with two of the best hurlers in the county facing off Wednesday, I don't expect many runs.
PREDICTION: Bridgewater-Raritan 2, Immaculata 1
***
NO. 1 MONTGOMERY vs. NO. 4 HILLSBOROUGH
Hillsborough showed in Saturday's quarterfinals that no matter how much it might have struggled at times this season, when it comes to a county tournament they have pretty much owned over the last five years, you can't count out the Raiders.
Despite being the No. 4 seed, Hillsborough was considered by most to be the underdog when it faced then-undefeated Mount St. Mary in Saturday's quarterfinals. But the Raiders stepped up, and took a 2-1 decision from the fifth-seeded Mount Lions as junior righty Megan McInaw not only pitched a three-hitter, allowing no earned runs and fanning nine, but delivered a two-run homer in the first inning to account for the Raiders runs.
Wednesday night, as they face defending champion and arch-rival Montgomery, Hillsborough will need every bit of that SCT magic if it hopes to advance to its sixth straight county final and vie for its fourth championship since 2003. Add that to the fact that Hillsborough needs every win it can get if it hopes to qualify for the state tournament before Friday's cut off day -- then Raiders play Bridgewater on Tuesday and Phillipsburg on Thursday and have to win two of three this week to get in -- and Hillsborough has all the motivation it needs.
Montgomery ace Elora Daniele gave up five runs to Ridge in the quarterfinals -- though it was the second time she'd faced the Red Devils in three days -- so if Hillsborough can capitalize on its opportunities the Raiders definitely have a chance here.
The Cougars have lost just twice this season, and have continued to find ways to win. Montgomery has to be considered the favorite here, but, as Hillsborough has shown, that doesn't mean much. Montgomery's defense has been suspect at times, but the Cougars have been able to perceiver. Those types of mistakes in this game and this tournament could spell doom.
PREDICTION: Montgomery 4, Hillsborough 3
**********
Programming notes:
The fifth edition of the Bats and Balls podcast ran into some technical difficulties Monday night and we only got about half of it recorded before equipment problems forced us to cut it short. We were able to cover the impending state tournament cutoff, highlighting the teams that are on the bubble, so that should be posted sometime Tuesday. We hope to record the second half of the podcast Wednesday night, which will include a review of the SCT quarterfinals and semifinals and a preview of the final, as well as reviews and previews of the Hunterdon/Warren and Union County Tournament. That should be up sometime Thursday.
Also, Look for a preview and predictions of the HWT and UCT semifinals on The Inner Circle later this week.
Finally, check out Wednesday softball notebook in the print and online editions of the Courier News for, among other things, a look at who's in, who's out and who's on the bubble for state tourney berths. I will update those scenarios each day here.
After a great quarterfinals round Saturday, I expect we are in for an even better semifinals Wednesday evening at North Branch Park in Branchburg as the top four seeds in the tournament battle for a spot in Saturday's championship game.
We will be double-staffing the games, as yours truly will cover the 6 p.m. opener between second-seeded Immaculata and third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan, while my colleague, Jerry Carino, covers the 8 p.m. nightcap between fourth-seeded Hillsborough and top-seeded Montgomery.
If you aren't able to get out to the game, we will bring you full coverage in the print and online editions of Thursday's Courier News.
Here's a preview:
No. 2 IMMACULATA vs. NO. 3 BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN
Bridgewater-Raritan hasn't been to the final since 2001, while Immaculata hasn't played for the title since 2000 when coach Erica Bell was a senior pitcher for the Spartans and was winning the second of two straight championships.
This is a rematch of last Monday's matchup in which Bridgewater when Panthers ace Lauren Fitzsimmons threw a no-hitter and struck out 14, outdueling Katelyn Piazzolla.
Piazzolla should be able to limit Bridgewater-Raritan's offense to a run or two, so the difference here will be whether the middle of Immaculata's batting order -- Jen Lipicki and Piazzolla -- can come up with a big hit or two against Fitzsimmons, who has been lights out since that game last week. The junior held Watchung Hills to single runs in two games last week, one of which went 11 innings and the other which went eight.
This tournament has featured some classic pitching performances over the years -- often two in the same game -- and with two of the best hurlers in the county facing off Wednesday, I don't expect many runs.
PREDICTION: Bridgewater-Raritan 2, Immaculata 1
***
NO. 1 MONTGOMERY vs. NO. 4 HILLSBOROUGH
Hillsborough showed in Saturday's quarterfinals that no matter how much it might have struggled at times this season, when it comes to a county tournament they have pretty much owned over the last five years, you can't count out the Raiders.
Despite being the No. 4 seed, Hillsborough was considered by most to be the underdog when it faced then-undefeated Mount St. Mary in Saturday's quarterfinals. But the Raiders stepped up, and took a 2-1 decision from the fifth-seeded Mount Lions as junior righty Megan McInaw not only pitched a three-hitter, allowing no earned runs and fanning nine, but delivered a two-run homer in the first inning to account for the Raiders runs.
Wednesday night, as they face defending champion and arch-rival Montgomery, Hillsborough will need every bit of that SCT magic if it hopes to advance to its sixth straight county final and vie for its fourth championship since 2003. Add that to the fact that Hillsborough needs every win it can get if it hopes to qualify for the state tournament before Friday's cut off day -- then Raiders play Bridgewater on Tuesday and Phillipsburg on Thursday and have to win two of three this week to get in -- and Hillsborough has all the motivation it needs.
Montgomery ace Elora Daniele gave up five runs to Ridge in the quarterfinals -- though it was the second time she'd faced the Red Devils in three days -- so if Hillsborough can capitalize on its opportunities the Raiders definitely have a chance here.
The Cougars have lost just twice this season, and have continued to find ways to win. Montgomery has to be considered the favorite here, but, as Hillsborough has shown, that doesn't mean much. Montgomery's defense has been suspect at times, but the Cougars have been able to perceiver. Those types of mistakes in this game and this tournament could spell doom.
PREDICTION: Montgomery 4, Hillsborough 3
**********
Programming notes:
The fifth edition of the Bats and Balls podcast ran into some technical difficulties Monday night and we only got about half of it recorded before equipment problems forced us to cut it short. We were able to cover the impending state tournament cutoff, highlighting the teams that are on the bubble, so that should be posted sometime Tuesday. We hope to record the second half of the podcast Wednesday night, which will include a review of the SCT quarterfinals and semifinals and a preview of the final, as well as reviews and previews of the Hunterdon/Warren and Union County Tournament. That should be up sometime Thursday.
Also, Look for a preview and predictions of the HWT and UCT semifinals on The Inner Circle later this week.
Finally, check out Wednesday softball notebook in the print and online editions of the Courier News for, among other things, a look at who's in, who's out and who's on the bubble for state tourney berths. I will update those scenarios each day here.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
But hey, what do I know?
Hillsborough's victory over Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinals of the Somerset County Tournament taught us two things:
1. Never count out Hillsborough, especially in a county tournament that they've all but dominated the previous five seasons (this is the Raiders' sixth straight trip to the semifinals and the quest will continue Wednesday for their sixth straight finals appearance and fourth championship since 2002).
2. Pincus' prognosticating ability is about on par with his ability to run a half a block without collapsing (that's what a pack a day and a penchant for fried foods and chocolate will do for you, kids!).
Sure, when I originally predicted the tournament I had Hillsborough beating Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinals and the Raiders topping Montgomery in the semifinals. But after further review and considering not only the way Hillsborough has been playing, but how Mount St. Mary had been performing, I picked the Mount Lions to defeat Hillsborough on Saturday.
Final score: Hillsborough 2, Mount St. Mary 1
Come on. Let me have it, Raiders fans. I deserve it.
But what do you expect when one team is 6-7, which included a loss to Delaware Valley, a squad Mount St. Mary handled 7-3 earlier this year, and the other is undefeated? Besides, I didn't hear anyone disagreeing with me when I picked the Mount.
Kudos to Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione, who lit a fire under her team after Thursday's 9-1 loss to Hunterdon Central, and they responded with a masterful performance.
Kudos to Raiders hurler Megan McInaw, who not only pitched a three-hitter and did not allow an earned run, but smacked a two-run homer in the first inning off an excellent pitcher in Dani Accardi.
Sure, Mount St. Mary's Alex Russomagno came within a half a foot of tying it in the seventh inning when her drive hit off the top of the fence in left field. And sure, Mount Lions coach Denise Materia decided not to bunt Russomango over with no outs to put the tying run on third with less than two outs. A questionable move, magnified when her pinch-hitter struck out on three pitches, though the two hitters that followed both hit comebackers that wouldn't have plated the run.
Still, well done, Hillsborough. Enjoy it. You deserve it. You get Montgomery in Wednesday night's semis and that should be another exciting contest.
But guess what, I'm picking the Cougars!
Elsewhere Saturday, the three other quarterfinals games in the Somerset County Tournament went as expected.
Top-seeded and defending champion Montgomery took care of business against ninth-seeded Ridge with a 9-5 victory. I guess I'm impressed that the Red Devils were able to put up five runs on the Cougars and Elora Daniele, though the junior righty did hold Ridge to just one run Thursday when the teams met in a regular-season contest. I had asked coach Johnny Rooney if he was going to start Daniele in both games, and, as of Tuesday night, he wasn't sure. For his sake, I'm glad it didn't cost him more than five runs. Montgomery gets Hillsborough in Wednesday night's semis.
Second-seeded Immaculata blanked No. 10 Rutgers Prep 5-0, as Katelyn Piazzolla took a perfect game into the seventh inning before it was broken up by Kristen Cheft's infield single. Despite being without one of their top hitters in senior catcher Candice Smith, the Argonauts got a taste of what it's like to play someone other than the likes of Gill St. Bernard's, Timothy Christian, Purnell and Solomon Schechter. Still nice job by Prep just getting here. I would also like to thank Immaculata coach Erica Bell for beating the Argos, since I told her I would quit covering softball if the Spartans lost Saturday. Somehow I don't think I would enjoy covering golf. Immaculata will face Bridgewater-Raritan in Wednesday night's semifinals.
No. 3 Bridgewater-Raritan and No. 6 Watchung Hills followed up Monday's extra-inning affair, which was won by the Panthers 2-1 in 11 innings, with another nail-biter Saturday. After the teams went to the eighth inning scoreless, Watchung Hills got a run in the top of the eighth before Bridgewater-Raritan responded with two in the bottom of the frame to win it. After Panthers' catcher Sammi DeSimone led off with a triple and scored on an error to tie it, Warriors hurler Lydia deMartino lost the plate, walking three straight, including Lindsay Durant on four pitches with the bases loaded to force home the winning run. I'm sure, if she had her druthers, B-R coach Sandy Baranowski would like to see Watchung Hills move to, say, oh, I dunno, Cape Mary County or something. At the rate it's going, three games a year between these two teams -- and, though not this year, potentially a fourth in the state tournament -- might drive the Panthers' coach into therapy. Bridgewater-Raritan will face Immaculata on Wednesday night.
The Hunterdon/Warren quarterfinals also went as planned Saturday.
Top-seeded North Hunterdon blanked No. 9 North Warren 6-0, as reigning Courier News Player of the Year Sam Pellechio blasted two homers and drove in five runs in support of senior right-hander Ali Freedman, who tossed a three-hitter. The Lions were slowed by a 9-6 loss to Central last Tuesday, but it looks like they recovered nicely. North will face Warren Hills on Saturday in the semifinals.
Second-seeded Hunterdon Central, which has struggled, followed up a much-needed 9-1 victory over Hillsborough on Thursday with a 7-4 victory over 10th-seeded Hunterdon Central on Saturday. Megan Everett tripled and homered, and Jenny Harabedian went 3-for-3, behind junior righty Jamie Erickson, who improved to 5-1. The Red Devils are on a roll since losing three straight two weeks ago and have now won four in a row, including victories over Hillsborough, Watchung Hills and North Hunterdon. Whatever Pete Fick did to get his team back on track seems to be working. Central gets Delaware Valley in Saturday's semifinals.
Third-seeded Delaware Valley edged No. 6 Belvidere 2-0 as Michelle Jensen fired a two-hitter and struck out seven. It was the Terriers' 16th victory of the season after they went 17-10 last year. Del Val will face Central on Saturday.
Fourth-seeded Warren Hills topped No. 5 Hackettstown 7-6 and will play North Hunterdon in the semifinals.
Over in Union County, there were upsets galore, including the fall of the top seed.
No. 1 Governor Livingston lost to No. 8 Cranford, which capitalized on the only hit Capri Catalano allowed. I can't say I was shocked by the result, as I watched the Highlanders need extra innings on opening day to beat the Cougars. The GL offense needs to wake up if it hopes to make a run in the state tournament, and coach Ricky Iacono, who is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind in no uncertain terms, I'm sure has let his team know it. Catalano still managed 16 strikeouts as she continues her assault on the state's all time K record.
No. 2 Westfield handled No. 7 Union 2-1, two days after losing to the Farmers 1-0 in a regular-season tilt. Sophomores Katie Kiefer and Emily Tebettes knocked in runs for the Blue Devils in the second inning, while Lindsay Brown threw a five-hit shutout and fanned seven. Nice recovery for Tara Pignoli's team. Westfield will play sixth-seeded Linden in Friday night's semifinals
No. 3 Scotch Plains-Fanwood was ousted by sixth-seeded Linden and the Raiders have lost two of their last three games after an 11-3 start. Kelly Cianciotta's sixth-inning homer was all the scoring for SPF, which was five-hit. Still, expect coach Kelli Covert to get the ship righted in time for states.
No. 5 New Providence dispatched No. 4 Elizabeth 10-1, a result that surprised nobody outside the Union County capital. Frankly -- and I said this on the podcast a couple of weeks ago -- I was expecting the Pioneers to 10-run the Minutemen. New Providence is now the only undefeated team in the Courier News area, after Governor Livingston and Mount St. Mary fell Saturday. Right-hander Caitlin Ross not only improved to 12-0, but she blasted two homers and drove in five runs. Coach Kelly Villa insists this has been a total team effort, and she's right in the sense that it takes nine players to win, but Caitlin Ross is having a dream season and the Pioneers wouldn't be in the driver's seat in the Mountain Valley Conference Valley Division without her. New Providence gets Cranford in the semifinals Friday night.
******
COMING MONDAY ON THE INNER CIRCLE: A preview and predictions of the semifinals of the Somerset, Hunterdon/Warren and Union country tournaments.
COMING TUESDAY: We will be recording the fifth edition of the Bats and Ball podcast Monday night. Look for that Tuesday at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm
COMING WEDNESDAY IN THE COURIER NEWS: The weekly notebook will feature the latest Top 10, standings, Capri Watch, Stars of the Week, and much more, including a look at what Friday's cutoff date for qualifying for the state tournament means for our local teams.
Check out The Inner Circle on Thursday and listen to the podcast for a more in-depth look at who's in, who's out and who's on the bubble for a state tourney berth.
1. Never count out Hillsborough, especially in a county tournament that they've all but dominated the previous five seasons (this is the Raiders' sixth straight trip to the semifinals and the quest will continue Wednesday for their sixth straight finals appearance and fourth championship since 2002).
2. Pincus' prognosticating ability is about on par with his ability to run a half a block without collapsing (that's what a pack a day and a penchant for fried foods and chocolate will do for you, kids!).
Sure, when I originally predicted the tournament I had Hillsborough beating Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinals and the Raiders topping Montgomery in the semifinals. But after further review and considering not only the way Hillsborough has been playing, but how Mount St. Mary had been performing, I picked the Mount Lions to defeat Hillsborough on Saturday.
Final score: Hillsborough 2, Mount St. Mary 1
Come on. Let me have it, Raiders fans. I deserve it.
But what do you expect when one team is 6-7, which included a loss to Delaware Valley, a squad Mount St. Mary handled 7-3 earlier this year, and the other is undefeated? Besides, I didn't hear anyone disagreeing with me when I picked the Mount.
Kudos to Hillsborough coach Cheryl Iaione, who lit a fire under her team after Thursday's 9-1 loss to Hunterdon Central, and they responded with a masterful performance.
Kudos to Raiders hurler Megan McInaw, who not only pitched a three-hitter and did not allow an earned run, but smacked a two-run homer in the first inning off an excellent pitcher in Dani Accardi.
Sure, Mount St. Mary's Alex Russomagno came within a half a foot of tying it in the seventh inning when her drive hit off the top of the fence in left field. And sure, Mount Lions coach Denise Materia decided not to bunt Russomango over with no outs to put the tying run on third with less than two outs. A questionable move, magnified when her pinch-hitter struck out on three pitches, though the two hitters that followed both hit comebackers that wouldn't have plated the run.
Still, well done, Hillsborough. Enjoy it. You deserve it. You get Montgomery in Wednesday night's semis and that should be another exciting contest.
But guess what, I'm picking the Cougars!
Elsewhere Saturday, the three other quarterfinals games in the Somerset County Tournament went as expected.
Top-seeded and defending champion Montgomery took care of business against ninth-seeded Ridge with a 9-5 victory. I guess I'm impressed that the Red Devils were able to put up five runs on the Cougars and Elora Daniele, though the junior righty did hold Ridge to just one run Thursday when the teams met in a regular-season contest. I had asked coach Johnny Rooney if he was going to start Daniele in both games, and, as of Tuesday night, he wasn't sure. For his sake, I'm glad it didn't cost him more than five runs. Montgomery gets Hillsborough in Wednesday night's semis.
Second-seeded Immaculata blanked No. 10 Rutgers Prep 5-0, as Katelyn Piazzolla took a perfect game into the seventh inning before it was broken up by Kristen Cheft's infield single. Despite being without one of their top hitters in senior catcher Candice Smith, the Argonauts got a taste of what it's like to play someone other than the likes of Gill St. Bernard's, Timothy Christian, Purnell and Solomon Schechter. Still nice job by Prep just getting here. I would also like to thank Immaculata coach Erica Bell for beating the Argos, since I told her I would quit covering softball if the Spartans lost Saturday. Somehow I don't think I would enjoy covering golf. Immaculata will face Bridgewater-Raritan in Wednesday night's semifinals.
No. 3 Bridgewater-Raritan and No. 6 Watchung Hills followed up Monday's extra-inning affair, which was won by the Panthers 2-1 in 11 innings, with another nail-biter Saturday. After the teams went to the eighth inning scoreless, Watchung Hills got a run in the top of the eighth before Bridgewater-Raritan responded with two in the bottom of the frame to win it. After Panthers' catcher Sammi DeSimone led off with a triple and scored on an error to tie it, Warriors hurler Lydia deMartino lost the plate, walking three straight, including Lindsay Durant on four pitches with the bases loaded to force home the winning run. I'm sure, if she had her druthers, B-R coach Sandy Baranowski would like to see Watchung Hills move to, say, oh, I dunno, Cape Mary County or something. At the rate it's going, three games a year between these two teams -- and, though not this year, potentially a fourth in the state tournament -- might drive the Panthers' coach into therapy. Bridgewater-Raritan will face Immaculata on Wednesday night.
The Hunterdon/Warren quarterfinals also went as planned Saturday.
Top-seeded North Hunterdon blanked No. 9 North Warren 6-0, as reigning Courier News Player of the Year Sam Pellechio blasted two homers and drove in five runs in support of senior right-hander Ali Freedman, who tossed a three-hitter. The Lions were slowed by a 9-6 loss to Central last Tuesday, but it looks like they recovered nicely. North will face Warren Hills on Saturday in the semifinals.
Second-seeded Hunterdon Central, which has struggled, followed up a much-needed 9-1 victory over Hillsborough on Thursday with a 7-4 victory over 10th-seeded Hunterdon Central on Saturday. Megan Everett tripled and homered, and Jenny Harabedian went 3-for-3, behind junior righty Jamie Erickson, who improved to 5-1. The Red Devils are on a roll since losing three straight two weeks ago and have now won four in a row, including victories over Hillsborough, Watchung Hills and North Hunterdon. Whatever Pete Fick did to get his team back on track seems to be working. Central gets Delaware Valley in Saturday's semifinals.
Third-seeded Delaware Valley edged No. 6 Belvidere 2-0 as Michelle Jensen fired a two-hitter and struck out seven. It was the Terriers' 16th victory of the season after they went 17-10 last year. Del Val will face Central on Saturday.
Fourth-seeded Warren Hills topped No. 5 Hackettstown 7-6 and will play North Hunterdon in the semifinals.
Over in Union County, there were upsets galore, including the fall of the top seed.
No. 1 Governor Livingston lost to No. 8 Cranford, which capitalized on the only hit Capri Catalano allowed. I can't say I was shocked by the result, as I watched the Highlanders need extra innings on opening day to beat the Cougars. The GL offense needs to wake up if it hopes to make a run in the state tournament, and coach Ricky Iacono, who is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind in no uncertain terms, I'm sure has let his team know it. Catalano still managed 16 strikeouts as she continues her assault on the state's all time K record.
No. 2 Westfield handled No. 7 Union 2-1, two days after losing to the Farmers 1-0 in a regular-season tilt. Sophomores Katie Kiefer and Emily Tebettes knocked in runs for the Blue Devils in the second inning, while Lindsay Brown threw a five-hit shutout and fanned seven. Nice recovery for Tara Pignoli's team. Westfield will play sixth-seeded Linden in Friday night's semifinals
No. 3 Scotch Plains-Fanwood was ousted by sixth-seeded Linden and the Raiders have lost two of their last three games after an 11-3 start. Kelly Cianciotta's sixth-inning homer was all the scoring for SPF, which was five-hit. Still, expect coach Kelli Covert to get the ship righted in time for states.
No. 5 New Providence dispatched No. 4 Elizabeth 10-1, a result that surprised nobody outside the Union County capital. Frankly -- and I said this on the podcast a couple of weeks ago -- I was expecting the Pioneers to 10-run the Minutemen. New Providence is now the only undefeated team in the Courier News area, after Governor Livingston and Mount St. Mary fell Saturday. Right-hander Caitlin Ross not only improved to 12-0, but she blasted two homers and drove in five runs. Coach Kelly Villa insists this has been a total team effort, and she's right in the sense that it takes nine players to win, but Caitlin Ross is having a dream season and the Pioneers wouldn't be in the driver's seat in the Mountain Valley Conference Valley Division without her. New Providence gets Cranford in the semifinals Friday night.
******
COMING MONDAY ON THE INNER CIRCLE: A preview and predictions of the semifinals of the Somerset, Hunterdon/Warren and Union country tournaments.
COMING TUESDAY: We will be recording the fifth edition of the Bats and Ball podcast Monday night. Look for that Tuesday at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm
COMING WEDNESDAY IN THE COURIER NEWS: The weekly notebook will feature the latest Top 10, standings, Capri Watch, Stars of the Week, and much more, including a look at what Friday's cutoff date for qualifying for the state tournament means for our local teams.
Check out The Inner Circle on Thursday and listen to the podcast for a more in-depth look at who's in, who's out and who's on the bubble for a state tourney berth.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Technical difficulties resolved
The technical difficulties affecting the podcast have been fixed.
Due to a plug in probelm, PC users were having trouble accessing the latest podcast. That issue has been resolved.
You can listen at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/podcasts/frezza/baseball050207.htm
Due to a plug in probelm, PC users were having trouble accessing the latest podcast. That issue has been resolved.
You can listen at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/podcasts/frezza/baseball050207.htm
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Bats and Balls: Week 4
The latest podcast was recorded Wednesday night and should be up sometime Thursday.
This was a wild one, folks. Plenty of analysis and insight, but lots of tomfoolery, as usual.
This is what tends to happen when you get three sportswriters in a room late at night.
Check it out at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm
This was a wild one, folks. Plenty of analysis and insight, but lots of tomfoolery, as usual.
This is what tends to happen when you get three sportswriters in a room late at night.
Check it out at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
They're baaaaaack...
Hunterdon Central is back in the Top 10 after a one week absence in the wake of the Red Devils 9-6 victory over North Hunterdon and difficult weeks by Hillsborough and Watchung Hills.
Check out the latest notebook in Wednesday's print and online editions of the Courier News for more, including standings, stars and the new Top 10.
Check out the latest notebook in Wednesday's print and online editions of the Courier News for more, including standings, stars and the new Top 10.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Monday's roundup
Rutgers Prep pulled off the most significant upset of the county tournament season so far when the 10th-seeded Argonauts toppled seventh-seeded Somerville 7-3 in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament.
Sure, a No. 10 seed knocking off a No. 7 seed usually isn't anything to get too excited about -- Phillipsburg did it to Voorhees in Saturday's preliminary round of the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament. But when you consider that many -- including myself -- are of the opinion that Rutgers Prep probably should have been seeded lower than 10th and Somerville might have gotten squeezed in not getting the No. 6 seed, well, this is quite the accomplishment for Rutgers Prep.
And yes, I will be a man about it and stand up and acknowledge that I picked Somerville as a possible sleeper in this tournament. Oh well.
Enjoy it, Argos. You face Immaculata on Saturday.
Elsewhere in county tournament action Monday, as expected, ninth-seeded Ridge handled eighth-seeded Bernards, as the Red Devils grabbed an 8-2 victory. Senior center fielder Diana Ark had three hits for Ridge, including a triple, and drove in three runs.
Despite a 3-0 loss, nice job by Bound Brook hanging with Watchung Hills. While Courtney Wood did a nice job holding the sixth-seeded Warriors to just three runs, the 11th-seeded Crusaders managed just three hits against Lydia deMartino in Warren.
Finally, fifth-seeded Mount St. Mary disposed of No.12 Pingry 9-0 in Watchung, as Danielle Accardi spun a two-hitter.
Here are the matchups with updated predictions for Saturday's Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. All games at 3 p.m.
No. 9 Ridge at No. 1 Montgomery -- my pick: Montgomery 7-1
No. 10 Rutgers Prep at No. 2 Immaculata -- my pick: Immaculata 6-0
No. 6 Watchung Hills at No. 3 Bridgewater-Raritan -- my pick: Bridgewater-Raritan 3-2
No. 5 Mount St. Mary at No. 4 Hillsborough -- my pick: Mount St. Mary 2-0
I know I originally picked a Bridgewater-Raritan/Hillsborough final, but I cannot ignore the way the Raiders have struggled and the Mount Lions and Montgomery have surged. A MSM/Montgomery semifinal will be very interesting, and I'm sure Cougars coach Johnny Rooney will remind his players what happens when teams are taken lightly.
Also, look for an Immaculata/Bridgewater semifinal -- a rematch of Monday's regular-season game, which I had the pleasure of covering at North Bridge Street Park. A HUGE victory for Bridgewater-Raritan as it rebounds from an awful 10-0 loss to Montgomery last week to jump ahead of the Cougars for the Skyland Conference Dealware East Division lead.
Check out the story at http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/SPORTS03/705010360/1013
I was very impressed by the poise Bridgewater-Raritan junior Lauren Fitzsimmons showed as she no-hit the Spartans on what had to be a difficult day for her after she lost her grandfather, Walter Fitzsimmons, early Monday morning. Granted, Mr. Fitzsimmons had been ill for some time, but it's never easy losing a loved one regardless of whether or not it's expected.
My sincere condolences go out to the Fitzsimmons family.
***
Over in Union County, things went as expected Monday, as top-seeded Governor Livingston handled No. 16 Oak Knoll 3-0; second-seeded Westfield blanked No. 18 Plainfield 10-0; third-seeded Scotch Plains-Fanwood snuck past No. 19 Rahway 3-2 and No. 5 New Providence stayed undefeated with a 3-0 victory over No. 12 Roselle Catholic.
Ninth-seeded Union Catholic, meanwhile, dropped a 6-3 decision to No. 8 Cranford, the defending champ.
There are still some games to be played, so I will offer predictions for the UCT quarterfinals as soon as all the matchups are set.
***
The five-team Prep B Tournament seeds were announced Monday. Fifth-seeded Solomon Schechter will be at No. 4 Gill St. Bernard's on Tuesday, May 8, with the winner facing top seed Pennington in the semifinals on May 10. Second-seeded Rutgers Prep will play host to No. 3 Wardlaw-Hartridge the same day.
The final is slated for Tuesday, May 15.
***
COMING IN WEDNESDAY'S NOTEBOOK
Check out the latest softball notebook in the print and online edition of the Courier News on Wednesday.
In addition to standings, Stars of the Week, the latest Varsity Spotlight and a new Top 10, I will take a look at New Providence's 9-0 start, as well as introduce a brand new feature as one of our local players makes a run at a state record.
Also, myself, Courier News baseball writer Harry Frezza Jr., and our colleague and host Jerry Carino are scheduled to record the latest podcast Wednesday evening, look for that at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm late Thursday morning or early afternoon.
I am taking song request here.
If you missed it, the first three podcasts are available for your listening pleasure using the link above.
Sure, a No. 10 seed knocking off a No. 7 seed usually isn't anything to get too excited about -- Phillipsburg did it to Voorhees in Saturday's preliminary round of the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament. But when you consider that many -- including myself -- are of the opinion that Rutgers Prep probably should have been seeded lower than 10th and Somerville might have gotten squeezed in not getting the No. 6 seed, well, this is quite the accomplishment for Rutgers Prep.
And yes, I will be a man about it and stand up and acknowledge that I picked Somerville as a possible sleeper in this tournament. Oh well.
Enjoy it, Argos. You face Immaculata on Saturday.
Elsewhere in county tournament action Monday, as expected, ninth-seeded Ridge handled eighth-seeded Bernards, as the Red Devils grabbed an 8-2 victory. Senior center fielder Diana Ark had three hits for Ridge, including a triple, and drove in three runs.
Despite a 3-0 loss, nice job by Bound Brook hanging with Watchung Hills. While Courtney Wood did a nice job holding the sixth-seeded Warriors to just three runs, the 11th-seeded Crusaders managed just three hits against Lydia deMartino in Warren.
Finally, fifth-seeded Mount St. Mary disposed of No.12 Pingry 9-0 in Watchung, as Danielle Accardi spun a two-hitter.
Here are the matchups with updated predictions for Saturday's Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. All games at 3 p.m.
No. 9 Ridge at No. 1 Montgomery -- my pick: Montgomery 7-1
No. 10 Rutgers Prep at No. 2 Immaculata -- my pick: Immaculata 6-0
No. 6 Watchung Hills at No. 3 Bridgewater-Raritan -- my pick: Bridgewater-Raritan 3-2
No. 5 Mount St. Mary at No. 4 Hillsborough -- my pick: Mount St. Mary 2-0
I know I originally picked a Bridgewater-Raritan/Hillsborough final, but I cannot ignore the way the Raiders have struggled and the Mount Lions and Montgomery have surged. A MSM/Montgomery semifinal will be very interesting, and I'm sure Cougars coach Johnny Rooney will remind his players what happens when teams are taken lightly.
Also, look for an Immaculata/Bridgewater semifinal -- a rematch of Monday's regular-season game, which I had the pleasure of covering at North Bridge Street Park. A HUGE victory for Bridgewater-Raritan as it rebounds from an awful 10-0 loss to Montgomery last week to jump ahead of the Cougars for the Skyland Conference Dealware East Division lead.
Check out the story at http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/SPORTS03/705010360/1013
I was very impressed by the poise Bridgewater-Raritan junior Lauren Fitzsimmons showed as she no-hit the Spartans on what had to be a difficult day for her after she lost her grandfather, Walter Fitzsimmons, early Monday morning. Granted, Mr. Fitzsimmons had been ill for some time, but it's never easy losing a loved one regardless of whether or not it's expected.
My sincere condolences go out to the Fitzsimmons family.
***
Over in Union County, things went as expected Monday, as top-seeded Governor Livingston handled No. 16 Oak Knoll 3-0; second-seeded Westfield blanked No. 18 Plainfield 10-0; third-seeded Scotch Plains-Fanwood snuck past No. 19 Rahway 3-2 and No. 5 New Providence stayed undefeated with a 3-0 victory over No. 12 Roselle Catholic.
Ninth-seeded Union Catholic, meanwhile, dropped a 6-3 decision to No. 8 Cranford, the defending champ.
There are still some games to be played, so I will offer predictions for the UCT quarterfinals as soon as all the matchups are set.
***
The five-team Prep B Tournament seeds were announced Monday. Fifth-seeded Solomon Schechter will be at No. 4 Gill St. Bernard's on Tuesday, May 8, with the winner facing top seed Pennington in the semifinals on May 10. Second-seeded Rutgers Prep will play host to No. 3 Wardlaw-Hartridge the same day.
The final is slated for Tuesday, May 15.
***
COMING IN WEDNESDAY'S NOTEBOOK
Check out the latest softball notebook in the print and online edition of the Courier News on Wednesday.
In addition to standings, Stars of the Week, the latest Varsity Spotlight and a new Top 10, I will take a look at New Providence's 9-0 start, as well as introduce a brand new feature as one of our local players makes a run at a state record.
Also, myself, Courier News baseball writer Harry Frezza Jr., and our colleague and host Jerry Carino are scheduled to record the latest podcast Wednesday evening, look for that at http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia/index.htm late Thursday morning or early afternoon.
I am taking song request here.
If you missed it, the first three podcasts are available for your listening pleasure using the link above.
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