SPORTS

CN-area softball roundup for Saturday, April 15

Simeon Pincus

@SimeonPincus

NJ Pride Gold Classic at Ivy Hill Park

Montgomery 4, Livingston 0: Junior Peyton Schnackenberg twirled a two-hit shutout, walking none and striking out 10 as Montgomery stayed undefeated. Julie Loffredo, Kira Ferraiolo, Madison Wilson and Kylie Karsay each singled and drove in a run for the Cougars (5-0).
ANALYSIS: Montgomery just got finished beating the reigning state Group IV champs in Watchung Hills the other day, now adding the team the Warriors beat in last year’s Group IV semifinals to its list of victims. Huge game on tap Tuesday against North Hunterdon with first place in the Skyland Raritan on the line.

Watchung Hills 7, Nutley 2: Erin Bean went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, two runs and two RBIs, and Robin McCabe allowed just two runs on six hits, one walk and struck out nine to lead Watchung Hills. Tina Zoppi chipped in a single, double, two runs and an RBI for the Warriors (6-1).
ANALYSIS: A nice complete effort on a big stage, as Ivy Hill Park hosted five high-profile games at today’s event, hosted by Mount St. Dominic Academy. That’s Bean’s third three-hit game of the week, lifting her average to .450.

Hillsborough 3, Cedar Grove 0: Karlie Manco posted the lone hit for Hillsborough (0-4), which fell victim to Cedar Grove ace Mia Faieta, who struck out 16. Courtney Wengryn took the hard-luck loss, allowing three runs, two earned, in the fourth inning, giving up just five hits, one walk and striking out eight on the day.
ANALYSIS: Plenty of offenses are going to have a hard time against Faieta, but the big positive in this one for the Raiders is Wengryn turning in a very solid outing in the circle for a team that’s struggled to hold opposing offenses down in the early season. Big game coming up Tuesday at home for Boro against Bridgewater-Raritan, with a double-bye in the county tournament likely on the line.

Red Devil Tournament at Hillcrest Park, Readington

Hunterdon Central 3, Jefferson 2: Alex DeStafano finished 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Gianna Colalillo added three hits of her own as Hunterdon Central prevailed in the Red Devils Tournament opener. Marissa DeVincenzo and Lindsay Zengel also drove in runs for the Red Devils (6-0).

Sparta 2, Hunterdon Central 1: Madison McKevitt collected two hits and an RBI, and Julia Wickman allowed just two runs on six hits, walked none and struck out three, but host Hunterdon Central fell in the Red Devils Tournament final. Central is 6-1.
ANALYSIS: A great start for Central is certainly not tainted by losing a one-run game to a quality club like Sparta. Look for the Red Devils to get right back to their winning ways on Thursday against Phillipsburg.

Sparta 6, Voorhees 0: Melissa Will singled for Voorhees, but the Vikings were one-hit by Sparta’s Paige Smith in the opener of the Red Devil Tournament, falling to 3-3.

Jefferson 21, Voorhees 1 (5 innings): Kaylee Colantano posted an RBI and Julia Governali singled and scored a run, but Voorhees (3-3) fell to Jefferson in the third-place game.
ANALYSIS: Not a good day at the office for the Vikings, who have lost three straight after a 3-0 start. Granted, those three losses have come to powerhouses – Sparta, Jefferson and North Hunterdon – so Voorhees should be able to put these games out of its head as it prepares for a strong of high-leverage conference games.

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Union Catholic Tournament

Union Catholic 16, Linden 6 (6 innings): Megan Sloane hit a grand slam, and Lindsey Rotoly homered and knocked in three runs, as Union Catholic rolled. Leah DelNegro also drove in three for the Vikings (3-2), while winning pitcher Justina Benvenuto helped her own cause with a single, double, three runs and two RBIs.

Elizabeth 7, Union Catholic 6: Justina Benvenuto doubled twice and drove in a run and Isabel Santiago knocked in another, but Elizabeth scored twice in the seventh inning to defeat host Union Catholic in the final. The Vikings are 3-3.

Other regular-season games

North Hunterdon 8, Lodi Immaculate 0: Maggie Swan spun a three-hit shutout, walking none and striking out 10 as North Hunterdon improved to 7-1. Swan added a single and two RBIs, while Meghan Graham singled, homered and drove in a pair. Kira Thomas chipped in a single and a double for the Lions.
ANALYSIS: Swan continues to be one of the breakout stories of 2017, adding another shutout to her ledger. The junior has now thrown or participated in five straight shutouts, running her scoreless streak to 30 innings after Saturday’s outing. I pointed out Megan Hanily as a potential Player of the Week candidate earlier this week, but I might have to rethink which North Hunterdon player is going to get the nod when I release the ballot on Sunday.

Bridgewater-Raritan 11, Bernards 6: Sam Ward ripped a three-run homer during a four-run fifth inning as Bridgewater-Raritan rallied from a 4-1 deficit, and the Panthers added six more in the sixth to pull away. Ward finished with two hits, while Sarah Karmazyn went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and three RBIs in the victory as B-R improved to 6-1. Madison Capetta singled twice, doubled and scored three runs for the Panthers. Hailey Huamani singled and drove in two runs and Amanda Paris went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Bernards (1-6).
ANALYSIS: Once again, B-R’s offense does all the heavy lifting late to overcome less-than-stellar pitching that put the Panthers in an early hole. But I actually have to seen the silver lining for Bernards here. The Mountaineers have struggled mightily on defense in the early season, but committed just one error in this one. No shame giving up 11 runs to Bridgewater-Raritan, which despite its pitching woes, still boasts one of the area’s most potent offensive attacks.

Bernards 10, Middlesex 9 (9 innings): Caroline Baratta finished 3-for-3 with a double, three runs and three RBIs, and Missy Connolly singled, doubled, scored a run and drove in two more and Bernards scored on a ninth-inning error to snap a five-game losing streak. Shannon Harzula singled twice, scored a run and drove in another for the Mountaineers (2-6).
ANALYSIS: The Mountaineers had to sweat this one, after Middlesex scored four runs in the sixth inning to tie the game. But Bernards will certainly take it after a rough couple of weeks.

Delaware Valley 11, J.F. Kennedy 2: Meghan Haff went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two runs and five RBIs, and Madison Brogan went 4-for-5 with three runs and an RBI to fuel Delaware Valley (4-4). Annaliese Rohrbaugh allowed just one earned run on six hits, walked three and struck out six to earn the victory.
ANALYSIS: The Terriers have given me whiplash, following up a rough 0-4 start with four straight victories, including a trio of offensive explosions in their last three outings, including a stunning topping of Hillsborough on Thursday. Haff’s bat is back and doing damage, but the sophomore has yet to start a game in the circle. Doesn’t seem to be a problem, as Rohrbaugh has been doing a great job of late, giving the ace plenty of time to get back to full strength. Del Val’s got key conference games next week against Belvidere and Bernards on tap as the Terriers look to continue their roll.

Somerville 16, North Brunswick 10: Jazley Szierer and Veronica Dobranski each posted three hits, a run and four RBIs, and Emily Markowski doubled twice and knocked in three runs to propel Somerville (2-3). Jessica Pinho added three hits, including a double, three runs and two RBIs for the Pioneers.
ANALYSIS: Each team scored five runs in their respective half of the seventh inning to run the score up, as Somerville’s six-run third inning and five-run fourth proved all the Pioneers needed. Love seeing Ville’s offense flex its muscles. And how about Markowski, the sectional-championship winning basketball standout, showing she can swing the bat, too! She’s had a very nice start to her softball season, fitting in nicely to a potent offense that seems to have gotten on track.

Manville 12, Plainfield 2 (5 innings): Samantha Zuza allowed just two runs on one hit, walked four and struck out seven over five inning to lift Manville (2-4). Zuza added a single, two runs and two RBIs, while Mindy Sonnenberg finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the victory. Briana Rivera singled twice and drove in three runs for the Mustangs. Karelis Acosta drove in a run for Plainfield (1-1).
ANALYSIS: Good win for Manville, which has played very well, even in its last two losses, both one-run setbacks. The Mustangs face a tough task Tuesday against Gill St. Bernard’s.

Westfield 11, Edison 1 (6 innings): Bridget Hylan allowed no earned run on just four hits, walked one and struck out six to lift Westfield (4-2). Rachel Rothenberg doubled and drove in three runs and Erica Lawrence went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in the victory. Danielle Rinaldi and Julia Romano each contributed two RBIs to the Blue Devils’ cause.
ANALYSIS: Westfield has clearly put its 8-2 opening-day loss to Cranford in its rearview mirror, reeling off four wins in the five games since, with the only loss coming by one run to Governor Livingston. The Blue Devils are making a case for a berth in the Top 10, but have a tough week ahead of them, with Roselle Park, A.L. Johnson and Chatham on the slate.

Ridge 11, Morristown 1 (6 innings): Maya Bharatiya fired a five-hitter, allowing no earned runs on no walks over six innings as Ridge improved to 4-2. Jordan Richman singled twice and drove in four runs for the Red Devils, who got a single, triple, homer and two runs scored from Kritin Miscia.
ANALYSIS: I’m running out of superlatives to describe my absolute delight for the Red Devils and their insanely good start. This Morristown team played a one-run game against Bridgewater-Raritan just the other day, so for Ridge to come out and 10-run the Colonials, that’s just yet another thing to be impressed with. I will be releasing my Somerset County Tournament seeding projection on Monday evening, but it’s looking like Ridge is going to get the No. 3 seed. If you had told me that two weeks ago, I’d have given you the phone number for a good psychiatrist.

From Friday

Delaware Valley 13, South Hunterdon 2 (5 innings): Sarah Zengel posted three hits, including two home runs, driving in six runs, and Annalise Rohbough allowed just one earned run on four hits, walked none and struck out five as Delaware Valley won its third straight. Maddie Brogan chipped in two hits and two RBIs for the Terriers (3-4).Giovanna Rubino doubled and scored a run for South Hunterdon (3-2).

Staff writer Simeon Pincus can be reached atCourierSoftball@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus and atwww.Facebook.com/SimeonPincusCN.