Extra Bases: Snap Judgments from Friday’s softball action (4/5)

1. What a win for No. 15 Old Tappan over No. 8 Paramus Catholic, 3-2, at PC. Mary Wiley capped her perfect day at the plate with a go-ahead, game-winning RBI single in the top of the seventh to bring home Amanda DiTrolio and give the Golden Knights the one-run lead. DiTrolio led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Kristen Farrell. Wiley finished 3-for-3 with a double, while teammates Katie Neglia and Emma Nelson each drove in one. Farrell improved to 3-0 in the circle with two strikeouts and no walks. 

2. So what if Ramsey lost the majority of last year’s 26-2 team. The Rams improved to 2-1 on Friday with an 8-3 win over No. 17 Pascack Hills, getting two RBIs each from seniors Melanie Consiglio and Kayla Gravalis and junior Christina Esposito. Esposito homered, while Consiglio and Gravalis each went 3-for-4 with a double. Jess Juhlin improved to 2-1 in the circle for the Rams, who took control of the game with a five-run second inning.

3. That name Emily Kline keeps popping up for Park Ridge, as the 11th-ranked Owls improved to 3-0 with an 8-0 win over Emerson on Friday. Kline starred both offensively and in the circle, as she blasted a home run, a double, drove in three runs and threw a two-hitter while striking out 11 for her third win of the year. Lindsey Beer added one RBI.

4. Unranked Pascack Valley improved to 3-1 (says the e-mail we got, but I have them at 2-1? #FearTheIndian, help me out?) on Friday with a 14-2 win over Tenafly. Winning pitcher Jenny Schneider threw a two-hitter while striking out seven, and also did some damage at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a grand slam. Teammate Rachel Squiccimarri went 3-for-4 with a double for the Indians, who erupted for 10 runs in the first inning.

5. Another team to keep an eye on is Clifton, which improved to 3-0 with a 20-0 win over Eastside. The Mustangs have outscored their opponents (Passaic Tech, Kennedy and Eastside), 53-1. Amanda Marakovitz continues to shine in the circle, improving to 3-0 after throwing a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts. Marakovitz also tripled and drove in four at the plate, while teammate Kim D’Agosta doubled twice and drove in six.

6. Fair Lawn continued to stay hot the opening week of the year, improving to 3-0 after its 2-0 win over Wayne Valley. Marissa Spinuzzi starred again in the circle, firing a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts. Senior catcher Alexis Bush notched career hit No. 100 with an RBI double and Brittany Meerholz added one RBI as well. The Cutters struck for one run in the first and sixth innings.

7. Immaculate Conception coach Jeff Horohonich picked up win No. 499 in five innings Friday in a 12-0 win over Weehawken, thanks in large part to Shannon Truppi‘s big day. Truppi doubled twice, tripled and drove in four. Teammate Andee Lupica tossed a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts as Immaculate Conception improved to 2-0. Horohonich goes for win No. 500 today at Secaucus, and I’ll be there.

8. Hawthorne won its second straight game after a heartbreaker on Opening Day, getting a complete game shutout from senior pitcher Megan Matthews. She finished with seven strikeouts. Rachael Milbrook and Kimberly Mulvey each drove in one for Hawthorne, which jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second.

9. Indian Hills knocked off its third straight win vs. a Top 25 team on Friday, defeating No. 18 Hackensack, 5-0. The Braves have also beaten No. 13 Northern Highlands and No. 14 Paramus and outscored all three, 18-1. Devin Durando was outstanding again for Indian Hills, tossing a complete game three-hit shutout, with 14 strikeouts. This coming after a 17-strikeout perfect game vs. Highlands earlier this week.

10. The Record’s Ed Mills did a great job with his Paramus-Northern Highlands game story, which sounds like an instant classic. Paramus won, 10-9, in eight innings, but Highlands overcame an eight-run deficit (and actually took a 9-8 lead with six runs in the 7th) to force extra innings. Sophomore DP Jessica Iacobazzo delivered the game-winning hit in the 8th. Nicolette Kupersmith homered and drove in four.

And one other note… If you wanna see some quality softball with some of the top teams in the state, head over to Immaculate Heart today for the IHA Invitational. IHA-Hillsborough at 10 a.m.; Mount St. Dominic-Allentown at noon; DePaul-Middletown South at 2 p.m. Sunday is good, too… with Indian Hills taking on Caravel (the team that “beat” IHA in scrimmages the last two years), Saddle Brook vs. Raritan, and St. John Vianney vs. Livingston, starting at 10 a.m.

QUICK PITCHES

– No. 6 Saddle Brook defeated North Arlington, 20-0, as Lorena Alvarez and Natalie Alvarez both homered. Lorena drove in five, while Natalie drove in two. Katie Garbarino doubled and drove in three, Gina Gravina tripled and had 2 RBI, and Alexia Russo drove in two and also got the win in the circle.

– No. 9 Rutherford defeated Glen Rock, 7-1, getting three RBI from Gina Viggiano and one RBI each from Kat Calabrese, Julie Sosnicki, Natalie Elise and Brielle Prince. Sosnicki got the win in the circle to improve to 2-0.

– No. 21 Ramapo defeated No. 7 Ridgewood, 11-5, as Sammy Szura homered and drove in three, while teammate Melanie Psota got the win. Lexi Graber finished with four RBI for the Raiders, who now  have two wins vs. Top 25 teams (No. 7 Ridgewood, No. 18 Hackensack) and a one-run loss to another (No. 14 Paramus, 4-3).

– No. 24 Bergen Tech defeated Passaic Tech, 10-2, as Melanie Hrbek homered and got the win in the circle with an 11-strikeout performance to improve to 2-0. Tara Spendley also homered and drove in two, while Jen Mele doubled, tripled and finished with two RBI.

– Pompton Lakes defeated Eastern Christian, 5-3, as Caroline Medino struck out eight in the complete game for her second win of the year. Medino and Dani Regina each drove in a pair of runs.

– Ridgefield Park defeated Cliffside Park, 7-5, as Natalie Gomez and Irene Kontogiannis both homered and drove in two runs. Allie Lawlor and Julie Rovito each tripled, and Kontogiannis got the win in the circle with six strikeouts for Ridgefield Park, now 2-1.

– Demarest defeated Teaneck, 9-6, to move to 2-1 on the year, as Gabby Garcia doubled, homered and drove in three. Stefanie Antoshak got the win.

– Hasbrouck Heights defeated Becton, 7-3, as Sami Partyka and Diana Torres both homered and combined for 3 RBI. Partyka also got the win.

– River Dell defeated Westwood, 9-0, as Cathy Antonelli improved to 2-1 in the circle while also doubling and driving in two. Sarah Recanati doubled and drove in a run and Lindsey Clark tripled.

– Dumont defeated Fort Lee, 4-2, getting a triple and 3 RBI from Paige Godlewski. Teammate Lindsey Gray got the win.

– Passaic defeated Kennedy, 12-4, as Militza Rivera notched a pair of doubles and drove in three. Jacqueline Carnero homered, drove in two and was the winning pitcher.

 

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