Manasquan stayed just ahead of softball all-stars in Section 3 finals
By: Justin Feil
If West Windsor wasn’t in the visiting dugout for Monday’s Section 3 softball final, the game could have gone on forever.
The 13-year-old all-stars showed the resilience that made them District 12 champions in twice rallying from deficits, but fell to Manasquan-Brielle scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to win, 9-8. That sets up a winner-take-all final Tuesday 8 p.m. at the East Windsor PAL field.
"I’ll never forget this game," said WW manager Jack Kasper. "The way we came back twice. We didn’t lose. We just ran out of innings."
For more than half the contest, it didn’t look possible. A five-run Manasquan second inning followed by another run in the third inning had West Windsor staring a 6-0 challenge in the face. After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, things got a little bleaker. Then in the fifth inning, the rains came and looked like they would wash away any hope for a comeback.
But West Windsor sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth to pull even, 6-6. It started innocently enough with Nicole Forant taking a pitch in the foot. After a strikeout, Jessica Westermeier reached on an error and Samantha Crist loaded the bases with a single.
West Windsor finally got on the scoreboard when Katy Hubbard, who came in to relieve Kelly Kasper to start the fourth inning, slapped a single to score a run, then Christa Volker followed with an RBI single, Kristen Ryan knocked in two runs with a double and Kasper walked to load the bases again. Volker scored when Lori Favre reached on an error and after Ryan was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice, Katlin Saville tied the score, 6-6, with a bases-loaded walk.
Manasquan, to their credit, came right back in its half of the inning to pull ahead with two runs. Only a quick throw and great scoop by Volker at the plate prevented a ninth run from scoring then.
In West Windsor’s sixth inning, the guests tied it again with a pair of runs. Crist tripled and when the relay throw sailed into the Manasquan dugout, WW had a leadoff run. Hubbard then lofted a fly ball that the right fielder misjudged and Volker followed with a single. Ryan walked to load the bases with no outs and then Kasper drove in the typing run with a single. But that was all the damage West Windsor could do.
After a scoreless half of the seventh inning, Manasqan put runners on second and third with one out before Hubbard struck out one batter. But the next batter knocked a two-strike pitch into center field for the game-winner.
"When we had the bases loaded and no outs and didn’t push anyone across in the bottom of the sixth, that hurt us," Jack Kasper said. "But they’re not hanging their heads. They’re ready to come back.
"They would have done it (come back) again. They just ran out of innings. This team doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit."