Raiders can’t defeat Lawrenceville for third time this season
By: Justin Feil
PENNINGTON Coming into the Prep A state final, the Hun School softball team felt confident. The Raiders were facing a Lawrenceville team that they had already topped twice this season and twice last season, and on the mound for them was Christine Czarnecki, who hadn’t allowed a run to the Big Red in 30 innings.
That streak stretched three more innings before Lawrenceville scored twice in the fourth inning on its way to a 3-1 win over Hun on Thursday.
The Raiders had chances. They scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but their defense couldn’t keep them within a run when the Big Red got an unearned run of their own in the bottom of the fifth. In the seventh, Hun left two runners on to end the season.
"We had had a couple good practices," said Hun head coach Kathy Quirk, whose team finishes its season 15-5 overall. "We had practiced the things we needed to to get ready. We just didn’t execute. Our hitting was bad. Our bunts were bad and we didn’t field well."
For Hun, which came into the season hoping to avenge losses last year in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League, Mercer County Tournament and state finals, it was a case of bad timing. It wasn’t the day for the fielding and hitting to slip.
"Especially," Quirk said, "when you’ve beaten them twice before. We just couldn’t capitalize."
Hun did win the MAPL tournament, stopping Lawrenceville, 3-0, for one tournament title. The Raiders lost to eventual MCT champion Steinert in the MCT semifinals when they had just one hit and committed five errors. Thursday, they again managed just one hit, this time off of Amanda Cmielewski.
The loss ends the high school careers for Czarnecki, first baseman Alana Fares and center fielder Natalie Grossman. Hun expects to return the rest of its team.
"We lose three," Quirk said. "Czar is going to be tough to replace, but I think that Emily Rosenthal is ready to step up. I have a group of outfielders who are all looking to play. And Hillary D’Angelo is our back-up first baseman and she’s anxious to play.
"They know that next year, we still have some unfinished business. We won the MAPL. Maybe that’s a step closer to winning states."
The expectations won’t be any lower with so many players returning, not to mention any incoming freshman or transfers that might help the Raiders. And that’s the way that Quirk likes it.
"They are competitive," she said. "They set high goals every year. I think every year is a rebuilding year, but I think we have a good group behind this one ready to go."
It will be up to them to go after the elusive pieces of the puzzle, the MCT and state titles, when the new-look Raiders return next season with the same high hopes.