Red Raider bats come alive

Softball

By: Jim Green
   Even though The Pennington School’s softball team was shutout last Thursday in the first round of the Mercer County Tournament against West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Red Raiders coach Dean Waters thought he saw signs that his lineup was about to break out of its season-long slump.
   Those signs turned into tangible results the last two games, as the Red Raiders hammered Saddle River 11-1 Friday and defeated a solid Lawrence squad 4-3 Monday at Lawrence High School. Pennington (9-4) had three extra-base hits, including two home runs, in the victory over the Cardinals.
   "We started hitting better against West Windsor (-Plainsboro) South," Waters said. "I think our bats are finally coming around."
   Luckily for the Red Raiders, they have been able to rely on senior pitcher Lisa Pachence all season, even when their bats were struggling. Pachence improved to 4-3 Monday, allowing one earned run on nine hits while striking out three and walking three over seven innings.
   "Lisa (Pachence) pitched a nice game," Waters said. "She’s a battler."
   Lawrence pitcher Kally Hanlon also pitched seven solid innings, surrendering four runs on eight hits while striking out five. But Pennington was able to get to Hanlon early.
   Red Raiders center fielder Hope Nemeth led off the top of the first with a single and moved to second on a stolen base. Two batters later, shortstop Cat Wojciechowski smacked a two-run inside-the-park homer to left-center.
   The Red Raiders added a single tally in the second. Right fielder Kristin Reiter led off with a single and scored after two Lawrence fielding errors moved her around the bases.
   Pachence said she received confidence from the early run support.
   "We definitely haven’t been hitting up to our potential," she said. "We just started to hit our groove. It’s great because we have so much potential."
   Lawrence answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. Shortstop Rachael Smith and second baseman Liz Casale notched singles, and a Pennington error brought Smith home, cutting the Red Raiders’ lead to 3-1.
   The score remained 3-1 until the top of the sixth, when Pennington first baseman Robyn Jones smacked the Red Raiders’ second home run of the game to deep left-center. Smith responded by hitting a homer in the bottom of the sixth for Lawrence, slashing the deficit to 4-2.
   The Cardinals managed to put together a seventh-inning rally, started by a single from Jamie Searing. First baseman Michele Van Arsdale reached on an error with two outs, scoring Searing. Catcher Erin Gomez then singled sharply to center, putting the tying and winning runs on base for center fielder Emily Panasowich. But Panasowich popped out to first, as Pachence escaped with the victory.
   "The last inning I think I was a little anxious because I knew the meat of their (the Cardinals’) lineup was coming up," Pachence said. "But we pulled out the win."
   Pennington didn’t have to worry about any late rallies from their opponent Friday. The Red Raiders rebounded from their loss in the county tournament by pounding Saddle River, as Kylee Rossi went 2-for-2 with two runs and three steals, and Victoria Hanks went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
   Wojciechowski went 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, and Jackie Strober had two hits and two RBIs. Reiter knocked in two runs, Jones scored two runs, and Pachence went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Stephanie Schroeder pitched four shutout innings for her fifth win.
   The Red Raiders’ recent offensive outburst gives them confidence heading into the prep state tournament.
   "It (the states) will be a tough tournament," Pachence. "And I hope our hitting will come through, as well as our defense and our pitching."