Softball
By: Mike Molaro
Fifty-degree temperature and showers aren’t exactly the ideal conditions in which to play a state tournament softball game.
But 10th-seeded Hopewell Valley Central High School and second-seeded Montgomery had to face each other last Thursday in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Athletic Association’s Central Jersey Group II bracket.
Although the weather didn’t affect the outcome, the Lady Bulldogs (12-10 overall, 9-6 in the Colonial Valley Division) gave the home team all it could handle until a three-run bottom of the sixth inning proved their downfall in a 4-1 loss.
HoVal had defeated the Cougars 3-2 in regular season action on May 19.
"The weather conditions were poor," Lady Bulldogs coach Tony Mormile said. "But the upcoming forecast was not good. We knew that we had to get the game in on that day because the rest of the week was calling for rain. It was the right decision to play."
HoVal, which had five hits but made four errors, scored in the top of the sixth after Montgomery took a 4-1 lead on a double by sophomore Lindsay Sorg and sophomore Becca Rhebergen’s RBI single. Junior Megan Lanouette smacked a triple for the Lady Bulldogs and junior right-hander Stephanie Miller allowed just five hits.
"We had one bad inning," added Mormile. "We committed a couple of errors. Stephanie pitched a solid game. She threw one or two pitches that they got a hold of. The weather didn’t hinder the pitchers throwing strikes."
A good defensive play by Montgomery kept the Lady Bulldogs, who defeated seventh-seeded Somerville 1-0 in the first round, off the scoreboard in the top of the first. Lanouette tried to score from third on a wild pitch, but the Cougars catcher scooped the ball and fired a strike to home plate, where the Montgomery pitcher put a sweeping tag on Lanouette.
"That was a very close play and a big play for them," Mormile said. "That would’ve put us up 1-0. That play stopped our momentum and shifted it to them. Megan slid right into the tag. You have to give Montgomery credit because it was a good play by both the catcher to get back there so fast and make a good throw and the pitcher for making the tag. She didn’t even look. She just put her glove down and Megan slid right into it."
Aside from the sixth-inning run, the Lady Bulldogs couldn’t muster much offense against Amanda Heller.
"We couldn’t string any hits together," added Mormile.
HoVal, which tentatively has two CVC games remaining this season, thought it could have a longer ride in the CJ II tournament.
"The girls were a little down after the game," Mormile said. "We beat Montgomery earlier in the week. We were confident going into the game. The girls had some great accomplishments getting into the states.
"The coaches felt we could’ve gone far in this tournament. I think the girls feel the same way. We are all a little down."
Their dream of a sectional title is gone, but the Lady Bulldogs made a strong presence in the state tournament.
NOTES: The May 21 home game against West Windsor-Plainsboro North was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for Thursday.
Last Friday’s game at Trenton was postponed due to rain and will not be made up. The Lady Bulldogs were scheduled to visit Hamilton on Wednesday.
The Hornets are competing in the CJ III bracket, so Wednesday’s game was dependent upon their success in the tournament.

