Cougars shut down West Milford, 4-0
By: Justin Feil
RAMSEY — Ladies Night may have come to an end in New Jersey, but not for the Montgomery High softball team.
&nsp; The Cougars advanced to the Group III state championship with a 4-0 of West Milford in the Group III semifinals on Thursday. West Milford’s season ended with a 25-5 record, while the Cougars improved to 21-4 heading into its first group title game since winning Group I in 1998. MHS will face Hammonton, the South Jersey III winner, 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Toms River East for the state title.
&nsp; "It’s not going to hit me until next year," said Renee Totaro, the MHS third basemen whose bases-loaded single followed by a West Milford error scored three of the Cougar runs in the top of the fourth inning. "We’re just going to have to play our game. Any win, we’ll take it. No matter how we win we’ll take it."
&nsp; Once again, aggressive base-running forced an opponent into mistakes and opened the door for MHS. In the sectional final win over Raritan a week earlier, it was freshman pinch-runner Morgan O’Neill who raced home all the way from first base with the winning run on an attempted steal that brought two errant throws.
&nsp; In the third inning of a scoreless game, it was freshman Ali Tartacoff, serving as a courtesy runner for pitcher Amanda Heller after her looping single to right, who was hit with a pick-off attempt and was awarded third base when the ball skipped out of play. With lead-off Tori Sensi batting – the same player who was batting when O’Neill won the sectional game – Tartacoff slid under the tag on a wild pitch for a 1-0 MHS lead.
&nsp; "We put a freshman in there, but Ali Tartacoff has a sense of the game," said MHS head coach Johnny Rooney. "She motored around the bases. I told her when she got to third, that if she had a chance to score to do it. She didn’t wait. She’s a good athlete and she just reacted."
&nsp; It was one of three runs from pinch- or courtesy-running Cougars on Thursday. In the big fourth inning, Sarah Jensen had a one-out single, Joanna D’Ercole had an infield single and Tara Bucci reached base on a fielder’s choice that didn’t get anyone out. Totaro then singled off the West Milford pitcher’s glove and the ball deflected by the shortstop as Natalie Franzi – running for Jensen – and D’Ercole scored before Kim Dougherty – a courtesy runner for Bucci, the catcher – scored on an overthrow to third base.
&nsp; "I love pinch running," said Franzi, one of six Cougar seniors. "I’ve been doing it since my freshman year."
&nsp; Franzi had to adjust to a new role this season after starting at catcher last year. This year, she’s been used more exclusively as a pinch-runner and a back-up to Bucci.
&nsp; "At first, it was really hard," Franzi said. "Coming from last year, and being third-team all-conference, was tough, but the team started doing well and I took a role on the team to help everyone out. I try to help out Bucci when she needs it and do what I can."
&nsp; Bucci and the Cougars defense was again stellar behind the solid pitching of Heller, who allowed just four hits and struck out three while walking none. For the second straight game, Bucci ended all thoughts of a running game by throwing out the first would-be base stealer in the first inning. The fielders did the rest, epitomized by the final inning.
&nsp; First, shortstop Katherine Stoltenberg ranged to her right to backhand a hit in the hole, planted and fired to first for the out. The next batter hit a hard one-hopper to Sensi at second base for the second out, and the third batter went down the third-base line where Totaro smothered the ball and threw to first to end the game.
&nsp; "It’s been that way all year," Rooney said. "Matt Varhley (his assistant) has made this infield fundamentally sound. It’s unbelievable. It’s exciting. I can’t believe we’re playing the Group III championship."
&nsp; In the bottom of the fourth, D’Ercole made two catches in center field to prevent a lead-off triple from scoring. MHS also erased a second-inning threat when Christy Whitehead raced in from first to catch a bunt attempt to begin a double play.
&nsp; The key Thursday was the continued strong play of the defense and the surprisingly potent MHS offense. The Cougars were batting just .220 coming into the Group III semifinal, but outshone the Highlanders at the plate and in the field.
&nsp; "With Amanda on the mound and the way our defense has played all year," Rooney began, "shutting this team out isn’t the biggest surprise. Probably putting four runs on the board is. It didn’t surprise me how we scored the runs. We scrapped for runs. It’s what we have to do."
&nsp; It’s what Hammonton, the self-proclaimed Blueberry Capitol of the World, can expect from a MHS softball team that seems in perfect season. The Cougars look for their first Group III softball crown in school history Saturday.
&nsp; "This is incredible," Franzi said. "We hoped to do really well. This has surpassed everything."
&nsp; "It’s awesome," Rooney said. "It’s like a dream."
&nsp; For the MHS softball team, Ladies Night lives with their dream season.