Allen, Morgan, Mehrer all toss pitching gems

By: Sean Moylan
   If the 2005 Bordentown Regional High School girls’ softball team goes on to have an extended, memorable run in the playoffs, the Scotties can always look back at the fifth inning of last Thursday’s 6-5 home win over Maple Shade as one of the turning points of the season.
   Down 5-3 in the frame, Kara Lynch sparked a rally with a walk and a steal of second. Megan Temple, Taryn Lynch and Hillary Allen all followed with RBI doubles and, suddenly, Bordentown was up 6-5.
   With the addition of K. Lynch and Allen this year, the Scotties are getting clutch hitting. They are also holding leads.
   "Definitely, you want to win these kind of games," said Bordentown Coach Michele Brennan.
   On the mound, Allen (seven innings, four earned runs, seven strikeouts, 10 hits) bent but never broke while earning the victory.
   "She (Allen) pitched a good game. They have some hitters on that team," noted Brennan.
   T. Lynch was 3-for-3 with three doubles and two RBI while Meghan McDonald cracked a triple and Reannon Trogdon drove in a run.
   Then on Friday, Bordentown recorded perhaps its best win of the year when it defeated Holy Cross, 3-2, at Delran.
   It was a tremendous team effort. Allen threw all of her pitches to walk away with a complete-game victory.
   Meanwhile Trogdon and T. Lynch supported Allen with their big bats. Trogdon had a RBI double in the third and a RBI single in the fifth to put Bordentown up 3-1. T. Lynch (a single and a walk) was on base in both innings. K. Lynch (single), however, actually scored the Scotties’ third run. She had two hits. McDonald (2-for-4) had a leadoff double in the second and went to third on a misplay in the field. She later scored Bordentown’s first run on a Jessica Swanson comebacker to the mound. Meanwhile, Allen and Bordentown actually escaped many tough jams.
   "They (the Lancers) had an inning with bases loaded and one out and we were able to get out of it," Brennan added.
   The hard-hitting Maple Shade club got some revenge with a 7-6 win over Bordentown on Monday.
   However, McDonald made the game very exciting with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh, which gave Bordentown a temporary 6-5 lead. Unfortunately, Maple Shade scored three times in the bottom of the frame to win. McDonald also had a double and Allen drove in two of Bordentown’s runs.
   Trogdon (4-1) suffered her first loss of the season.
   "Reannon (Trogdon) threw a nice game," said Brennan.
   With Jeanine Foster, a slick-fielding third baseman, out the last two weeks with an illness, Bordentown has been using Sam Harding and Joan Jaczko at third. They’re done a nice job but the team still misses Foster’s glove and leadership.
   On Tuesday Allen threw a perfect game in Bordentown’s lopsided 21-0 home win over Medford Tech.
   Allen fanned 12 batters over five innings to improve her record to 4-2.
   "We had 19 hits and lots of walks," noted Brennan, who kept her kids from taking the extra base when the lead was safe.
   T. Lynch, once again, was the hitting star with a double, triple and five RBI. Trogdon, Jaczko and Jessica Swanson each had two RBI while K. Lynch, Temple, Allen and McDonald each had an RBI.
   Bordentown (8-3) is scheduled at McCorristin on Monday. Then on Tuesday, Bordentown is scheduled to host Westampton Tech.
   NBC



   Chelsey Morgan delivered one final going away present for her Northern Burlington County Regional High School varsity softball teammates before flying off to Florida for her Senior Class Trip when she shutout Moorestown 11-0 on the road last Thursday.
   On the surface it looked like just another "typical" NBC victory.
   However, NBC did have one very minor score to settle with Moorestown.
   "We had only scored four runs on them last year and they basically went after you," said NBC Coach Brian Wolverton, who issued a challenge for his kid to score early and often.
   "The kids did what I asked them to do."
   After building up a considerable lead, NBC concentrated on its slapping and bunting.
   Morgan hurled a six-hitter to improve her record to 14-1. She also went 3-for-4 at the plate.
   Meanwhile NBC collected a total of 10 hits, including a triple by Lyndsay Mouse and doubles by Jess Mouse and Michelle Reed.
   Normally, Wolverton would not welcome a week off for his Greyhounds. But his club has played so many games (16) so far there is no reason to think they won’t stay sharp and focused.
   "It’s good (having a break). We’re getting to the tough part of the season," said Wolverton, who recently checked in with Morgan in Florida and knows she’s getting her throwing in.
   NBC players are starting to compile some awesome stats. Morgan is 14-1 with seven shutouts and 96 Ks. She also has six doubles and 20 RBI.
   NBC’s Stefani Poedubicky has an amazing five triples, three doubles and two homers while driving in 10 runs.
   Jess Mouse has 18 RBI, three doubles, two triples and a pair of homers. Lyndsay Mouse, who missed several games with an injury, has two triples and one big homer versus Rancocas Valley. She also has eight RBI. But everyone on the Greyhounds is getting it done at the plate.
   NBC (15-1) is scheduled to host Moorestown today (Thursday). Then on Saturday it is scheduled to compete in the Hammonton Tournament. On Tuesday NBC is scheduled to host Delran.
   FLORENCE



   Matched up against weaker opponents from Westampton Tech and Medford Tech this past week, George Chwastyk had every reason to expect something very close to perfection out of his talented Florence Township Memorial High School girls’ varsity softball team.
   And wouldn’t you know it, he got it as Melissa Mehrer and Kim Ostrander combined for a no-hitter and a 15-0 win at Westampton Tech last Friday. Then, Mehrer no-hit Medford in a 17-0 Florence home win on Monday.
   The victory over Westampton, however, was perhaps the more impressive of the two wins.
   "Melissa Mehrer . . . she pitched four innings of all strikeouts," said Chwastyk, who used senior Kim Ostrander to close the game out.
   She held Westampton hitless in the fifth.
   "Kim (Ostrander) looked pretty good."
   Meanwhile, Mehrer helped her own cause with a 4-for-4 day, which included a double and two RBI.
   Kristin Garganio and Amber Tolifero also doubled and knocked in a pair while Allegra Haldemann and Jackie Miller each tripled for the Flashes. Ashley Onori, meanwhile, had a two-bagger.
   With Ostrander away on the Senior Class Trip, Mehrer wrapped up this past Monday’s no-hitter herself with five great innings pitched and 11 strikeouts.
   Mehrer, Stephanie Bulleck and Ariana Williams each went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI. Garganio also knocked in a pair of runs.
   Florence’s (7-2) schedule will now get considerably more difficult with a game at McCorristin today (Thursday) and the Hammonton Tournament on Saturday. Florence is scheduled to host Pemberton on Monday and New Egypt on Tuesday. Mehrer is in the local top 10 in almost every pitching stat. And Garganio is one of the League’s better hitters.
   LCA



   The Life Center Academy girls’ varsity softball team’s famed offense came back to life with a 17-3 win at the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf last Thursday.
   "They (the Warriors) squeaked by," laughed Art Steffen, who sometimes helps head coach Billy Rhoades with the team.
   LCA blasted 21 hits.
   Katie Steffen had a singles, double walk and picked up the win.
   "She had a whole two strikeouts," joked Steffen of his talented daughter.
   LCA top pitcher Stephanie Reitzel collected two singles and a double as did Sam Weer and Bethany Hester. Ashley Nyul tripled, singled and walked while Jen Rivera also had a pair of hits.
   On Friday, LCA nipped Plumstead Christian, 10-9. Reitzel had two triples and three RBI. She also recorded the win.
   Then LCA crushed Mercer Christian, 17-5, on Monday.
   Weer smacked a grand-slammer and hit a solo homer and a double too. Reitzel doubled and homered to support her own cause.
   LCA is scheduled to host Villa Victoria on Thursday. It is scheduled at Morrisville on Friday.