HHS softballers earn No. 1 seed in SCT

Big win over Montgomery decisive

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   The Hillsborough High softball team knows all about playing with a target on its back. The Raiders have worked very hard to uphold their status as the top team in Somerset County.
   That ranking was tested again last week when a hungry Montgomery team came to town, looking to knock Hillsborough off its pedestal as the No. 1 team in the county and Delaware East Division. Also at stake was the top seed in the upcoming Somerset County Tournament, which was set to be seeded the following night.
   Hillsborough head coach Cheryl Iaione and Montgomery head coach John Rooney had agreed prior to the contest that the winner be ranked first and the loser second. So, the Raiders knew they needed a victory to remain No. 1 in the Delaware East Division and SCT bracket.
   The Raiders responded with a 3-0 victory.
   "We’re No. 1," Iaione told her players afterward. "Now, it’s up to us to be No. 1."
   That means winning a third consecutive county title. Before the Raiders can turn their attention to the SCT, they must take care of some division business first. HHS remained undefeated in Delaware East play at 4-0 with 3-0 victories over Montgomery and Bridgewater-Raritan last week. Montgomery and Immaculata entered the week a game back at 3-1 in the division.
   Hillsborough broke open a tight, scoreless pitcher’s duel with three runs in the bottom of the sixth against Montgomery. HHS lefty Chrissy Yard and Montgomery southpaw Amanda Heller battled for 5½ scoreless innings before the Raiders broke through in the home half of the sixth.
   Vanessa Tumminia ignited the rally with her speed. Tumminia got things going with a one-out infield single to deep short, sprinting down the line to beat the throw. That brought up Yard, who had been struggling with her offense in recent games. Iaione decided to put on a hit-and-run play and it turned out to be a great call.
   Yard delivered a blistering double to the left-center field gap and Tumminia never stopped running. Third base coach Jack Van Cleef waved her around and Tumminia slid in safely under a cloud of dust with the game’s first run.
   "My first idea was just to run no matter what," Tumminia said. "I saw she hit a gap so I kept going. Everyone said ‘down’ (on the slide at home) and I just listened to everyone on the bench. It was huge."
   "She doesn’t score if we don’t have her running on that play," Iaione added. "The excitement of that play really brought out the bats."
   Yard alertly hustled in to third base during all the confusion at home plate and scored when Marissa Conard bounced a clutch two-out single up the middle. Kristen Derewecki walked and Christine Rash ripped an RBI single up the middle to make it 3-0 and knock out Heller.
   The insurance runs were more than enough for Yard, who was brilliant for the second straight day. She was coming off a masterful perfect game win over Delaware Valley that included 17 strikeouts. Yard managed to keep her pitching focus despite a recent batting slump, but the game-winning hit ended that drought.
   "I’ve been in a slump but I knew it was a hit-and-run situation so I had to get a bat on it," Yard said. "I got it into the outfield and Tum scored."
   Yard allowed only one hit, a single by Tori Sensi in the third inning. She fanned 12 Montgomery batters and did not allow a walk for the second consecutive day.
   "My arm was loose and I was throwing hard," Yard said. "I stuck with what was working. They’re a very aggressive team and they were gong after the rise ball, so I kept throwing it."
   Iaione and the Raiders received no resistance to their claim as the No. 1 seed in the SCT, which began with preliminary round games last weekend. Montgomery and Immaculata were ranked second and third, respectively, putting them on a collision course to meet in one county semifinal.
   The Raiders will host either Pingry or Rutgers Prep in the quarterfinal round May 7. Bridgewater-Raritan and Somerville are in the 4-5 slots and the winner of that quarterfinal game will challenge Hillsborough in the other semifinal.
   Yard blanked B-R on a two-hitter last Thursday. She also singled home Candy Palumbo with the game’s first run in the top of the first. Palumbo led the offense with a single, double and one run scored. Conard also doubled in the victory.
   The Raiders (9-2) aren’t expecting anyone to hand them anything in county or conference play. After last week’s showdown, Iaione wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cougars again in the county championship game.
   "It was your classic game," Iaione said. "You’re definitely seeing the two best teams in the county."