Division champs embark on busy stretch
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High softball team has no choice but to take a game-by-game approach to this incredibly busy week of action. It’s a stretch of eight games in eight days and many of them are extremely important.
Hillsborough eased some of this week’s pressure by clinching the Delaware East Division with a 1-0 victory at Montgomery last Thursday, but the team would still like to beat Bridgewater-Raritan and Immaculata this week to complete a perfect 10-0 run through the league.
The Raiders started their crazy stretch with last Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Pingry in the Somerset County quarterfinals. That victory earned the top-seeded, two-time defending county champs a berth in Wednesday night’s SCT semifinals vs. Somerville. HHS was hoping to go for the county three-peat Saturday night under the lights at North Branch Park against the winner of the other semifinal between Ridge and Montgomery.
If the county and conference workload wasn’t enough, the Raiders also competed in the Montclair Kimberly Academy Tournament Sunday and played a non-conference game at Middlesex Monday. HHS came from behind for a 3-2 victory over MKA but saw its 11-game win streak snapped against St. John Vianney, the state’s top-ranked team.
Can this team endure eight games in eight days, including two at night? Throw in the HHS prom on Friday night and you have another big event in the mix.
"The worst thing to do is think of it that way," HHS senior catcher Christine Rash said. "We have to take it one day at a time. We’re not stressing out about this week."
Rash and her teammates, especially the seniors, have been there before. They’ve appeared in three straight SCT finals and won the last two. If they return to the county’s big stage, they’ll have a new opponent. Watchung Hills was upset early, so Ridge or Montgomery will provide opposition in this year’s title game.
If it’s Montgomery and left-hander Amanda Heller, Hillsborough will face the tall order of beating the same quality club three times in a season.
"That’s why I didn’t like the conference realignment," HHS head coach Cheryl Iaione said after Saturday’s win improved her team’s record to 15-2. "All the teams in our conference are from Somerset County. It’s difficult to beat a team three times in one season. They’re all good teams you’re facing."
The Raiders opened the county tourney with a solid shutout win over Pingry. Senior lefty Chrissy Yard continued her outstanding work in the pitching circle, allowing just one hit and one walk in her 10th shutout of the season. Yard struck out 10 batters, including the first six of the game.
"She’s been in a zone and that’s where we want her to stay," Iaione said. "When she takes that ball, she gives us an opportunity to win every game."
Rash has enjoyed catching Yard this spring. The senior battery hopes to lead the Raiders to another county crown.
"She gets stronger every inning, every day," Rash said. "She’s got a strong mentality and she doesn’t get fazed. We want her out there."
The Raiders gave Yard all the support she needed with three runs in the first and one more in the second. The home team hit the ball hard against Pingry’s Katie Hampson but didn’t score after the second inning.
Candy Palumbo reached on an error, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Vanessa Tumminia. Yard dropped a beautiful bunt single between the mound and first base for the game’s first RBI. Kristen Derewecki singled to right and Marissa Conard drilled a run-scoring single to left-center to score courtesy runner Michelle Farrell. Derewecki scored all the way from first when the ball got past the Pingry center fielder.
Hillsborough made it 4-0 with at two-out rally in the second. Palumbo ripped a hard single to left, stole second and hustled around the bases when Tumminia’s infield hit deflected off the shortstop into the outfield grass.
The Raiders gave Yard one run Thursday at Montgomery and it stood up for the division clinching victory. Yard singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and courtesy runner Farrell stole second and moved to third on Conard’s ground out to short. Katie Yard drove in the run with a base hit to left-center.
Montgomery tied to squeeze home the tying run after a leadoff triple in the bottom of the sixth but Yard got tough and stopped the Cougars. She allowed three hits and struck out 10 batters without issuing a walk.
That victory improved Hillsborough’s division record to 8-0 with two Delaware East games remaining this week. The Raiders entered the week with a 16-3 record, having lost twice to St. John Vianney and once in extra innings vs. Hunterdon Central. The only day without a game this week is Friday, when some of the players will be attending the prom. Iaione is confident that her veteran crew will flourish under these conditions.
"I’m not concerned at all," Iaione said. "They know what this is about. They know what it takes. I’m not worried about the prom. It falls every year that way. They’re players and they know what’s at stake. They’ll be prepared."

