HHS blanks Somerville again in SCT

Third straight semifinal win over Pioneers

By: Rudy Brandl
   BRIDGEWATER — The one common element during Hillsborough High’s three straight Somerset County softball titles has been a shutout victory over Somerville in the semifinal round.
   Last week, the Raiders continued that trend with a 4-0 victory over Somerville at North Branch Park. HHS had blanked the Pioneers by 6-0 and 5-0 scores in the last two tourneys.
   Senior lefty Chrissy Yard was untouchable and nearly fired a perfect game, allowing just one single the entire night. Yard retired the first 15 batters before Tara Sullivan stroked a sharp single to center leading off the sixth. Yard, who finished with 16 strikeouts and no walks, set down the final six batters in a row.
   "My arm felt loose and everything was really working for me," Yard said. "I knew that they were going to be jumping on the first pitch, so I tried to mix it up. Rash (catcher Christine) called a great game and the defense was right there."
   Yard gave herself all the support she would need in the very first inning. Candy Palumbo set the tone for the night by sliding head-first into first base following a well-executed bunt single. Vanessa Tumminia dropped a text book sacrifice bunt and Yard drilled a high 1-2 fastball deep to right-center field for an RBI triple.
   "I’ve been in a slump, so I just tried to go with the pitch," Yard said.
   "Big players rise to the occasion," HHS head coach Cheryl Iaione said. "She’s a big-time player. She’s been struggling and she had two strikes on her. She went with the pitch and got us on the board."
   The Raiders scored three more runs in the second to make it 4-0. Sophomore Katie Yard started the surge with a monster triple to deep center field. Rash drove in the run with a ground ball to short, but Somerville first baseman Sullivan dropped the ball allowing courtesy runner Michelle Cilenti to enter the game.
   Kim Arbonies moved Cilenti to second with a sac bunt and Becky Sullivan reached on a bloop single to right-center. Palumbo hit a sacrifice fly to deep right for a 3-0 lead and Sullivan later hustled home on a passed ball for the fourth and final run of the night.
   The early runs calmed the pre-game fears of Iaione, who knows everyone in the county wants to beat her team. Every title has been more difficult to win and very few of the team’s nine victories in county play have come easily.
   "I was nervous at the pre-game dinner around 5:00, but they were as loose as could be," Iaione said. "They have a focus and they want this. And once they get a lead, my team is very confident."