MHS snaps slump in state softball tourney

Cougars shut out Ferris in opener

By: Justin Feil
   Annie O’Toole felt she was in a bit of a slump.
   So too, it appeared, was the Montgomery High softball team.
   Both broke out when it counts most — for the state tournament — in a 4-0 win over Ferris High in the North Jersey Section 2, Group III opener Tuesday.
   O’Toole scored the first Cougar run single-handedly when she drove a triple to the fence in center field and scored on an overthrow to get her at third base. She also singled in the fifth inning and Tori Sensi followed with a long double. It was all the run support that the Cougars would need as they used three pitchers — Anu Rimal, Kim Dougherty and Jessie Weingart — for the shutout.
   "It was an exciting game," O’Toole said. "We had a rough week last week when we weren’t really hitting the ball well. We had a good practice yesterday and a good practice Saturday. It was good we came out with the bats today.
   "I’ve been moving all around," added the Cougars’ No. 9 hitter, "and lately I haven’t been hitting as well. I’ve been in sort of a slump. It was good to come out of it today."
   With the win, the seventh-seeded Cougars were scheduled to take on No. 2 Livingston, which had a first-round bye, Thursday. The winner faces South Plainfield-Middletown South in the sectional semifinal Tuesday. MHS is hoping that Tuesday’s win is just a start to a run.
   "It was a good win," O’Toole said. "It was a morale booster."
   The Cougars are attempting to repeat as Group III state champions, but they are dealing with a lot of adversity that wasn’t present in last year’s run. Starting pitcher Amanda Heller has been shelved by an injury since the Somerset County Tournament final, last year’s starting catcher, Tara Bucci, hasn’t played all season due to injury, and a broken arm ended starting third baseman Kelly Dubin’s year.
   The Cougars got a scare Tuesday when leadoff batter and starting second baseman, George Washington-bound Tori Sensi, missed an inning after awkwardly landing at home plate while attempting to score.
   MHS got a big boost Tuesday from its pitching. Rimal started the game and gave way to Doughtery who had seven strikeouts before Weingart struck out the final batter of the game.
   "We’re going with the philosophy of trying to get the most innings out of Anu, Kimmy and Jessie," Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney said. "We have five pitchers in the program. Right now, Amanda is hurt. If everyone can give two to three strong innings, we’ll keep this going."
   For the pitchers, the chance to contribute in a bigger way is something they’re all enjoying. Heller’s injury wasn’t the way they wanted innings, but it’s enabled to have a bigger role.
   "I think each game has helped me improve," said Dougherty, who also went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run at the plate. "I learn more about each team and each game. I can learn more about the players.
   "It’s nice to be a part of this team because we all do a really good job. It’s a good feeling knowing you’re helping them win."
   Not surprisingly, the Cougars have resumed their winning ways in a tournament. It just happens to be the state tournament.
   "Our coach says that maybe we’re just a tournament team," Dougherty said. "These tournaments, we tend to do more in them. We get that momentum and just go with it."
   MHS seemed to lose all momentum for the state tournament in the week leading up to it. The Cougars lost to Hillsborough in the SCT and followed it up with a win and then three straight losses. Regardless of their regular-season losses, the Cougars are not a team to sleep on in any tournament. They’ve built on last year’s state championship to show they know how to win in tournaments.
   "Last year, we hadn’t seen any of the teams we played," O’Toole said. "It definitely helps that we’ve experienced it. We’ve experienced getting far in tournaments a lot this year, like getting to the finals of Rancocas Valley and counties. We have a lot of experience in big tournament games. That will helps us."
   Said Rooney of the week leading up to states: "People based too much on our winning or losing, not that we were working on getting better. We were working on improving."
   MHS has kept its focus solely on each step as it’s come this year. After falling just short of its two regular-season tournament championships, the Cougars are hoping to find another banner ending this year.
   "We didn’t really talk about (the state tournament) at all until recently," O’Toole said. "After the loss to Hillsborough, we finally started focusing on the state tournament."
   MHS, which improved to 16-12 with Tuesday’s win, has a tough road to the NJ 2, Group III crown. After second-seeded Livingston, they will have to win on the road again at either No. 3 South Plainfield or No. 6 Middletown South. West Morris Mendham, Voorhees, North Hunterdon and top-seeded Colonia are playing in the other side of the bracket and one will be waiting to unseat the Cougars. MHS would love to make a third tournament final this season.
   "It’s unbelievable," Rooney said. "It’s too bad we can’t play tournaments all season long. We do need to talk later about becoming a better regular-season team. But they show up for tournaments. There was a lot of energy today. If everyone can bring that every game, we’ll be OK. If not, it’ll be tough."
   There are plenty of Cougars looking to make an impact in the state tournament, players like Rimal, Dougherty and O’Toole who didn’t contribute as much as to last year’s state tournament as they did on the field Tuesday.
   "I just wanted to help pick everyone up from the county game that we lost," Dougherty said. "We all went in thinking we have to win this. We want to defend what we won last year."