Rams score 25 runs while splitting first two games.
By: Neil Hay
Having finished 2005 with a 4-17 record, the Hightstown softball team is bound to post better results in the new season.
That is the judgment of Coach Tim Kalick, who will rely on veterans and new faces to bring the Rams closer to respectability and competitiveness.
"We are absolutely better than last year," proclaimed Kalick after his team was outslugged, 16-14, opening day by visiting Nottingham.
"We are looking positive. We are hitting the ball. We put up fourteen runs (Monday). We have to get behind our sophomore pitcher and new catcher. It’s a building process. We want to build for the future. I think we have a solid group. The state tournament is within reach."
Why not? After two games, the Rams are 1-1, having posted an 11-1 5-inning win Tuesday over visiting Pemberton. Of course it is very early in the spring, but getting off to a good start on the season is a tonic for this team.
Home runs by Erika Juricic and Caitlin Fallon were the big blows as the Rams sent everyone home early with their 10-run rule win. Fallon’s homer was a solo shot in the opening inning, which staked the locals to a quick lead. Juricic’s, with two on, came in the bottom of the fifth and was enough to put an end to the game right there.
It can be a funny game, as Kalick acknowledged. Hightstown put 11 runs on the board with only five hits.
"It doesn’t make sense. But we got it done."
Juricic went the distance in evening her record at 1-1. She allowed only three hits with nine strikeouts and two walks. Despite the strong wind, Juricic mixed up her pitches effectively to keep Pemberton off stride.
The Hightstown defense, leaky the day before against Nottingham, was much improved, with only two errors.
"Erika pitched a good game," noted Kalick. "She had good control."
Hightstown might have put more runs on the scoreboard but some careless baserunning errors took them out of an inning or two. No problem there, according to Kalick.
"They got aggressive. That is okay. That is what we look for."
The Rams certainly showed an ability to put the ball in play and generate runs in Monday’s opener against visiting Nottingham. Hightstown banged out 15 hits and scored 14 runs. But even that level of production was not enough to secure a win, as the Northstars prevailed 16-14 in a game stopped after six complete innings by darkness.
If you need a deciding factor in the outcome, the Hightstown defense gets its share of attention, allowing a bunch of unearned runs on seven errors. Not to take anything away from the Nottingham offense, which collected 14 hits off Juricic. But certainly a little tighter effort on defense and this one just as easily goes into the Hightstown win column.
Otherwise Juricic pitched well enough, with three strikeouts and five walks.
On the other side of the ledger, Elyssa Swern had a huge opening day with three singles, a double, triple and a RBI in five at bats. Cara Montferrat had two singles and a double and accounted for two runs batted in, while Amanda Huelbig had three singles and one RBI, and Fallon chipped in with a triple and two RBI.
Said Kalick, not at all discouraged by the Rams’ play, "Both teams hit the ball well. It was a great game. There were a couple of errors on both sides that were costly. Both teams came out slow, then picked it up. All of a sudden the game is called (in the top of the seventh) after we scored ten in the sixth and had the momentum. I was not happy with the defense, but I was happy with the offense. The defense has to step it up."
Retuning players for Hightstown are the senior first baseman Huelbig, senior second baseman Michele Jacobsen, senior shortstop Jenn Lenhart, senior third baseman Rachel Orlen, junior outfielders Swern and Brianne Teichmann, the sophomore pitcher Juricic, sophomore second baseman Gabrielle Velasquez, and sophomore outfielder Danielle Dolan.
They are joined by the freshman catcher Montferrat, the junior shortstop Fallon (who returns after a year playing lacrosse), senior outfielders Gillian Astarita and Madalyn Dolan, and junior catcher Claire Bacola, all up from the jayvee.
With yesterday’s game against West Windsor-North, Kalick was hoping to end the first week of the new season with a winning record. After losing Monday, the win on Tuesday was a lift and could help kick-start the season to something big.
"The girls feel good" after getting the win, said Kalick. "They were heart-broken (Monday) after scoring ten runs in the sixth, then having the game called by the umpires. But the momentum from the last game carried over nicely (Tuesday)."

