HHS softballers clinch sole possesion of division title

Balanced attack produces repeat

By: Rudy Brandl
   The Hillsborough High softball team wasn’t going to let this title slip away.
   After coming within six outs of winning their fourth straight Somerset County championship before losing a heart-breaker to Montgomery five days earlier, the Raiders returned to the same North Branch Park field and exorcised their demons. Needing a victory to clinch sole possession of their second straight Delaware East Division title, the HHS girls took care of business with a 5-2 triumph over Immaculata.
   Hillsborough was assured at least a tie for the division crown but certainly didn’t want to share it with Montgomery. The Raiders hadn’t played a game in five days so they weren’t at their sharpest, but the motivation to repeat as division champs carried them through this game.
   "I don’t like sharing things," HHS head coach Cheryl Iaione said. "It’s nice to win it outright."
   Vanessa Tumminia, the senior who had delivered the dramatic game-winning hit in last year’s county final, was happy to see her team recover from the county loss. The upperclassmen knew this could be their last shot to win something big.
   "It’s really nice," Tumminia said. "We put everything into this game. We really wanted to win something as seniors."
   The Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Christine Murphy reached second on a two-base error, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball by Tumminia. Katie Yard’s single was sandwiched around walks to Marissa Conard and Katelyn Derewecki, which loaded the bases. Kim Arbonies hit into a fielder’s choice that cut down a runner at home for the second out, but Megan McInaw’s infield single between short and third plated Yard with the second run.
   Katelyn Derewecki singled and Arbonies walked to set the table in the fifth. McInaw moved them over with a sacrifice and Derewecki raced home after Celia Maccini grounded back to the pitcher.
   Hillsborough added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Yard and Derewecki slapped their second singles of the day and Arbonies walked to load the bases with no outs. Seniors Kristen Derewecki and Murphy came through with two-out RBI to produce the fourth and fifth runs of the game. Derewecki walked on a 3-2 pitch and Murphy reached on an infield hit.
   All this was enough support for McInaw (13-5), who scattered eight hits and one walk while striking out six in the victory. McInaw was also one of five Raiders to drive in a run in the division clincher.
   "We were a little sluggish, but we were good enough to get the job done," Iaione said. "It wasn’t our A-plus game, but we did enough to win."
   The Raiders rolled to the league title by running the table in the regular season last spring. The only late drama was whether Hillsborough could win all 10 games in the division. This year, the Raiders split with Montgomery and Bridgewater-Raritan but swept Franklin, Watchung Hills and Immaculata to finish 8-2 in the division.
   "This year, it was much tougher to win," Iaione said. "Beating Montgomery the first time was big. That helped us a lot."
   The Raiders repeated as champions in a very tough division despite fielding a much younger team with a new pitcher and catcher and completely revamped lineup.
   "It shows a lot about this team," Iaione said. "They stayed focused and showed their commitment. It’s like I told them — tradition never graduates."