By: Sean Moylan
Win or lose, the Hightstown High softball team is one of the most exciting squads in the CVC.
Last Friday Hightstown won a crazy 15-13 slugfest over Lawrence. It was just a strange contest all around, not only was it Friday the 13th, but the Rams’ didn’t even get last licks on their own softball field.
"Lawrence was the home team at our field," said Hightstown head coach Tim Kalick, who is careful not to make any early dinner plans any time his club plays. "That was a see-saw back and forth game. Cara Montferratt had a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning to really seal that win for us."
The Rams would need that double because Lawrence tallied three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it close. Despite the final score, Hightstown starter Erika Juricic pitched well. Hightstown, which has been practicing inside as much as outside due to poor weather, made a lot of errors and many of the runs scored, on both sides, were unearned.
The contest had a pretty routine start, with the Rams holding a 5-3 lead after five innings. But in the top of the sixth, things got a bit wild when Hightstown scored eight runs. Lawrence answered with seven in the bottom of the inning, but the Rams never once surrendered their lead.
Hightstown’s Danielle Dolan had a big triple and drove in a run. Emily Ladd had 2 RBI and Jen Pikus knocked in a run for the winners. Hightstown had 14 hits.
Then this past Tuesday, Hightstown crushed West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 6-1, at Hightstown.
"That was a great game," noted Kalick. "We came out ready to play. We came out and played solid defense behind Juricic."
Juricic also held up her end of the bargain with seven beautiful innings of pitching (1 run, 8 hits, 6 K’s and 2 BB). She received all the support she would need in the first as Elyssa Swern (two hits) had a run-scoring triple and Montferrat swatted a two-run homer. Meanwhile Juricic helped her own cause with a single, double, a run and a RBI. Caitlin Fallon was 2-for-2 with a run scored while Tara Bower had a hit and Gabby Velasquez scored a run.
Hightstown’s only blemish this week came on Wednesday, when it squandered a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh and ended up losing a 7-6 nine-inning road game to Nottingham.
The Rams made costly errors. The cold weather and poor field conditions have something to do with the Rams recent defensive woes. Juricic allowed just 3 earned runs.
Hightstown pounded out 17 hits and showed a lot of heart by not losing focus after it allowed Nottingham to tie it. Juricic, who scored a run, and Fallon, who scored twice, both had three-hit games. Swern was 2-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored. Montferratt had a pair of hits, including a run-scoring double, while Ladd also collected a pair of knocks, scored once and drove in a run. Dolan had two singles and Pikus, Bower and Velasquez had one hit apiece.
Hightstown (3-2) was scheduled to have played a game at Trenton Catholic Academy yesterday (Thursday). Hightstown is scheduled at Pemberton on Saturday and at Robbinsville on Monday. Hightstown is scheduled to host Steinert on Tuesday, Princeton on Wednesday and Hamilton West on Thursday.

