Netmen open states with victory

RAIDER ROUNDUP

by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
   The Hillsborough High boys’ tennis team opened the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs with a 5-0 victory over Steinert last Thursday.
   Sixth-seeded Hillsborough (11-5) was dominant at first singles and both doubles positions and won closer matches at the other two spots to complete the sweep. The Raiders were scheduled to face third-ranked nemesis East Brunswick in the sectional quarterfinals.
   Sophomore first singles player Steven Wu set the tone with a 6-1, 6-0 triumph. The first doubles team of Mike Zhang and Tim Le posted a shutout, while the second unit of Nick Guida and Trevor Bierwirth gave up just one game in each set.
   Sam Klein and Kevin Le gutted out tough matches at second and third singles, respectively. Klein posted a 6-2, 7-5 win, while Le prevailed in two tough sets 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.
   The Raiders split two regular season matches last week. They made things very interesting against Bridgewater-Raritan in a 3-2 loss. The doubles teams came through with victories but the singles lineup couldn’t produce the decisive point.
   Zhang and Tim Le posted a 6-4, 6-1 win, while Kevin Le and Guida joined forces in a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory at second doubles. Wu, Klein and Stefan Apostolos lost in straight sets.
   The doubles teams performed well again in Thursday’s 4-1 win over North Hunterdon. Zhang and Tim Le continued their fine play with a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Bierwirth and Guida played together at second doubles and came from behind for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph.
   Wu and Klein won in straight sets but Kevin Le dropped his match at third singles.
Dawson lifts laxmen
to big road win
The HHS boys’ lacrosse team bounced back from a tough loss in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals and defeated a good West Windsor Plainsboro South squad on the road last week. Senior Luke Dawson netted a hat trick to lead the way.
   Kyle Panaccione had a strong game with two goals and two assists, while Bryan Huff scored once and notched a game-high three assists. Pat Morin connected twice and Greg Nunn and Ken Lake added single goals. Nunn also picked up an assist.
   The Raiders stormed out of the gates for a 5-1 lead after one quarter but WWPS fought back. HHS nursed a 10-6 lead in the fourth and held on after South scored three times down the stretch.
   Hillsborough started fast again in Friday’s game vs. a talented Montgomery squad. The Cougars rallied from a three-goal deficit and ruined Hillsborough’s upset bid with an 8-6 victory.
   Panaccione scored three times for the Raiders, who also got tallies from Dawson, Lake and Huff and 11 saves from A.J. Stahoski in the cage.
   The Raiders (8-7) were scheduled to host Immaculata Wednesday night.
McInaw, Derewecki
power softball team
Megan McInaw’s arm and Katelyn Derewecki’s bat made the difference when the HHS softball team completed a huge season sweep of Bridgewater-Raritan with last week’s 1-0 victory. Hillsborough claimed sole possession of first place in the Delaware East Division with the win.
   McInaw tossed a three-hitter with one walk and nine strikeouts to blank the Panthers for the second time this spring. She struck out 21 in the first meeting between the rivals in April.
   Derewecki smacked a clutch two-out RBI single for the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Margaret Gilroy started the frame with a base hit, moved to second on a ground ball and scored on Derewecki’s line drive to right field.
   B-R threatened with runners on second and third with one out in the seventh inning, but McInaw escaped the jam with a strikeout and ground ball to secure the victory.
   The Raiders played a tricky emotional game Thursday at Phillipsburg. Coming off a tough 1-0 loss in 10 innings to Immaculata late Wednesday night, the girls battled back and dominated their West Jersey foes by an 8-0 margin.
   Derewecki (2-0) picked up the win with an impressive one-hitter that included seven strikeouts and four walks. The Raiders scored four runs in the third and sixth innings and finished with eight hits.
   McInaw went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and four RBI to lead the offense. Derewecki helped herself with a double, RBI and two runs. Tara Van Doren ripped a triple for the team’s fourth extra-base hit. Jessica Vos, Gilroy, Melissa Weinstein and Caitlyn Katzelnick added hits for the winners.
   The Raiders (13-5 overall, 9-3 in league) have four regular season games remaining – at Immaculata (May 13), home vs. Watchung Hills (May 15), at Franklin (May 20) and home vs. Montgomery (May 21).
Sophomore battery
lifts baseball team
Sophomore lefty Ryan Lukach improved to 5-1 with a complete game victory and his classmate, catcher Anthony Toresco, provided the big blow in last Thursday’s 6-3 victory over Phillipsburg.
   Lukach scattered nine hits but didn’t walk a batter while striking out seven to pick up his team-leading fifth win of the season. Toresco smacked a two-run homer in the second inning when the Raiders took a 4-0 lead. Toresco later singled and scored to finish 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
   Senior Sean MacDonald belted two doubles and scored twice. Justin Worden had two singles and two RBI. Kevin Curran also had two hits and added a run and one RBI.
   The Raiders were coming off a wild 14-13 loss to Bridgewater-Raritan two days earlier. This was a tough one to take after HHS opened an 8-0 lead in the top of the first.
   Bobby Peck went nuts at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, home run and six RBI. Curran and Ricky Schwalje had three hits apiece for the Raiders, who pounded out 18 as a team. Curran led Hillsborough with three runs scored. Lukach, MacDonald and Dylan Zebro added two hits apiece. Gary Lavoie had a double and two RBI.
   Four HHS pitchers couldn’t stop B-R from winning to clinch a spot in the state playoffs. The Raiders had qualified for the states in their previous game, a dramatic 8-7 triumph over Montgomery in the Somerset County quarterfinals.
   Hillsborough (10-7) was scheduled to play at Watchung Hills Thursday.
Girls face two
top golf teams
The HHS girls ran into another tough patch on their 2008 golf schedule and dropped matches to Hunterdon Central (186-219) and Montgomery (203-214). The Raiders expected to be underdogs vs. Central, but had beaten Montgomery earlier in the season so the Cougars got some revenge in the rematch.
   Kristina Wagner enjoyed a little satisfaction in the home match vs. Central by carding the low round of 40 to beat Kara McNulty, who had defeated her in a recent tournament. Melissa DiLeone (58), Sara Cassimatis (60) and Sarah Mirabella (61) rounded out the HHS team.
   Wagner wasn’t quite as sharp vs. Montgomery with a 47, but some of her teammates brought their scores down. Tiffany Pierce shot 52, while Mirabella (57) and DiLeone (58) improved on their rounds from earlier in the week.
Boys set for
Skyland golf
The HHS boys will battle the area’s best in Thursday’s Skyland Conference Championships at Neshanic Valley. The Raiders finished second in Somerset County and will battle a tougher field including the Hunterdon County schools at the conference event.
   They’ll be looking to avenge last week’s 202-209 loss to North Hunterdon and 218-221 setback to Bridgewater-Raritan. Ryan Hengerer and Zach Schiffman fired solid rounds of 37 to lead the Raiders vs. North, while Matt Molinari (40) and Mike Voitovich (41) also played well.
   Hillsborough had a tough day at Green Knoll vs. B-R on May 6. Hengerer and Schiffman topped Bridgewater’s top two scores with rounds of 38 and 40, respectively. Voitovich kept pace with a 42, but the Raiders couldn’t produce two more sub-bogey rounds.
   HHS was scheduled to tune up for the conference event with a road match vs. Watchung Hills at Warrenbrook May 16.