MHS softball is into semifinals
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The Montgomery High softball team was not in the position it thought it would be in entering the bottom of the fifth of Saturday’s Somerset County Tournament game against Mount St. Mary’s.
Instead of playing with a comfortable lead, the second-seeded Cougars trailed the No. 7 seed, 3-0.
”Mount had nothing to lose and they certainly played that way,” Montgomery coach Johnny Rooney said. “I was concerned because of the plays Mount St. Mary’s was making. They made some great plays in the field and it makes you start to wonder if it was just going to be one of those days.”
In the bottom of the fifth, Devin O’Connor made sure it would not be one of those days. She opened the inning with a solid base hit and later scored the first of three runs in the inning that would tie the game. Montgomery would add five more runs in the sixth on the way to an 8-3 win.
With the win, the second-seeded Cougars will now host third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan in the SCT semifinals on Saturday. It is the fifth straight year the Cougars have reached the semis and they’ll be looking to make the finals for the third time.
”We were a little stressed, but we have the confidence in our team that we can come back even if we are down three runs,” said O’Connor, a senior who is in her first season as a starter at shortstop. “We knew we could come back. Once we started hitting the ball and got a rally started we had our full confidence.”
Casey Niper, the winning pitcher, drove in the first run and the Cougars were on their way to a third-straight win to improve to 12-4 on the season. The three wins have come on heels of a loss to Hillsborough, the No. 1 seed in the SCT.
”The Hillsborough game got us down a little bit, but I think we really learned a lot from it,” O’Connor said. “We learned that we can’t wait until the last minute, even though we kind of did today. It showed us what we still need to work on and that we’re still not the best we can be.”
O’Connor has proven to be a solid player in the infield this year. After playing mostly for the junior varsity last year, she is making the most of her shot at the varsity this year.
”Devin has been very patient these past four years waiting for her chance due to older shortstops in the program,” Rooney said. “Her hard work, positive attitude and love for the game has helped make both her and our team successful so far this season.
”She has been a very consistent player defensively all year. She’s done a great job with her glove and getting her bat going now at this time of year is perfect. She’s very good with the short game. She’ll put down a bunt or slap a hit. She’s also got some pop in her bat. It was a solid game or her.”
She came through with a big hit on Saturday, getting the offense started on its way back from a 3-0 deficit.
”I just wanted to make sure I got on base,” O’Connor said. “I didn’t want us to have one out and a little bit less of a chance to score. So I was real happy to get on base. And then Casey followed up and got a hit. That got us going.”
O’Connor has settled in nicely at shortstop, a position that has traditionally been a strong one for the Cougars.
”I’ve been playing it since fifth grade so I am really comfortable there,” O’Connor said. “I played with the JV last year, but I have been really comfortable there this year. We’ve bonded real well as a team this year which has really helped.”
The Cougars will face a tough test in Bridgewater, a team they defeated, 4-1, earlier this year. Hopefully the recent three-game win streak has helped to build momentum for a team Rooney and his staff have enjoyed being around this year.
”Not only do we all like them as people, but we really enjoy coaching them because they’re very coachable,” he said. “I think we all learned a lot from last year — the entire program. Everybody is working together on and off the field. We spent last Sunday together at Patriots Stadium behind the concession stands. Little things like that make you appreciate and respect each other a little more. It’s a really enjoyable group.”
And it is a group that doesn’t get down, no matter what the score.