E.B. softball team advances behind Hyland’s pitching

BY JIMMY ALLINDER Correspondent

There is no mystery as to why East Brunswick High School’s softball team was one of the hottest teams around entering this week’s crucial slate of tournament action.

Look at what transpired in the pitching circle and you can understand why the Bears were currently 24-4 and had advanced to the semifinals in Central Jersey Group IV, where they met Rancocas Valley on Tuesday (May 25). Yesterday, East Brunswick traveled to South Plainfield to clash with the top-seeded Tigers in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

The name of the person in the pitching circle is BethAnn Hyland, and since the sophomore became the starting pitcher about five games into the season, she has fashioned an unblemished 13-0 record.

If the Bears were to win Tuesday, they would host the winner of the Middletown North and West Windsor Plainsboro South game either today or tomorrow for the sectional championship.

Spotswood’s appearance in the sectionals ended with a loss in the first round of Central Jersey Group II when the Chargers dropped a 13-6 verdict to Raritan High School last week.

Meanwhile, area baseball teams were alive and well in state tournament play. Monroe (25-3), the top seed in Central Jersey Group III, hosted Jackson Memorial High School on Tuesday, with the winner earning the right to face the survivor of Manalapan High School and Toms River North. That game will be played tomorrow in Monroe if the Falcons advance. Last week, East Brunswick (13-11) saw its tournament hopes end when it dropped a 5-3 decision to South Brunswick in the first round. The Bears closed out their season by defeatingWoodbridge, 6-2.

In Central Jersey Group II, Spotswood continued its late-season drive by first knocking off Burlington County foe Cinnaminson, 9-7, and then advanced to the semifinal round by eliminating Rumson- Fair Haven, 8-7. The Chargers, seeded 11th, faced another surprising team to make it this far in the tournament, 15th-seeded Manasquan, today. The winner is to meet the winner of Governor Livingston and Summit tomorrow.

South River, which has enjoyed a bounce-back season, played in the Central Jersey Group I tournament this past week. The Rams disposed of Somerset Tech, 14-0, and Metuchen, 7-2, to advance to its semi- final game with top-seeded Robbinsville on Tuesday. The winner of that contest is to face the survivor of Florence-Henry Hudson tomorrow.

In the state boys volleyball tournament, East Brunswick’s hopes were dashed in the second round as the fourth-seeded Bears fell to fifth-seeded Hillsborough, 25-18 and 30- 28. East Brunswick ended its season at 15- 10, the first time in recent history that the Bears’ defeats reached double digits in one campaign.

After reaching the state tournament for the first time in its history, Monroe Township’s girls lacrosse team ended its season when it lost to top-seeded Mendham, 19-6, in the North Jersey Group III semifinals. The fourth-seeded Falcons had advanced to the game by knocking off Roxbury, 16-9, and then edged West Windsor-Plainsboro South in overtime, 9-8. East Brunswick lost a 15-3 decision to Bridgewater-Raritan in the first round of Central Jersey Group IV.

In boys lacrosse, East Brunswick was eliminated from the Public Group IV tournament by Randolph, 7-1. The Bears, seeded 13th, had advanced with wins over Egg Harbor Township, 16-4, and Freehold Township, 12-7. In Public Group III, Monroe exited the tournament in the first round by dropping a 14-1 decision to Morris Central. The game, however, represented the first time in school history that the Falcons had qualified for the state playoffs (see related story).