Middletown High School North’s softball team closed a superb 27-4 season with a sense of satisfaction, winning the Shore Conference Tournament championship after being eliminated early in the state tournament.
The win was made even sweeter for the Lions because they beat Middletown High School South in the final for the second straight year, 5-2.
Middletown South (28-5), which looked to bounce back from there in the NJSIAA Group III championship game June 11, managed only three hits off Riley Kernan, who struck out six and walked four. Losing pitcher Maddy McMahon allowed four hits, struck out three and walked four.
“I think it’s great. This is a hard championship to win. Obviously, you want to win a state championship. But when you have a chance to win a Shore Conference championship, I think it’s just as tough as winning a state title.” coach Marc Rosner said.
Middletown North won seven of its last eight games.
Although regarded for its potent hitting, Middletown North allowed just 14 runs in its last eight games with Kernan pitching, including a conference tournament semifinals victory over Monmouth County Tournament champion St. John Vianney High School, 7-3.
In the championship game, Middletown North scored four runs in the fourth and its other run in the fifth inning — the same innings Middletown South scored its runs.
Hannah Wisialko ripped a run-scoring single in the top of the fourth inning to open the scoring for Middletown South before Gaby Cerbo, who had two hits, hit a comebacker to the mound that was thrown away to tie the score, 1-1, in the home fourth. Ryan Rasmussen followed with a sacrifice fly for the lead, and Payleigh Behan and Liz Dorsa added run-scoring singles for a 4-1 lead. A wild pitch allowed a Middletown South run to score in the top of the fifth and an error let in the final run of the game, as Middletown North took its 5-2 lead.
Kernan sealed the victory on the mound.
“I just pitched my game,” Kernan said. “I didn’t really try to do too much. I know in the couple of pitches I did try to do too much and bad things happened.”
Although dynamic hitter Christine Gebhardt, who batted .411 with 41 RBIs, and Behan graduate, virtually the rest of the lineup returns on the young team.
Kayla Gallo also drove in 41 runs and batted .446 with five home runs. Kernan closed the season with 152 strikeouts and 75 walks while batting .351 with 33 RBIs. Dorsa hit .381 with 21 RBIs.
They will all provide a solid starting point for next year’s Middletown North team.