BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
CHRIS KELLY staff Freehold Borough’s Christi Lynch looks to connect with a pitch during the Colonials’ win over Ocean on June 2. My kingdom for a base hit. Or a sacrifice fly. Or anything that will bring home a run.
That was the plight of Freehold Borough softball coach Jerry Acevedo last week as the Colonials struggled mightily to score runs in the Central Jersey Group III tournament.
But thanks to the extraordinary Ashley Forsyth’s pitching, the Colonials found themselves playing for the state sectional title in Wall Township on Thursday afternoon.
The lack of run production finally caught up to the Colonials as they dropped a 1-0 decision to Wall, which scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the seventh on a double by Kristen Miller.
“The bottom line: we just didn’t hit,” said Acevedo.
In the semifinal at Freehold Borough on May 30, the Colonials got by the Spartans of Ocean Township, 1-0, in 10 innings under the international tiebreaker rules. Courtney Breese’s bases-loaded single plated the only run of the game in what proved to be an historic afternoon at Freehold.
With her eighth strikeout of the game, Forsyth became New Jersey’s all-time career strike-out leader, surpassing the 1,263 Ks by Rancocas Valley’s Lisa Sweeney. Forsyth would fan 17 on the day as she did what she has done throughout her brilliant, record-setting career, kept Freehold Borough in the game.
The Colonials squandered one opportunity after another as the team’s remained scoreless through nine innings.
The international rules take over in the 10th inning, with the frame beginning with a runner on second. The Spartans put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third with just one out, but Forsyth dug in and came up with back-to-back strikeouts to strand the runner.
In Freehold Borough’s half of the inning, Kristi Lynch put down a perfect bunt and beat it out for a single, putting runners on first and third. The Spartans opted to walk Heather Woolford to create a force at home plate.
Breese then stepped into the batter’s box with the opportunity to send everyone home happy.
“One of my teammates told me that it was my time to bring it,” said Breese. “I was looking for an outside pitch that she [Ocean hurler Lauren Pembleton] had thrown me before. I saw it and went with the pitch.”
Breese’s single to right scored Jaclyn Kelly with the winning run and the Colonials were on to the sectional final for the second time in four years, putting the exclamation mark on Forsyth’s historic achievement.
“She deserved it,” Breese said of teammate’s record. In Wall, the Colonials were facing their rivals of the past two years. Last year they played a 24-inning game in Wall, in which Forsyth equaled the state record for strikeouts in an extra-inning game at 31. But, the Colonials lost 1-0.
This year, the rivals split their two games.
With both teams so familiar with each other, there were no surprises in store. Another low-scoring game, that perhaps went to the international tiebreaker rules, was in the offing.
“They’re all great hitters,” said Forsyth. “It’s hard to out-think them. We knew it was going to be a tough game.”
It was Wall that was on the offensive early. An error, a base hit and two walks loaded the bases in the last of the first, but Forsyth worked out of the jam.
The Knights would put their lead runner on in five of the first six innings, but Forsyth and the Colonials were like Houdini, escaping from one threat after another.
Freehold’s best chance came in the fifth when Breese, who was hit by a pitching, reached third with one out. But the Knights’ Jackie Zoller did her own escape act, and it was 0-0 and getting late.
The game appeared headed for extra inning when, with two out, Maggie Margadonna worked out a base-on-balls and Miller followed with her double that rolled to the left field fence, bringing an end to the Colonials’ season and, a close to the Forsyth era.
“It’s been a battle all year,” said Acevedo. “They worked hard all year to get to this point. It’s been a great season.
“It’s a double loss,” she added. “We lost the game and lost three seniors [Forsyth, Breese and Zandra Zweber] who have given four years to the program. How do you replace Ashley, with everything she has accomplished?”
The Colonials finished the season 20-7, the second time they have won 20 games during the Forsyth era. She was 18-7 herself.
“I can’t complain, we had a good season,” said Forsyth, who struck out seven and lifted her career record to 1,280. “This is such a great team on and off the field. Everyone had everyone else’s back on the field.
“Our chemistry was the difference,” she added. “Everyone supported each other. We believed we could play with anybody.”
With the state’s all-time strikeout queen in command, they certainly could.