BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
TIM MORRIS Freehold Borough’s Ashley Forsyth poses with head coach Jerry Acevedo after recording her 1,000th career strikeout during last Wednesday’s win over Monmouth Regional. Like the pitches that she throws by hitters, Ashley Forsyth didn’t see this milestone coming.
“I had no idea what was going on,” she said.
After ringing up her 11th strikeout of the game at home last Wednesday, Freehold Borough coach Jerry Acevedo stopped the game to recognize a milestone achievement by the Colonial hurler, her 1,000th career strikeout. Forsyth had not been keeping track of her strikeout totals and was caught completely by surprise.
“It’s a nice accomplishment,” she said of her milestone. “It’s something you have to work hard at. It’s a tribute to my teammates.”
Forsyth became just the eighth pitcher in state history to accumulate 1,000 strikeouts in a career, and the first ever from the Freehold Regional District.
“The district has had a lot of good players,” said Acevedo. “It says a lot for our program that she was the first to do it.
“It’s been a great four years,” she added. “She’s more than superseded expectations, and she’s a great kid too. One-thousand strikeouts, it’s incredible.”
After the ceremonies, which included a bouquet of flowers, Forsyth got back down to work and closed out a 2-1 Freehold Borough win over Monmouth Regional by appropriately striking out the final batter of the game.
If there has been any change in Fosyth’s pitching, it’s not increased velocity or even more pitches in her arsenal, it’s location. Half of her strikeouts against the Falcons were called third strikes. Catcher Heather Woolford, who has worked with Forsyth the last two years, said she is keeping batters off-balance by moving her pitches around.
“Her outside pitch was working today,” said Woolford. “She’s been hitting the corners well, using both sides of the plate. She’s had a lot of control of her pitches.”
The significance of Forsyth’s historic achievement was not lost on her catcher.
“I caught her 1,000th strikeout – it’s so much fun,” said Woolford.
In less than two years, Forsyth and Woolford, who is a junior, have jelled as a battery, and Forsyth credits it for her success.
“We are really clicking,” she said. “Heather calls a great game and helps me make corrections. She lets me know when a pitch isn’t working.”
For her part, Woolford enjoys the opportunity of catching a special pitcher.
“I was so excited to come to high school and work with her,” he said. “We work well together. We know what each other is thinking.”
Being on the same wavelength is the direct result of putting in the time. At least once a week over the winter, they were working out, getting to know each others’ idiosyncrasies. The result has been a very smooth start to the 2006 season.
More important than the milestone to Forsyth was the Colonials win against Monmouth Regional, which made them 3-0 for the week and 5-0 for the season. The day before clipping Monmouth Regional, Freehold Borough topped its nemesis of the last couple of years, Wall, 3-1, to take over sole possession of first place in the Shore Conference B North Division by themselves.
Woolford and Julia Brown delivered key RBI doubles in the 3-1 win at Wall.
Wednesday, the Colonials couldn’t afford a letdown as the looked to keep their one-game edge on Wall. Forsyth singled to start the Colonial first and went to second on an error. She took second on Brown’s infield grounder to the right side and scored on Kristi Lynch’s single through the middle.
The Golden Falcons struck for an unearned run in the fourth on a one-out double by Amanda LaFrance, which drove in Ann Marie Citadino, who reached base on an error. Forsyth limited the damage to one run, and the game was tied until the Colonial fourth.
Kylie Preston started the borough fourth reaching on an overthrow and racing to second. Alexis Roldan moved her to third on a grounder, and pinch hitter Zandra Zweber delivered the game-winning RBI.
Forsyth didn’t permit a baserunner in the final three innings, polishing off a one-hitter. She walked no one while fanning 12.
The state record for career strikeouts is 1,263 by Rancocas Valley’s Lisa Sweeney. The record is within Forsyth’s reach, but don’t expect her to become fixated by numbers. Outs, not strikeouts, are her priority.
“I’m not thinking about it [the record], I want to have fun and win games,” she said.
So far, Forsyth has been doing both quite well.
The Colonials extended their record to 7-0 on the season, winning a pair of games Saturday. Forsyth added 15 strikeouts to her career total and fashioned a two-hitter in a 4-0 win over neighbor Freehold Township. In the second game, freshman Jaclyn Kelly made her debut as Freehold improved to 6-0 in the division with a 10-0 win over Long Branch. Kelly fashioned a one-hitter as Forsyth and Courtney Breese hit doubles, and Lynch slammed a triple. Kelly fanned seven in the five-inning outing.