Needing a hero to save the day, the Bordentown Little League 12-year-old girls all-star softball team turned to its super girl Melissa Mehrer to help it top Pequannock, 5-4, and win a state championship on a glorious night at HTRBA’s Van Horn Field last Friday.
By:Sean Moylan
Bordentown and Mehrer faced the moment of truth in this one in the top of the third. With the score level at 2-2, back-to-back singles and a walk, placed Mehrer in a bases-loaded, no-out jam.
Needing a strikeout desperately, Mehrer reached back for her best stuff and whiffed Cheryl Henry, a tough hitter who had doubled in the previous inning. Then she induced Courtney Payne to hit a one-foot nubber in front of the plate. Bordentown catcher Meaghan Walton, looking as cool as her hero, Mike Piazza, on his walkoff homer to down the Phillies on Sunday, fielded the ball on her knees and calmly tagged home with her foot for a force out at the plate. A groundout later, Mehrer had escaped the jam.
"That third inning was so key," said Shawn Allen. "Bases loaded and no outs and that kid (Mehrer) just came all the way back. It was the most amazing job I’ve seen from a 12-year-old in my whole life You don’t see that stuff in the major leagues."
Of course both teams did have innings where they scored. Bordentown jumped out when speedster Meghan McDonald (3-for-3 with 3 incredible bunt singles) put down a perfect bunt single and subsequently circled the bases on three wild pitches.
Mehrer followed with a walk and a steal. Then Walton belted a run-scoring double.
"I was really happy because I couldn’t believe I hit it," smiled Walton.
Uncharacteristically, Bordentown made a couple of second innings miscues in the field that led to Pequannock tying the score. Even so, Mehrer (10 Ks) managed to strike out the side in between.
In the bottom of the fourth, Sammy Garogalo, who has been hitting the ball hard lately, led off with a single and went on to second when the ball got away. Jessica Swanson moved her over to third with a sacrifice bunt. But Garfoafalo was thrown out at the plate on a very close play on Stephanie Davis infield grounder.
With Davis at first, Bordentown’s luck began to change. Hillary Allen tapped a little infield pop up to the first base side that fell in for a single. Then, Kara Lynch hit an RBI double to dead center that ticked off the center field glove.
"I thought she was going to catch it because in right field she caught my ball (in the second inning). But then she dropped it and I saw Hillary (Allen) was going to third so I was going to second. We needed a double (another runner in scoring position) so I followed behind her," said Lynch.
McDonald followed with an infield single to load the bases and Mehrer gave Bordentown a 3-run cushion with a 2-run single.
Mehrer coasted through the fourth and fifth innings and never seemed to get nervous.
Pequannock scored a couple of runs in the top of the sixth when Bordentown got a little sloppy in the field. Still, Mehrer a flame thrower picked up the outs when she needed them, including a strikeout on a changeup to end the game.
After the contest everybody received pins and Shawn Allen gave a touching speech thanking all those involved in the tournament. And the next day, the state champs, took a morning fire engine ride through Bordentown.
"This was our goal. We wanted to win states. They really wanted it bad," said Allen.
Bordentown now finds itself in the Eastern Regionals. The Bordentown girls had a scheduled picnic in Delaware this past Tuesday and on Wednesday Bordentown was scheduled to take on Maryland.
After Wednesday’s game versus Maryland New Jersey (Bordentown) is scheduled to play New York at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Georgetown Little League field in Georgetown. On Friday New Jersey is scheduled to play Pennsylvania at 3:30 at Nanticoke Little League in Seaford.
Then New Jersey is scheduled to take on Delaware District 3 Nanticoke on Saturday at 6 p.m. And on Sunday, New Jersey will play Delaware at 8 p.m. at Millsboro Litttle League in Millsboro. The championship game will be held on Monday night at Millsboro between the mid-Atlantic and the New England winner at Millsboro. All games are in Delaware.
