O’Neill’s dash gives Cougars softball first crown since 1998
By: Justin Feil
EDISON — Morgan O’Neill has stolen so many bases for the Montgomery High softball team that she can’t remember them all.
She might never forget the base she stole against Raritan as a pinch-runner in the North 2, Group III final on Thursday. It led to a wild finish that crowned MHS sectional champions for the first time since they won CJ I in 1998.
With lead-off Tori Sensi batting in a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning, and battling a two-strike count, MHS head coach Johnny Rooney did as he’d done many times this season – he gave O’Neill the steal sign.
"I figured if she strikes out, we’re going to get another chance," said the first-year coach. "We’re going to get another chance (as the home team) anyway. But if she stole the base, we had Tori up. And she’s been a .400 hitter for this program. And if Morgan got out, we had Tori and the top of the order to lead off the ninth."
The game never got that far. O’Neill drew a throw from the catcher that sailed into center field. She popped up from second and was nearing third when the relay throw hit off her back and bounded beyond third base near the fence.
"Nothing spectacular was happening with the bats," Rooney said. "I figured I’d send her home at that point."
O’Neill raced home ahead of the throw to end the game, 1-0, in the eighth inning and set off a non-stop hug-fest among the Cougars, the second seed who topped upset-minded No. 8 seed Raritan to improve to 20-4. Raritan had topped the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds.
"I’ve only been out one or two times on varsity," said O’Neill, a freshman for the Cougars whose older sister, Devin, is team captain.
"I was trying to run as hard as I could," she explained. "He just wanted me to run. When I got to first, I was thinking I wanted to get home for the team."
O’Neill, who has split her time between JV and varsity, wasn’t the original selection to pinch run. That honor belonged to Ali Tartacoff, but Tartacoff had already pinch run in the game for Sarah Jensen. When the Raritan coach protested the move, Rooney simply brought in another speedster in O’Neill.
"It was an ideal situation," Rooney said. "We were saving Morgan for her bat later, but we could use her there."
O’Neill did just as she’s been taught in getting a great jump and drawing a hurried throw. The rest was just O’Neill racing to beat the next throw. For the Cougars, who didn’t have a hit until the sixth inning, stranded two runners at third base and had one thrown out at the plate one out before O’Neill’s heroics, any way of moving along a runner was important.
"We stole 64 bases this year," Rooney said. "That was our 65th. We like to run. A lot of people think it’s hard to steal bases in softball. I’ve taught them to steal bases based on pitch count. I credit Morgan with that. She showed a lot of hustle."
MHS will face the North 1, Group III champion – the winner of Ramapo vs. West Milford on Friday – 4 p.m. Tuesday at Ramsey High.
"I’m so proud of this bunch," Rooney said. "They get it done. They believe."