Offense erupts in 11-1 victory
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
The Hillsborough High girls came out swinging in Friday morning’s Central Jersey Group 4 softball quarterfinals.
Less than 24 hours after surviving a 1-0 barnburner against Manalapan in the first round of the tournament, the Raiders pummeled Freehold Township in an 11-1 rout. Hillsborough pounded out 13 hits, including a walk-off three-run homer by winning pitcher Megan McInaw in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Hillsborough (17-5), which has won five consecutive games, advances to next Tuesday’s CJ 4 semifinals at second-ranked Old Bridge (19-2).
The sixth-ranked Raiders scored two runs in the bottom of the second and blew the game wide-open with four in the third. Senior third baseman Tara Van Doren, who drove in the game’s first run on a ground out, blasted a two-run double to highlight the four-run surge.
McInaw was sharp again in the circle, limiting Freehold to just one hit and no walks while striking out five. McInaw helped herself with an RBI hit and later ended the game with a driving three-run blast over the left-center field wall.
Hillsborough returns to the sectional semifinals for the third time in the last four years, having last reached the CJ 4 final in 2006 when it lost to Steinert. If the Raiders beat Old Bridge, they’ll likely get a shot at top-ranked Skyland Conference rival Hunterdon Central in the CJ 4 championship game.
For complete coverage of all the HHS athletes and teams in the state playoffs, see Thursday’s Hillsborough Beacon.