It was your classic pitchers duel on April 5 when the Bordentown High School softball team headed up to Hillsborough to face off against the Raiders in an early-season marquee out of conference showdown.
Bordentown junior ace Allison Hoppe and Hillsborough star Sarah Davenport battled toe-to-toe in the circle, each showing off their arsenals in what was a pure pitching clinic put on display for those in attendance.
Hoppe, though, was non-hittable.
The junior right-hander tossed a complete-game no-hitter to outduel Davenport and lead Bordentown to a 2-0 victory over Hillsborough.
FINAL: NO HITTER! Allison Hoppe tosses a No-Hit shutout with 13 Ks to lead Bordentown (@BrhsSoftball) to a 2-0 victory over Hillsborough. Scotties improve to 3-0 on the season. CC: @brhsathletics @central_jersey @BRHSScotties #NJSoftball 🥎 pic.twitter.com/uhM5h3ufFU
— Steven Bassin (@SBassin_Sports) April 5, 2022
“It was a great team win,” Hoppe said after her no-hitter. “I just kept hitting my spots and going after the batters. Our defense was really good and made the plays that were hit to them.”
Hoppe racked up 13 strikeouts in her no-hit bid, retiring 20 of the 22 batters she faced to claim her first career no-hitter at the high school level. She also had a hit at the plate as well to go along with her brilliant performance in the circle.
4 No-Hit inning of work for Allison Hoppe who strikes out the side in the 4th inning. 8 Ks now for Hoppe as her & Davenport continue to battle back and forth in this pitchers dual. CC: @brhsathletics @central_jersey @BrhsSoftball #NJSoftball 🥎 pic.twitter.com/zvLryVBQgC
— Steven Bassin (@SBassin_Sports) April 5, 2022
The only two blemishes on Hoppe’s line were two hit batters. Besides that, she was as dominant as can be to help Bordentown improve to 3-0 on the season.
“Allison (Hoppe) did a great job,” said Bordentown Coach Nicole O’Leary. “She mixed in her pitches well. Her defense was super supportive behind her. That really keeps her motivated to keep going in the circle.”
It was a scoreless affair heading into the top of the fifth inning.
Bordentown had two chances to get on the board with runners in scoring position during the second and third innings, but couldn’t break through as Davenport used her strikeout power to prevail in those big situations.
Davenport had 18 strikeouts in the contest.
With runners at first and third and one out in the fifth inning, the Bordentown bats finally broke through for a run.
That was thanks to an RBI single to center field by senior first baseman Angelina Marino which put the Scotties up 1-0.
RBI single for Angelina Marino as Bordentown breaks through for the game’s first run in the 5th. 1-0, Scotties. CC: @BrhsSoftball @brhsathletics @central_jersey #NJSoftball 🥎 pic.twitter.com/TKJqEqDjvR
— Steven Bassin (@SBassin_Sports) April 5, 2022
“It felt good,” Marino said of her RBI single. “We just kept playing our game and were ready to go at the plate. I had confidence in our team that we would be able to get one across.”
Marino led the way offensively for the Scotties with a team-high two hits in the contest.
Bordentown added to its lead in the top of the sixth with some power from senior third baseman Sofia Peterson. Petersen smoked a leadoff shot over the center field fence for a home run to make it a two-run game.
Peterson has been on fire to begin the 2022 campaign for the Scotties, going 4-for-8 at the dish in their first three games with three RBI.
Sophomores Lauren Scharko and Lillian Nucera each provided an impact to the Bordentown offense against Hillsborough with a hit in the victory.
“We had some timely hits mixed in with some timely bunts and put it all together,” O’Leary said of the victory over Hillsborough. “We have a great group of girls defensively and we’re making things happen on offense.”
The two-run lead was plenty enough for Hoppe. She retired the Raiders in order in the bottom half of the sixth inning to set herself up for a shot at history in the seventh inning.
Even after putting herself in some little pickle by hitting Hillsborough’s Diya Patel to lead off the seventh inning, Hoppe was as cool as a cucumber in the circle.
Hoppe retired the next three batters she faced to complete her no-hit bid, striking out the final two Hillsborough batters in the process.
As she watched Hillsborough’s Victoria Fantozzi swing through her last pitch for strike three, Hoppe could only think about how happy she was to help her team win the contest.
“It’s about what I can do for my team,” Hoppe said. “They’re all making plays and hitting the ball. It felt great to pitch well for my team.”
The 3-0 start to the season for the Scotties is just the first steps in their journey to make it back to the sectional final for the third time in four years.
Her no-hitter against the Raiders will always be something that Hoppe says she will remember, but believes there are more great moments this season to come for her and the Scotties.
“We’re hoping to have more games like this,” Hoppe said. “We just have to keep working hard and come out each game and play our best.”
Bordentown is scheduled next to travel to play Moorestown on April 9.