Softball Roundup (3)
Marinaro, Lions take H/W/S title
Back home following her freshman year at Ithaca College, Brooke Powers returned to the Pope John softball field to pitch batting practice.
Lions coach Frank Canning was thrilled about the appearance by his former ace, who was on hand to get her former teammates ready for their Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament final against North Hunterdon.
"Having Brooke pitch to the girls helped a lot," Canning said of Powers, an Empire 8 All-Conference First Team selection as a designated player. "They needed to see good pitching before the game."
A day later, May 18, Pope John was making good choices and solid contact in the H/W/S. Still, Mason Spichinger, aided by strong defense, took a perfect game into the seventh inning.
Four consecutive hits in the top of the seventh, including Christina Marinaro's two-run bases-loaded single up the middle, provided the Lions with a 2-0 victory over North Hunterdon at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
"We were hitting the ball pretty well," Canning said. "I never thought we wouldn't win it. I figured, sooner or later, it'd fall in for us. It was just a matter of time. We were playing great defense and Mary (Adams), our pitcher, hung in there.
"The girls deserved it. They played hard and didn't give up."
Several times, the Lions (20-9) were robbed of extra base hits. Julia Arthur, North Hunterdon's left fielder, had an excellent defensive game, depriving player after player of an extra base hit.
Arthur made a running catch to steal a hit from the Lions' Kaylee Powers in the first inning. In the third inning, Kaitlyn Morrison had a fly ball caught deep in left field. Julia Engdahl had a hit taken away when Arthur raced in and snared the ball which was slicing away.
"We were hitting the ball pretty well," Canning said. "The North Hunterdon left fielder just made catch after catch."
Spichiger, who had only four strikeouts, got the first out of the seventh inning before Alyssa Bolger bunted safely. Kaylee Powers had an infield single. Toni Santonastasso's base hit loaded the bases. Marinaro, the No. 5 hitter, then delivered, plating two runners.
"The girls were into the game. They were determined and focused," Canning said. "I told them to be to the field at 6:15 p.m. and they were there way before. They were into it and ready. We stayed up for the whole game and didn't waver. Their heads weren't down."
Jefferson 2, Hanover Park 0
Jefferson scored twice in the top of the seventh inning and recorded a victory over Hanover Park on Thursday, May 16.
Anna Carlson had two hits, including a double, for the Falcons (20-6). Melissa Jurkiewicz went the distance, striking out eight and walking one.
Sam Snyder struck out seven and walked three for the Hornets.
Parsippany 4, Hackettstown 3
Taylor Scott drove in the decisive run with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning, snapping a 3-3 deadlock and lifting the Red Hawks on Thursday, May 16.
Parsippany (9-12) tied the score in the sixth. Amanda Angulo tied the score with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Winning pitcher Victoria Rossi struck out one and scattered seven hits.
Butler 4, Kinnelon 2
Kayla Logan scattered seven hits, struck out 10 and walked three when Butler recorded a victory over Kinnelon on Wednesday, May 15.
Alex Spellman (2 for 4, RBI) an Larissa Spellman (2 for 4, RBI) were the only Bulldogs to have multiple hits. Allison DePuyt and Taylor Russnak knocked in Butler's other runs. The Bulldogs are 17-5.
Katie Veltri had two hits for the Colts, who scored in the first and third innings.
Pope John 12, Vernon 2
Hitting standouts were abundant when Pope John defeated Vernon on Tuesday, May 14.
Julia Engdahl went 4 for 5 with an RBI for the Lions. Christina Marinaro and Julia Depuyt had three hits apiece. Depuyt drove in three runs. Among her hits was a double.
Pope John pitcher Adrianna Barone had three strikeouts, walked none and gave up five hits. The Lions are 18-8.
Morristown 2, Randolph 0
Sophomore righty Nicole Rhoades' four-hitter highlighted the Colonials' win over the Rams on Tuesday, May 14.
Rhoades struck out six and walked two.
The Colonials' top hitters were Victoria Kapp (two hits, run scored) and Lauren Champi (two hits, RBI). Alex Gleason drove in a run for Morristown (11-8). Kelly O'Neill singled and doubled for Randolph (13-9).
Pequannock 18, Butler 1
Nicole Hernandez and Eleni Lutas had three hits and two RBIs each to buoy the Golden Panthers on Tuesday, May 14.
Hernandez doubled for Pequannock (17-4). Lutas scored twice. Jen Daniels contributed three hits for the winners.
Additional players with two RBIs were Christina Brizek, Bridget Carr, and Stephanie Pomante. Aleks Apkarian, Brianne Lipinski and Wendy Maurer had hits for Butler (16-5).
West Morris 8, Parsippany Hills 0
Becca Raymond and Allie McCourt attained the 100th hits of their careers when West Morris shut out Parsippany Hills on Monday, May 13.
Raymond, who had two hits and knocked in two runs, now has 101 hits for her career. McCourt rapped out three hits, including a triple, to send her total to 101.
Pitcher Jamie Fesinstine notched her 350th career strikeout, finishing with 10. Courtney Chase went 2 for 4 with an RBI and run scored for the Wolfpack.
Mackenzie Brown and Kylie Taylor had a hit apiece for the Vikings.
Pope John 7, Sparta 2
The Lions, behind the hitting of Toni Santonastasso and Kaitlyn Morrison, landed a berth in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex final with a win over Sparta on Monday, May 13.
Santonastasso had two doubles, a home run and drove in three runs in this semifinal. Morrison doubled and had three RBIs for Pope John (17-8).
Julia Engdahl went 4 for 4 for the winners. Mary Adams went the distance in the circle, allowing seven hits while striking out four and walking none.
Jefferson 9, Wallkill Valley 0
Melissa Jurkiewicz fired a one-hitter, striking out 14, to boost the Falcons on Monday, May 13.
Jurkiewicz, a junior right-hander, walked only two as Jefferson moved its record to 18-6. Adreanna Nordland was the only player to break through against the Falcons' ace.
Lauren Gutowski had three hits, including a triple, and knocked in three runs for the winners. Katie Lisa had two hits.
Butler 5, Morris Catholic 1
Larissa Spellman's one-hitter and the batting of Brianne Lipinski (3 for 4, double) and Aleks Apkarian (2 for 3, triple, two RBIs) powered the Bulldogs on Monday, May 13.
Spellman, who had eight strikeouts and four walks over six innings, contributed to the offense, picking up two RBIs for Butler (16-4).
The Bulldogs led 3-0 in the first inning. The Crusaders dropped to 6-10.
Morristown-Beard 10, Morris Tech 0
Hannah Guenther rapped out two hits, one of them a double, and knocked in three runs to pace the Crimson on Monday, May 13.
Additional offensive standouts for Morristown-Beard (5-15) were Vincina Bivona, Lauren Conway, Gina Finelli and Lindsay Reeth. Bivona, Conway and Finelli had two hits apiece while Reeth had three. Dana Riback drove in two runs.
The 14-hit attack was in support of Lauren Conway. Conway struck out eight and yielded four hits.
St. John Vianney 2, Morris Knolls 0
Jackie Gallagher's sacrifice fly and an error accounted for St. John Vianney's run in the sixth inning when it defeated Morris Knolls on Monday, May 13.
Marlena Bevilacqua had a bunt single with one out in the sixth and stole second. Amanda Durham then walked. A double steal moved the runners to second and third. Bevilacqua scored on Gallagher's sacrifice fly and Durham scored on the miscue.
Katie Beriont (16-1) was the winning pitcher, striking out six, walking none and giving up four hits. Kim Felix (10-1) absorbed the loss. She struck out four, walked one and surrendered four hits. Mia Baldassari went 3 for 3 with a double for the Golden Eagles.
Boonton 5, Sussex Tech 0
Senior righty Kylie Morgan hurled a three-hitter and recorded eight strikeouts to lift the Bombers on Monday, May 13.
Morgan helped herself by going 3 for 3, including a home run. She drove in three runs for Boonton (11-9).
Anna Lee Smith had a hit and a stolen base.
Roxbury 8, Randolph 2
Ally Synder homered twice and singled to propel the Gaels past the Rams on Monday, May 13. Snyder finished with four RBIs.
Erica Figurelli came up with a pair of hits and drove in a run for Roxbury (12-8).
Sammie Darling surrendered six hits and went the distance for the Gaels. She struck out four. Lauren Mastropierro had two hits for Randolph (13-8).
Hanover Park 6, Villa Walsh 0
Hanover Park had a shutout victory over the Vikings paced by Sam Snyder's three-hitter on Monday, May 13.
Snyder ended with eight strikeouts.
Alex Cosenzo had two hits and knocked in a run for the Hornets, now 15-5.
Kinnelon records dramatic victory
Katie Veltri's RBI single capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning, boosting Kinnelon over Wallkill Valley, 9-8, on Friday, May 10.
Megan Beiermeister had two hits and knocked in two runs for the Colts (4-15). Ana Maroldi, Marissa Jacobia and Brittany Graper also had two hits and an RBI apiece.
Beiermeister also picked up the pitching win, going one-plus innings in relief of Grace Carvalho.
Morristown 2, West Orange 1
The Colonials scored two runs in the fifth inning on Joanna Lee's triple to deep center field to pull ahead after facing a 1-0 deficit on Friday, May 10.
Lauren Champi led off Morristown's fourth inning with a single. Alexa Grniet bunt single followed. That set the stage for Lee, a senior.
Nicole Rhoades had eight strikeouts, walked one and gave up six hits. Morristown is 10-8.
Chatham 9, Boonton 4
The Cougars scored six of their runs over the last two innings to gain a come-from-behind win over the Bombers on Friday, May 10.
Candace DeVito and Charlotte Zukauckas had two hits and two RBIs apiece for Chatham (12-9).
Kim Cacciabeve and and Mariel Dearie had RBIs for Boonton.
Morris Knolls 4, Hanover Park 3
Morris Knolls did all of its scoring in the fourth inning and secured a win over Hanover Park on Friday, May 10.
Madi Housel singled, Gina Nappi doubled and Kelsey Hanson singled in courtesy runner Cassi Coleman to give the Golden Eagles their first run. Alyssa Stango squeezed home Gina Nappi before Hanson scored on a dropped third strike. Gionna Florey drove in the fourth run with a base hit.
Raquel Mugavero had two hits for the Hornets. Kim Felix was the winning pitcher. Felix fanned six, walked two and was reached for seven hits.
Jefferson 15, Newton 0
The Falcons sent their record to 17-6 on Friday, May 10 behind Claudia Tietz's two hits and six RBIs.
Katie Lisa and Caitlyn Dougherty contributed two hits and two RBIs for Jefferson. Winning pitcher Melissa Jurkiewicz allowed two hits. She struck out 10 and walked one.
For Newton, Caitlin Hall and Kaitlin Olinski had hits.
Morris Tech 6, Warren Tech 3
Sam Schmidt slugged a three-run homer in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 deadlock on Thursday, May 9 and propel Morris Tech to victory over Warren Tech.
Schmidt, a sophomore, also singled and finished with four RBIs.
Freshman pitcher Jillian Marchione scattered six hits and struck out 12 for the Devils.
West Morris 5, Chatham 3
The Wolfpack, behind catcher Kelsey Brown's two hits and three RBIs, defeated Chatham on Thursday, May 9.
Brown homered for West Morris (16-4). Becca Raymond had two hits and Jamie Fesinstine had an RBI.
Raleigh Heap, McCall Moore and Kerry Nelson had RBIs for the Cougars (11-8).
Morris Knolls 1, Montville 0
Gina Nappi's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted Morris Knolls to a 1-0 victory over Montville on Tuesday, May 7.
Kim Felix reached on an error to start the inning and went from first to third on Madi Housels' sac bunt. Nappi then stroked her base hit.
Winning pitcher Ashley Lesch yielded four hits, struck out two and walked one. Jess Shalongo, who also had a four-hitter, absorbed the loss.
West Morris 4, Voorhees 0
Allie McCourt went 2 for 4 with two RBIs to spark West Morris to a win over Voorhees on Tuesday, May 7.
Gina Falzarano doubled and scored on McCourt's RBI triple in the top of the third inning. McCourt scored on a throwing error, giving the Wolfpack (15-4) a 2-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, Kat Spilman and Becca Raymond had singles and moved over on a sacrifice bunt before Jamie Fesinstine had a sac fly and Alyssa Perkalis lashed an RBI double. Fesinstine, the winning pitcher, gave up two hits, one walk and had six strikeouts.
Pope John 1, Jefferson 0
Mary Adams' three-hitter helped the Lions gain a shutout win over Jefferson on Tuesday, May 7.
Adams struck out three. Toni Santonastasso drove in the lone run in the bottom of the first inning. Julia Engdahl had a hit and scored a run for Pope John (16-8).
Jefferson's hits came off the bats of Katie Lisa, Claudia Tietz and Bryanna Celentano. The Falcons are 16-6.
Roxbury 10, Chatham 7
The Gaels, powered by the hitting of Allison Synder (home run, three RBIs) and Lexi Rinaldi (two RBIs) beat Chatham on Tuesday, May 7.
Roxbury (10-7) broke a 2-2 deadlock by putting across four runs in the fourth inning. The Gaels, who received three hits apiece from Emily Helmer and Taylor Dash, had another four-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth to seal the victory.
Raleigh Heap (3 for 3, RBI), Kendall Davies (2 for 4, RBI) and Kerry Nelson (2 for 3, RBI) stood out for the Cougars (11-8).
Whippany Park 8, Parsippany Hills 4
Senior right-hander Jenn Sanislo hurled a five-hitter, striking out seven and walking one, when the Wildcats (15-5) defeated Parsippany Hills on Tuesday, May 7.
At the plate, Sanislo was just as impressive, going 4 for 4, including three doubles, and driving in three runs.
Brittany Funicelli finished with two RBIs for Whippany Park.
Sussex Tech 7, Kinnelon 2
Katie Jakubowski pitched and batted Sussex Tech (11-8) past Kinnelon on Tuesday, May 7.
Jakubowski recorded seven strikeouts and issued two walks. She gave up six hits. Jakubowski helped herself, singling, doubling and knocking in a run.
Kim D'Amelio and Jenn Pendergrast had three hits and two RBIs for the winners. For the Colts, Jennifer Ditzig had two hits.
Parsippany 6, Dover 2
Kathryn Ferrarelli snapped a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a run-producing single for the Red Hawks (8-9).
Parsippany scored three more runs in that inning. Ferrarelli had three hits. Nicole Bernal and Alex Rigoli added two apiece in support of winning pitcher Victoria Rossi.
Rossi struck out five and walked one.
Chatham 4, Randolph 3
Candace DeVito and Kendall Davies paced the attack when Chatham (11-7) edged Randolph on Monday, May 6.
DeVito homered twice for the Cougars. Davies homered, singled and drove in two runs. Charlotte Zukauckas tripled for Chatham.
Randolph (12-7) also exhibited a high-powered offense, getting homers from Amanda Beatrice, Olivia Kiss and Kelly O'Neill.
Montville 4, Kittatinny 3
Sammie Booth's RBI double in the 11th inning snapped a 3-3 deadlock and lifted Montville over Kittatinny on Saturday, May 4.
Booth, a sophomore third baseman, drove in Cayleigh Aslanian. Megan Patierno knocked in a run and Brittany Presto doubled for the Mustangs (14-5).
Kittatinny received three hits, including a double, from Krystal Carides. Ashley Brown's two-base hit produced a run.
Whippany Park 5, Chatham 2
Senior right-hander Jenn Sanislo hurled a five-hitter and struck out five to pace the Wildcats (14-5) on Saturday, May 4.
Ashley Belott had an RBI and scored twice for the winners.
Chatham's Kendall Davies, a senior shortstop, drove in both of her team's runs.
Jefferson 9, Sparta 2
Anna Carlson had three hits and knocked in five runs and Melissa Jurkiewicz pitched a five-hitter to power Jefferson past Sparta on Wednesday, May 1.
Dianna Gatto contributed a hit and two RBIs for the Falcons (15-4). Kayla Weber had one of the game's two extra base hits, a double, and drove in a run.
Sparta's Colleen Burdsall finished with three hits. The Spartans received an RBI from Lauren Colacicco. Gretchen Bowie doubled.
Montville 4, Villa Walsh 1
Rachel Inglesino, Megan Patierno and Emily Mulligan had RBIs when Montville defeated Villa Walsh on Wednesday, May 1.
The Mustangs, who led 1-0 after five innings, tacked on three runs in the sixth. Jade Tungul had two hits for Montville. Winning pitcher Jessica Shalongo struck out seven, walked two and yielded seven hits.
Annie McCluskey and Caitria O'Shaughnessy had two hits each for the Vikings (5-10). McCluskey drove in Villa Walsh's run.
Morris Tech 10, Orange 0
Sam Schmidt no-hitter and nine strikeouts and Rebecca Jansen's three RBIs and two hits helped Morris Tech blank Orange on Wednesday, May 1.
Schmidt helped herself by going 2 for 3, including a double, and knocking in two runs.
Mandy L'Heritier doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs.
Morristown 5, Morris Catholic 1
Katie Colquhoun and rapped out two hits and drove in a run in support of pitchers Nicole Rhoades and Mollie Forman on Wednesday, May 1.
Forman, who relieved Rhoades, doubled and knocked in a run for the Colonials (7-8). Rhoades and Forman combined on a four-hitter.
Morris Catholic's top hitter was Gina Tonini with two hits. The Crusaders are 4-8.
Butler 6, Hawthorne 2
The Bulldogs rode the hitting of freshman Aleks Apkarian (three hits, home run, three RBIs) and pitching of Kayla Logan to a victory on Wednesday, May 1.
Other Butler RBIs were by Alexandra Spellman and Logan.
Logan struck out five and was reached for seven hits over five innings. Larissa Spellman relieved. She struck out five, walked one and allowed gave up only one hit.
New Providence 6, Chatham 0
New Providence's Cassandra Squeri limited the Cougars to four hits in this game on Wednesday, May 1.
Kendall Davies had two of the Cougars' hits and Meg Pinaire and Charlotte Zukauckas had one hit apiece. Zukauckas' hit was a double. Chatham is 10-6.
New Providence's top hitter was Kelsey Quinn, who went 3 for 3 with an RBI.
Boonton 5, Kinnelon 0
Smith gets 100th career hit
Anna Lee Smith had a bunt single in the second inning, giving her 100 hits for her career, when Boonton shut out Kinnelon on Tuesday, April 30.
Smith, a junior third baseman, finished with two hits, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
"It's very fitting," Bombers coach Jim Drury said. "Forty-eight of Anna's 100 hits are bunt singles. To me, that's remarkable. The Kinnelon coach (Danielle Elia) said we can't get her and we know what she's going to do."
Not only does Smith excel at the plate and on the basepaths, she is Boonton's most versatile player. Smith has played third, shortstop, left field and center field this season.
Carly McDaniel had two hits and knocked in a run for Boonton (10-7).
Senior right-handed pitcher Kylie Morgan pitched her second no-hitter this spring, recording 13 strikeouts.
Villa Walsh 5, Parsippany 2
Veronica Manley went 3 for 3 with two RBIs to fuel the Vikings on Tuesday, April 30.
Jessica Walsh went 2 for 2 and knocked in a run for Villa Walsh, which improved its record to 5-9. Juliana Strelec and Caitria O'Shaughnessy had an RBI apiece.
For the Red Hawks, Amanda Angulo and Taylor Scott knocked in runs. Scott had four hits and Nicole Bernal finished with two.
Randolph 10, Mendham 8
Kayla Johnson tripled twice and knocked in five runs to pace the Rams, who rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, on Tuesday, April 30.
Amanda Magadan went 2 for 4 with a triple and RBI for Randolph (10-5). Cynthia Meringer was 3 for 4 with a double and RBI. The winning pitcher was Kelly O'Neill, who struck out three and walked four.
Mendham (5-7) was led by Courtney Gionco and Irene Margiotta, who had two hits each. Margiotta drove in a run as did Nikkey Skuraton.
Whippany Park 14, Morristown-Beard 0
Alexa Cozzarelli, Ashley Belott, Jenn Sanislo and Nicole Romanowsky drove in two runs apiece to support the pitching of junior Brittany Funicelli and propel the Wildcats to a win over the Crimson on Tuesday, April 30.
Cozzarelli, Belott and Romanowsky all slugged triples. Sanislo (double, two RBIs) and Allison Gleichmann (double, two RBIs) chipped in for Whippany Park (12-5).
Funicelli allowed two hits and struck out seven over five innings. For Morristown-Beard, Lauren Conway and Vincina Bivona had doubles. The Crimson are 3-11.
West Morris 4, Morristown 0
Kat Spilman had two RBIs in the first inning to put the Wolfpack up, 2-0, in this game on Tuesday, April 30.
Kelsey Brown went 2 for 2, Courtney Chase had an RBI single in the second inning and Alyssa Perkalis slugged an RBI double in the third inning for West Morris (13-3). Winning pitcher Jamie Fesinstine limited Morristown to two hits, struck out 10 and walked one.
Alexa Grniet and Alli Klinger had the two hits for Morristown. Colonials pitcher Nicole Rhoades gave up eight hits and struck out four.
Morris Tech 16, Somerset Tech 6
Gina Andreotta and Sam Schmidt rapped out three hits each and ended with three RBIs for Morris Tech on Tuesday, April 30.
Rebecca Jansen contributed two hits, one of them a double, and drove in a run for the Devils.
Morris Tech neared the .500 mark, pushing its record to 6-7.
Jefferson 13, Hackettstown 3
Stephanie de Hagara gave up one hits and fanned five in four innings of work for Jefferson on Tuesday, April 30.
Hitting standouts for the Falcons were Katie Lisa (triple, RBI), Dianna Gatto (two doubles, three RBIs) and Anna Carlson (3 for 3, two doubles, three RBIs).
Allison Lay tripled and had two RBIs for Hackettstown.
Roxbury 10, Parsippany Hills 2
Home runs by Holly Arentowicz, Kate Cullen and Ally Snyder powered the Gaels past Parsippany Hills on Tuesday, April 30.
Arentowicz homered, tripled and knocked in four runs. Cullen had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Snyder had two hits and two RBIs.
Junior pitcher Samantha Darling gave up three hits. She struck out three and walked two. Parsippany Hills received a two-run double from Kylie Taylor.
Chatham 10, St. Dominic 0
Natalie Schroder struck out seven and was nicked for two hits to highlight the Cougars' win over St. Dominic on Tuesday, April 30.
McCall Moore went 2 for 3, including a triple. Meg Pinaire tripled, doubled and drove in a run for Chatham (10-5).
Candace DeVito had a double, two runs scored and three RBIs for the winners.
Morris Knolls 9, Jefferson 6
Gina Nappi had three RBIs and Mia Baldassari had three hits and drove in a run to pace Morris Knolls to victory over Jefferson on Monday, April 29.
Madi Housel and Kelsey Hanson also knocked in runs for the Golden Eagles (15-3). Winning pitcher Kim Felix went 4 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking four. Ashley Lesch pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up three hits. She struck out two and walked three.
Morris Knolls led 2-0 after three innings before making it 9-0 in the top of the fifth inning.
The Falcons' Katie Lisa tripled and had three RBIs. Anna Carlson went 3 for 4. Jefferson, which committed four errors, is 13-4.
Hanover Park 4, Madison 2
The Hornets received two hits and two RBIs from Danielle Politi when it defeated Madison on Monday, April 29.
Raquel Mogavero also had two hits, including a double, for Hanover Park (11-3). Alyssa Santaniello contributed a double.
Sam Snyder pitched a five-hitter, striking out nine and walking. Jill Caruso homered for Madison (7-7).
Whippany Park 8, Villa Walsh 1
Jenn Sanislo went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Jamie Rehus went 2 for 3 with two RBIs to spark the Wildcats on Monday, April 29.
Other Whippany Park runs were driven in by Sam Mellea, Ashley Bellott and Brittany Funicelli. Sanislo, a senior right-hander, allowed six hits. She struck out six and walked three.
Whippany Park, which will face Jefferson in a Morris County Tournament semifinal on Thursday, May 2, sent its record to 11-5.
Montville edges Morris Knolls in MCT
Montville scored all of its runs in the seventh inning to gain a 5-4 victory over second-seeded Morris Knolls in Morris County Tournament quarterfinal action on Saturday, April 27.
Tami Lake singled to get the Mustangs (10-5) started in the seventh. Sammie Booth reached on an error. Rachel Inglesino singled to load the bases. Megan Patierno was hit by a pitch, scoring Lake.
Senior Emily Mulligan then hit a grand slam over the left-field fence to put 10th-seeded Montville in front, 5-2. The home run was Mulligan's ninth of the season.
The Golden Eagles (14-3) put across two runs in the lower half of the seventh on Mia Baldassari's bases-loaded single.
"It was an exciting game," Montville coach John Immediato said. "It took awhile for our bats to get going. I love the way the team is playing right now. We're jelling at the right time. The girls are playing for each other."
Jessica Shalongo was the winning pitcher. The junior right-hander has won all six of her starts and given up only three earned runs since returning from a nagging back injury. Shalongo, now 9-1, has allowed only four runs in three MCT games. The Mustangs shut out Villa Walsh and Hanover Park in previous rounds.
Morris Knolls took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Gina Nappi's RBI single scored Felix and an error.
Jefferson 4, Chatham 0
Top-seeded Jefferson, behind Melissa Jurkiewicz's three-hitter, shut out No. 8 Chatham in an MCT quarterfinal-round game on Saturday, April 27.
Jurkiewicz struck out seven and walked one to send her record to 12-3.
The Falcons, who will meet Whippany Park in the semifinals on Thursday, May 2, backed Jurkiewicz with a seven-hit attack.
Amanda Delfino and Claudia Tietz had two hits apiece for Jefferson (13-3). Tietz drove in a run as did Kayla Weber. Anna Carlson and Weber doubled.
For Chatham, Kendall Davies, McCall Moore and Raleigh Heap had hits. The Cougars are 9-5.
Whippany Park 11, Butler 1
Nicole Romawsky, Ashley LoBell and Rachel Grabowski had two RBIs apiece to spur fourth-seeded Whippany Park to a win over Butler in MCT quarterfinal play on Saturday, April 27.
LoBell had the game's only extra base hit, a triple. Courtney Simon, Ashley Belott and Brittany Funicelli also drove in runs.
Winning pitcher Jenn Sanislo struck out four, walked one and yielded four hits in the five-inning game.
Fifth-seeded Butler scored a run in the third inning to pull within one, 2-1, but the Wildcats erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up, 7-1.
Pope John 6, Belvidere 2
Mary Adams gave up only three hits before giving way to Adrianna Barone in action at the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament on Saturday, April 27.
Adams went five innings, striking out one and walking none before being relieved by Barone, who struck out two.
Kaylee Powers and Toni Santonastasso had two hits each for the Lions (12-6). Santonastasso, Kaitlyn Morrison and Mary Ullmann had RBIs for Pope John.
Belvidere led, 2-0, before the Lions scored four runs in the lower half of the fourth inning.
Columbia 9, Parsippany Hills 5
Emily Schnorr hit a solo home run, doubled, walked, scored twice and drove in two runs for Columbia on Saturday, April 27.
Casey Dickson added two hits and drove in two runs for the Cougars (7-9). Sarah Casiano also had an RBI triple and scored.
Mackenzie Brown went 3 for 4 and scored for the Vikings (6-10). Kaitlyn Jansen (2 for 4) and Kristyna Lynch had RBIs for Parsippany Hills.
West Morris 2, Whippany Park 0
West Morris scored twice in the top of the sixth inning, getting runs on RBI base hits by Kat Spilman and Becca Raymond, and blanked Whippany Park on Friday, April 26.
A single by Allie McCourt and a sacrifice bunt set up Spilman's run-producing hit.
Jamie Fesinstine of West Morris gave up three hits, struck out eight and walked one. Jenn Sanislo of Whippany Park scattered four hits, had nine strikeouts and gave up two walks.
Villa Walsh 15, Mountain Lakes 4
Annie McCluskey doubled and drove in three runs and Erin DiGuglielmo had three RBIs to pace the Vikings on Friday, April 26.
Almarie Brennan went 3 for 3 with two RBIs for Villa Walsh (4-8).
Veronica Manley and Jessica Walsh had two hits apiece for the Vikings. Shannon Toth had one of the Lakers' three hits.
Pope John 8, Parsippany Hills 1
Julia Engdahl, Christina Marinaro and Kaylee Powers had two hits apiece for the Lions (11-6) when they defeated Parsippany Hills on Friday, April 26.
Powers hit a solo home run and scored twice. Marinaro scored twice and drove in a run and Engdahl also scored.
Kaitlyn Jansen had two hits and an RBI and Erica Ruja tripled and scored for the Vikings (6-9).
Boonton 3, Butler 1
Boonton avenged a 19-1 loss to Butler, handing the Bulldogs their second loss of the season, 3-1, on Thursday, April 25.
Anna Lee Smith and Kylie Morgan were among the standouts for the Bombers, who moved their record to 9-7.
Morgan, a senior right-hander, gave up six hits and struck out eight. She had a no-hitter on Wednesday vs. Sussex Tech. Morgan is 5-1 over her last six games. During that time frame, she's batting .550 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.
Smith, the leadoff hitter, had four hits, including a double, and knocked in a run. She also stole her 36th, 37th and 38th bases of the season. Meghan Maida doubled and Mackenzie Thompson had two hits for Boonton.
For Butler, which was shut out 7-0 by Pequannock a day earlier, Larissa Spellman singled, tripled and drove in a run. Marlene Arabia contributed a double.
Morristown 4, Chatham 3
Victoria Kapp had two hits, one of them a double, and drove in the game-winning run for Morristown when it edged Chatham on Thursday, April 25.
Alli Klinger also had two hits and knocked in a run for the Colonials, now 6-7. Joanna Lee had two hits and Alex Gleason had a double for Morristown. Winning pitcher Nicole Rhoades struck out four and scattered four hits.
Chatham (9-4) received a double from Candace DeVito.
Mendham 11, Parsippany Hills 1
Tess Madarasz went 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs and Courtney Gionco had two RBIs to spark Mendham on Thursday, April 25.
The Minutemen received doubles from Dana Rafferty and Shannon Smith. Nikkey Skuraton tripled.
Sophomore Irene Margiotta yielded three hits and struck out four for Mendham.
Morris Catholic 11, Kinnelon 7
Gina Tonini rapped out four hits and drove in a run to highlight the Crusaders' win over the Colts on Thursday, April 25.
Jeannie Kivlon (3 for 4) and Jessica Torsiello (2 for 4, three RBIs) also had big days at the plate for Morris Catholic (4-7).
Brittany Coppola drove in a run for Kinnelon.
Whippany Park 15, Parsippany 2
Jenn Sanislo, taking a day off from pitching, went 3 for 3, including a home run, and finished with three RBIs for the Wildcats on Thursday, April 25.
Additional offensive standouts were Alexa Cozzarelli (2 for 3, home run, two RBIs), Ashley Belott (double, three RBIs), Rachel Grabowski (2 for 4) and winning pitcher Brittany Funicelli (2 for 4, RBI).
Funicelli pitched a two-hitter and struck out five for Whippany Park (9-4) in the five-inning game.
Jefferson 3, Hopatcong 0
The Falcons, behind Melissa Jurkiewicz's two-hit, 10-strikeout, one-walk performance, blanked the Chiefs on Thursday, April 25.
Pacing the attack for Jefferson (12-3) was Claudia Tietz, who doubled and knocked in a run. Lauren Gutowski added two hits and Anna Carlson had an RBI for the winners.
Hannah Bibeault (double) and Pamela Hon had hits for Hopatcong.
Dover 5, Villa Walsh 4
Villa Walsh outhit Dover 14-6 but fell short on Thursday, April 25.
Leyri Rivera and Jessica Castro had two RBIs apiece for the Tigers, who registered their first win of the season. Rivera stole two bases.
Erin Delaney and Veronica Manley each went 3 for 4 for the Vikings. Delaney and Catria O'Shaughnessy knocked in two runs. Juliana Strelec had three hits, including the 100th of her career for Villa Walsh.
Morris Tech 12, East Brunswick Tech 0
Jillian Marchione, a freshman, fired a four-hitter and registered 11 strikeouts to pace the Devils on Thursday, April 25.
Rebecca Jansen buoyed the attack, getting three hits, including a pair of doubles.
Mandy L'Heritier finished with three RBIs for Morris Tech.
Pequannock 8, Sussex Tech 2
Rachel Pierson doubled and had three RBIs and Bridget Carr had two RBIs for the Golden Panthers (12-3) on Thursday, April 25.
Nicole Hernandez also doubled for Pequannock in support of Christina Brizek and Alyssa Lobosco.
Brizek was the winning pitcher, giving up four hits in four innings of work before being relieved by Lobosco. Brizek aided the offense with two hits.
Boonton 6, Sussex Tech 0
Kylie Morgan pitched a no-hitter and struck out 11 when Boonton defeated Sussex Tech on Wednesday, April 24.
Sussex Tech's only baserunner reached on a throwing error with two outs in the seventh inning. Morgan helped herself, singling in two runs.
Anna Lee Smith went 3 for 4 with three stolen bases, giving her 35 on the season. Freshman Carly McDaniels also added two hits and an RBI for the Bombers, now 8-7. Another freshman, Chelsea Davis, had a hit and RBI. Meaghan Maida (hit, RBI) and Mackenzie Thompson (hit, two stolen bases) contributed to Boonton's offense.
West Morris 3, Jefferson 1
Timely hitting stood out when the Wolfpack posted a victory over the Falcons on Wednesday, April 24.
Kelsey Brown slugged a triple and drove in two runs. Allie McCourt chipped in with two hits, one of them a double.
Jamie Fesinstine pitched a four-hitter, striking out six and walking just one For West Morris (9-3). Amanda Delfino drove in Jefferson's run.
Morris Knolls 18, Montville 8
Center fielder Mia Baldassari belted two homers and had four RBIs for the Golden Eagles (14-2) on Wednesday, April 24.
Ashley Lesch stroked three hits, one of them a triple, and finished with three RBIs.
Megan Patierno homered and had four RBIs for Montville. Rachel Inglesino had two hits.
Hanover Park 3, Pope John 2
Danielle Politi's single drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, snapping a 2-2 deadlock for the Hornets on Wednesday, April 24.
The base hit was the second of the day for Politi. Alex Consenzo, who had a double in the seventh, crossed the plate on Politi's clutch hit.
Sam Snyder gave up two hits and fanned eight to notch the pitching win for Hanover Park (10-3). Julia Depuyt had two hits for Pope John.
Randolph 14, Kinnelon 0
The Rams, who erupted for 10 runs in the third inning, received two hits and four RBIs from senior shortstop Amanda Magadan on Wednesday, April 24.
Cynthia Meringer had three hits, including a triple and homer, and also knocked in four runs.
Kelly O'Neill surrendered one hits over four innings of work. O'Neill struck out seven and walked two. Olivia Kiss pitched an inning and struck out one.
Butler 9, Parsippany Hills 1
Fifth-seeded Butler remained undefeated after 11 games by defeating Parsippany Hills in a Morris County Tournament first-round game on Tuesday, April 23.
Hitting standouts for the Bulldogs included Brianne Lipinski (2 for 3, two RBIs), Aleks Apkarian (2 for 3, two RBIs) and Allison DePuyt (double).
Freshman pitcher Larissa Spellman limited the 12th-seeded Vikings to five hits.
West Morris 10, Roxbury 0
West Morris gained a 2-0 lead in the first inning of this MCT first-round game on Becca Raymond's sacrifice fly and Kelsey Brown's RBI base hit.
Raymond then slugged a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. An inning later, the Wolfpack strung together a few more hits, getting an RBI single from Kat Spilman, two RBIs from Brown, an RBI double from Jamie Fesinstine and a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Rebekah Katz.
Jamie Fesinstine pitched all five innings, notching nine strikeouts, walking one and giving up six hits. Amber Campbell had a double and a single for the Gaels.
Whippany Park 10, Parsippany 0
The fourth-seeded Wildcats, buoyed by the one-hit pitching of Jenn Sanislo and an attack that featured multiple extra base hits, blanked the 13th-seeded Red Hawks in MCT first-round action on Tuesday, April 23.
Sanislo, a senior righty, had four strikeouts. Courtney Simon helped back Sanislo with three hits, including two triples, and knocked in five runs. Ashley Lobell also had three hits, one of them a triple, and drove in a run.
Alexa Cozzarelli tripled and scored a run and Jamie Rehus and Rachel Grabowski doubled and scored two runs apiece for Whippany Park (8-4). Parsippany's lone hit, a double, came off the bat of Amanda Angulo.
Jefferson 4, Boonton 1
The top-seeded Falcons received a home run from Anna Carlson and a triple and two RBIs from Claudia Tietz when they registered a MCT first-round win over No. 17 Boonton.
Katie Lisa also doubled for Jefferson. Falcons ace Melissa Jurkiewicz, a junior, gave up three hits, struck out 10 and walked two.
For the Bombers, Kylie Morgan doubled and drove in a run. Morgan also absorbed the pitching loss.
Pequannock 3, Morristown 0
The third-seeded and four-time defending champion Pequannock softball team relied on the bats of Nicole Hernandez (two hits) and Kellyann McClain (double, two RBIs).
Christina Brizek struck out five, walked one and surrendered only two hits.
Nicole Hernandez had two hits and Kellyann McClain had a double and two RBIs for the Golden Panthers (10-3).
Morris Knolls 3, Mendham 1
Gina Nappi rapped out two hits and had an RBI and Chelsea Fischer delivered a two-run single to power the second-seeded Golden Eagles in a MCT first-round game on Tuesday, April 23.
Morris Knolls pitcher Ashley Lesch yielded four hits, fanned eight and issued three walks. Morris Knolls improved its record to 13-2.
Courtney Gionco fueled the Minutemen's attack, slugging two doubles. Mendham dropped to 4-6.
Montville 7, Hanover Park 0
Megan Patierno and Jade Tungul homered for the Mustangs when they jarred seventh-seeded Hanover Park in MCT first-round play on Tuesday, April 23.
Patierno had three RBIs for 10th-seeded Montville (7-4). Cayleigh Aslanian doubled and had two other hits.
Jess Shalongo held the Mustangs to four hits. She struck out seven.
Boonton 11, Morris Hills 0
The sight of Anna Lee Smith on crutches a half hour before Boonton's bus departed for a Morris County Tournament preliminary-round game against Morris Hills made Jim Drury's heart sink and his jaw drop.
Drury had heard Smith, the Bombers' left fielder and leadoff hitter, wanted to talk to him but never imagined it was about an injury.
Field Hockey Roundup
Brown, Jefferson win state tou…
Junior forward Lindsay Brown scored her fourth and fifth goals of the season to power nint...
West Morris falls to Warren Hi…
Nikki Profido's third goal of the game, scored with 3:24 remaining, proved to be the gamew...
