We've got Montgomery over Immaculata in a preview of the second round of the SCT and Hillsborough heading up to Clinton to play home run derby with North Hunterdon. Phillipsburg deals Bridgewater-Raritan another blow, while Mount St. Mary barely escapes the upstart Canucks.
All this and more in Thursday's roundup:
SPOTLIGHT GAMES:
MONTGOMERY 10, IMMACULATA 5: Emily Case went 3-for-4 with two RBI while teammate Alyssa Elicone was 3-for-5 with two RBI on Thursday to lead the Montgomery High School softball team to its second straight conference victory, 10-5 over Immaculata at North Branch Park.
Rosie DeSapio and Keyana Hammons each drove in two runs for Immaculata (1-7). Montgomery improved to 3-5.
ANALYSIS: Like I said the other day, it would have been nice to get this one in before the county seeding meeting, it would have gotten the Cougars a home game. In any case, this might be an example of two ships passing in the night. You've got Montgomery, which has won 3-of-4 after an 0-1 start, while the Spartans have dropped six straight after losing 1-0 to Bridgewater-Raritan on opening day before pulling off the upset of the year by topping Central in Game 2.
HILLSBOROUGH 13, NORTH HUNTERDON 11: Junior shortstop Alexis Pezza went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored and Denise Acone added three hits, including a homer, three RBIs and two runs to help power Hillsborough (7-1).
Senior Steph Zengel went 3-for-5 with two homers and three runs scored, and Jen Smith went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI for North Hunterdon (6-4).
ANALYSIS: I mentioned yesterday this would be a high-scoring affair and the teams certainly lived up to the billing. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to North Hunterdon today. Looks like I missed a fun one.
If anyone is going to take a serious shot at beating Hillsborough around here, it's probably North, which is one of the few teams that can match the Raiders' offensive firepower.
PHILLIPSBURG 7, BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN 0: Freshman Lauren Gorski singled and stole a base for Bridgewater-Raritan (5-4), which trailed by just a run until Phillipsburg erupted for six in the sixth inning.
ANALYSIS: The Panthers, who are still without Jordan Stephenson, are looking to collect themselves and get back on track. I wasn't the only one who saw this one coming.
MOUNT ST. MARY 3, NORTH PLAINFIELD 1: Sophomore pitcher Katie Haley drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run double in the fifth inning and the Mount St. Mary softball team edged North Plainfield.
Haley limited the Canucks to a run on four hits and struck out 13. Christina Aurilia tied the game in the third inning with a single for Mount St. Mary (4-2).
Tracey Rodriguez scored on a fielder's choice in the first inning for the Canucks (2-6).
ANALYSIS: Wow. Look at the Canucks playing tight with a good team. I plan to see North Plainfield in action Saturday at Bound Brook in the first round of the county tournament. Call it a coin-flip game.
DELAWARE VALLEY 5, VOORHEES 2: Jess O'Brien singled in two runs in the fifth and Danielle Novotny hit a home run to pace Delaware Valley.
Senior Kiele Eichlin allowed four hits and fanned 10 for the undefeated Terriers (8-0).
Ashley Robbins scored two runs for the Vikings (6-2).
ANALYSIS: Del Val will get Somerville next Tuesday as they look to wrap up the first cycle through the conference schedule undefeated.
CRANFORD 12, WESTFIELD 4: Shannon Schaefer went 2-for-4 and drove in a run for Westfield (9-2).
ANALYSIS: It should come down to Cranford and Westfield again in the Union County Tournament semifinals – at least if they get the seeding right.
THE REST OF THE ROUNDUP
SOMERSET TECH 8, NORTH 13TH STREET 1: Courtney Kahlsdorf allowed three hits, no walks and struck out 13 for Somerset Tech.
Ariell Connor reached base five times for the Jags (3-3), collecting two hits and three walks, scoring three runs and stealing three bases.
SOUTH HUNTERDON 12, MANVILLE 2 (6 inn.): Senior Jasmine Assad allowed two unearned runs and struck out six for the Eagles (4-3).
Kelly Albanir picked up a double and two RBI for South Hunterdon. Senior Vanessa Velez singled in a run for Manville (0-7).
WARREN HILLS 10, FRANKLIN 0 (5 inn.): Ashley Rupp recorded one of the two hits for Franklin (2-6).
NORTH WARREN 14, BOUND BROOK 3: Catie Clifford and Jessie Waller each drove in a run for the Crusaders (2-6).
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON 15, UNION 5 (5 inn.): Senior first baseman Stephanie Cataldo went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI while teammate Grace Sanzalone was 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Highlanders.
PRINCETON DAY 7, RUTGERS PREP 6: Caroline Kamarscky drove in four runs while going 2-for-4 for the Argonauts. Rachel Gross added two hits, including a double for Rutgers Prep (2-4).
BELVIDERE 10, BERNARDS 3: Details not reported
PROGRAMMING NOTES
COMING SATURDAY: Somerset County Tournament picks! Your first chance to ridicule me, as I take a stab at the three first-round games slated for 11a.m. Saturday at the higher seed
FRIDAY'S CN-AREA SCHEDULE
Bishop Ahr at Dunellen
Delaware Valley at Hillsborough
North Hunterdon at Warren Hills
Ridge at Phillipsburg
South River at Bound Brook
Bridgewater-Raritan at DePaul Catholic
New Providence at Union Catholic
Plainfield at Rahway
Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Westfield
Somerset Tech at Woodbridge Academy
Sussex Tech at Belvidere
South Plainfield at Wardlaw-Hartridge
