ROOF RAPS 2-RUN HR, VALENTE 2 RBI, BOGART 2-2BS
Momentum was with the secondseeded Jonathan Dayton Bulldogs, who were rolling with a strong performance from pitcher Lila Carroll plus the outstanding offensive and defensive support from shortstop Angela Gatto, in their showdown with the eighth-seeded Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders for the Union County Tournament championship at Kean University in Union on May 20. However, the Raiders demonstrated their moxie with four runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score and were one out away from taking the contest into extra innings until Gallo launched a solo home run to earn the Bulldogs a 6-5 victory and the crown.
Raider Head Coach Matt Giannucio said the, “Game was a game for the ages, one of those games that comes around every so often. We as coaches are so proud of what this team has accomplished thus far this season. The willingness our players demonstrate each day to continuously get better speaks for itself. It is an absolute joy to coach this bunch, and we’re going to do our best to keep playing as long as possible because that just gives us all more days to be together.”
Carroll allowed only one run and scattered four hits, while walking three and hitting a batter and striking out nine Raiders until she was rocked with four hits and a walk in that seventh inning. Raider starting pitcher Olivia DiSalvo was on the mound until she allowed a single in the bottom of the fifth inning and was replaced by Sairah Llano, who finished the game.
In her four innings, DiSalvo allowed five runs (three earned), eight hits and no walks, while striking out six Bulldogs. Llano, in three innings, yielded four hits, including the home run to Gallo, and a walk, while striking out five batters.
Gallo was indeed the hitting star for the 20-6 Bulldogs, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and three runs scored. Leadoff hitter/catcher Katie Buckley also went 3-for-4 with a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. Natalie Mignone singled twice and had an RBI. Olivia Douglas went 1for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. Jenna Campos cracked an RBI double. Carroll and Alyssa Santangelo each singled.
The 16-8 Raiders totaled eight hits and Emily Roof had two of them with a double and a two-run home run that tied the score in the seventh. Leadoff hitter Sam Friscia went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Third baseman Maddie Bogart went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, two walks, an RBI and a run scored. Angelina Valente hacked a two-run single and scored once. Harper Shimko singled and was hit by a pitch.
The Bulldogs broke into the scoring column with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Buckley chopped her leadoff single past third base then stole second base – it was Buckley’s 100th career hit. Mignone then slapped an RBI single just over first base. The Raiders attempted to answer in the top of the second when Roof slashed a leadoff double to rightcenter but Carroll got Llano to line out to right then struck out the next two batters.
The lead jumped to 3-0 in the Dayton second inning thanks to a pair of throwing errors and a leadoff single. Gatto poked a short single to center, went to steal second and scored when the catcher’s throw sailed off course. Douglas’ grounder to short also resulted in a throwing error and her eventually scoring the second run of the inning. DiSalvo settled down and struck out Ashley Weber and Campos.
The Raiders’ bats came to life a bit in the third. Friscia sizzled a one-out single past short and Bogart banged a hard double off the right field wall. Valente’s grounder to second brought in Friscia. DiSalvo stepped to the plate and drilled a low liner that seemed destined to add a run but Gatto made an amazing chest sliding snag to save a run.
Gatto whacked a solo home run over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the fourth inning. Douglas followed with a looping double just inside the leftfield line and Campos lined an RBI double off the leftfield wall to up the lead to 5-1. They threatened again in the fifth. Mignone lined a leadoff single over third. Llano stepped to the mound. An attempt to steal second was thwarted by Friscia, the catcher, then Carroll singled to left. Llano escaped the inning by striking out the next two batters.
The Bulldogs also tried to add runs in the sixth. Douglas drew a leadoff walk then Bogart chased down a very difficult popup on the foul side of the leftfield line. Llano struck out Campos but Buckley plopped a short infield single and Santangelo hit a slap shot single to load the bases. Llano got Mignone to ground out to end the threat.
The Raiders’ backs were against the wall in the top of the seventh and it began with a leadoff walk to Julia Friedrichs. When Carroll’s next pitch was bobbled at the plate, Friedrichs dashed toward second but Buckley fired a bullet to Gatto for the out. Friscia laced a double to right and Bogart slammed an RBI double off the leftfield wall. Valente wiggled an RBI single to right-center then after DiSalvo’s hard liner was grabbed in right, Roof whacked her two-run home run over the right-centerfield wall to knot the score.
Llano struck out the first two Bulldogs in the seventh then Gatto blasted her game-winning home run over the right-centerfield wall to earn Dayton the title.
Coach Giannacio concluded, “Playing in the UCT Final was a huge step in the positive direction this program is headed towards. The current players on this team are solely responsible for getting this team to where it has been this season, and here we haven’t been in a very long time. Even though we lost the game to a very good team, there were so many wins for us as a softball community. I think the players earned much respect in our county this year with what they have done throughout this season.”
Sc Pl-Fanwood 001 000 4 5 Jonathan Dayton 120 200 1 6
