Pennsville senior softball headed back to state tournament after winning another Section 4 crown; breaks game open with big inning, then holds on
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Chris Watson lost another coin toss, but his Pennsville senior softball team got their dugout back. They were back in their comfort zone and the good vibes sent them back to the state tournament.
Pennsville won the Section 4 championship Thursday night with a 14-5 win over Middle Twp. on Watson Field at the Pennsville Little League complex. It was the fourth straight sectional title for most of these players going back to 12U.
The win propelled Pennsville to the New Jersey Little League Senior Softball State Tournament in Parsippany July 15-17. The Section 4 champs will play the winner of the Morris County-Roberto Clemente LL opener at 3 p.m. July 15 with a chance to play for the title at 3 p.m. July 16.
Pennsville actually won by losing. Watson doesn’t have a lot of luck when it comes to coin tosses and when he lost the one Thursday night Middle Twp. took the home team option and the first base dugout. That allowed Pennsville to occupy its more-favored third-base dugout.
Middle relegated Pennsville to the first-base dugout in Monday’s sectional game — even after the District 3 champs had set up shop in their normal digs — and Pennsville won 15-4 with Jess Bretz spinning a no-hitter.
“They expect me to lose the toss; it’s gotten ridiculous at this point,” Watson said. “But, yes, they’re much more comfortable when everything is the same as they’re used to. They want to be visitors, they want to bat first and they want to be in that dugout.”
“I like this side better; I feel like there’s more hype,” outfielder/closer Kloi Tighe said. “Over there (in the first-base dugout), that sign thing (Eagles Softball screen) is all in the way. I just like being on the third-base side because all our fans are all lined up on this side. It’s really, like, more energy.”
The energy spilled over in a crazy nine-run third inning that really took flight when Middle dropped Bretz’ bases-loaded potential second-out foul pop around the plate. Moments later the Pennsville pitcher ripped a grounder to third and Tighe scored when the catcher couldn’t hold the throw at the plate.
Bella Rappa followed with a hot force at third that brought home another run and Bella Farina followed that with a double that raised chalk behind third and scored two more to make it 4-0. Pennsville sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning. Tighe scored a second run on Avery Watson’s two-run double when she knocked the relay throw out of the catcher’s mitt.
Eight of Pennsville’s nine starters had at least one hit in the game and every starter scored at least one run, offsetting their lack of focus in some other areas of the game. Catcher Kylie Harris went 4-for-4 with an HBP and then shuffled off to Buffalo to join her travel team for a Friday morning game. Leadoff Lily Edwards, Farina and Grailynn Weber (two doubles) all had two hits..
“We started kind of slow so we knew we had to get on the board at one point so we just broke it open and when we did we just kept going and going and going,” Tighe said.
But what started to look like another run-rule victory got to be a little uncomfortable in the middle innings. Bretz lost her command in the fifth and Middle scored four runs without the benefit of a hit to make it 10-4. She allowed only three hits and struck out eight in her first four shutout innings. She struck out 10 and walked seven in the game.
Tighe came on with bases loaded and two outs and put out the fire on four pitches, then finished the game. She gave up a run in the sixth, but her teammates gave her some breathing room by scoring four in the top of the seventh.
“I face adversity well,” Tighe said. “I don’t let anything get to me, so it wasn’t really anything, honestly. I knew I was going to get out of it and I had my team behind me backing me up.”
SENIOR MOMENTS: Pennsville outscored its opponents 65-12 in the district and sectional tournaments. The first three batters in their lineup scored 24 of those runs … Pennsville never trailed in five tournament games … Harris was 11-for-16 with 12 RBIs in the two tournaments. Edwards was 10-for-15 and Bretz was 6-for-11 with 11 RBIs … In five games in the circle (25 2/3 innings) Bretz gave up 10 hits, seven earned runs and struck out 50 … Pennsville beat the District 1 winner (Morris County) twice last year to win the state tournament.
SECTION 4 CHAMPIONSHIP
Pennsville 009 100 4 – 14 14 1
Middle Twp. 000 041 0 – 5 7 5
WP: Jess Bretz (5-0). LP: Grace Hall. 2B: Grailynn Weber 2 (P), Kylie Harris (P), Bella Farina (P), Avery Watson (P), Lily Edwards (P), Sammie Schaffer (M).
NEW JERSEY LITTLE LEAGUE
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Par-Troy West Park Road Complex, Parsippany
July 15
Game 1: Morris County vs. Roberto Clemente LL (Jersey City), 10 a.m.
Game 2: Morris County-Roberto Clemente winner vs. Pennsville, 3 p.m.
July 16
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 3 p.m.
July 17
If necessary, 5:30 p.m.
Riverview Sports News 