Pennsville puts all the elements together to walkoff Woodstown 10-0 for its first softball sectional title since 2008; Group 1 final four set
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — Clean defense and sharp pitching are keys to survival in post-season play.
Pennsville got both Thursday, on top of its usual solid hitting, and now is a South Jersey Group 1 softball sectional champion for the first time since 2008 after blanking county rival Woodstown 10-0.
The Eagles (18-7) will host Central Jersey champion Bound Brook in the Group 1 semifinals Monday at 4 p.m. The Crusaders (15-12) beat Florence 4-3 with two runs in the bottom of the tenth inning.
“Oh, this is fantastic,” centerfielder Lily Edwards said after the celebration died down. “The last time it happened was (a month before) when I was born. It’s fantastic.”
Graillyn Weber pitched a shutout in the circle and drove the walkoff double in the sixth inning. She gave up three hits and struck out four, including the side in order in the fifth. She didn’t allow a hit — and only one base runner — after Ellie Wygand’s single (her second hit of the game) with one out in the third inning.
She has now allowed only one run in 25 playoff innings.
“I threw pretty well,” Weber said. “I don’t think I threw actually my best game, but I think I was avoiding the middle of the strike zone and not making every pitch so hittable.”
The Eagles also played a relatively clean game behind her, fielding all 12 chances in the infield that are typical of Weber’s outings. They made one error on a tailing fly ball that glanced off centerfielder Lily Edwards outstretched glove.
The Wolverines were charged with five errors, all of which either later scored or led to a run scoring.
“Graillyn’s been our primary pitcher for most of our games and we always need to be there to back her up because everyone feels it when an error is made in the field and we need to keep each other up,” said Avery Watson, who cleanly fielded four grounders at her shortstop position. “I put a lot of work in just so I can support my pitchers because I love ’em and they always do a great job.”
The Eagles led wire-to-wire. They scored a run in the first when Edwards raced home from third on a pitch that got past the catcher. They added another in the third on Edwards’ RBI single, two in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Avery Watson and Kenzie Widener and Taylor Bass’ RBI ground out, and broke it open with five in the fifth.
They walked it off in the sixth when Gracie Mease reached second on a leadoff error, Edwards was intentionally walked and Weber powered a double in the left centerfield gap.
“We’re a better team than Pennsville, but today they were a significantly better team, I’ll just say that,” Woodstown coach Rob Hilderbrand said. “Today they outplayed us and beat us in every facet of the game. Do I think we’re still at better team at heart, yeah, but they just beat us today.”
After the immediate celebration and all the pictures, the team retired to the side of their storage trailer where coach Beth Jackson removed tape from a banner that revealed the newest year of an Eagles sectional title. She then got the traditional water bucket shower courtesy of Edwards and Taylor Bass.
“We just kind of thought about it in the moment,” Edwards said. :”You watch like the big moments on the TV and it’s like, ‘Oh, shoot, let’s do this. She deserves it.”
She certainly appreciated it.
“It feels good,” she said.
This story will be updated.
| Woodstown | 000 | 000- | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Pennsville | 101 | 251- | 10 | 9 | 1 |
GROUP 1 SECTIONAL FINALS
Thursday’s games
SOUTH: Pennsville 10, Woodstown 0, 6 inns.
CENTRAL: Bound Brook 4, Florence 3, 10 inns.
NORTH I: Indian Hills 2, Midland Park 0
NORTH II: Dayton 5, Whippany Park 4
GROUP I FINAL FOUR
Monday’s games
Bound Brook (15-12) at Pennsville (18-8), 4 p.m.
Dayton (18-12) at Indian Hills (20-8)
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