Notre Dame takes big step toward division title
HIGHTSTOWN » There is one softball division in the Colonial Valley Conference that has yet to be determined and Notre Dame took a big step towards securing it with a 4-0 victory Saturday over Hightstown.
The win left Notre Dame (9-4) with still one division loss and dropped Hightstown (9-4) a game back. West Windsor South, which beat Notre Dame in their first meeting, also has just one divisional loss.
Notre Dame will win the title outright if it can knock off Hightstown again on Monday and then avenge its loss to West Windsor South.
Obviously, a big part of Notre Dame’s win against Hightstown included the pitching of Alexis Staniec. She didn’t exactly overwhelm the Rams with just four strikeouts, but she yielded just two hits, kept the walks to a minimum and let her defense do the rest.
This stands in stark contrast to what happened earlier in the week in an 8-2 loss against Neshaminy when Notre Dame walked four batters and hit another in the same inning.
“The thing we took out of that game was when things get tough you have to dig deep,” said Notre Dame coach Tim O’Reilly. “Staniec pitched really well today. She’s not overpowering, but she can be effective when she moves the ball around and stays in command.”
Hightstown’s big chance to make a game out of it came in the third when Staniec did walk two batters and hard-hitting sophomore pitcher Allie Bridgman came to the plate with two outs. Bridgman scorched a laser to center field, but it was right at Claire Storms and Staniec pretty much cruised home from there.
Notre Dame didn’t exactly light up Bridgman (11 strikeouts), but it did manage to collect eight hits and score twice in both the third and fourth innings.
In the third, Hailee Jantorno led off with a bunt single and stole second. Ashey Giampolo then singled her home with a hit up the middle. Giampolo later scored on an single by Emily Reinstein.
Notre Dame’s fourth got started with an opposite-field triple down the right field by Rachel Doan. Jantorno followed with an RBI double in the left-center gap and Giampolo picked up her second RBI with her third single of the game.
Notre Dame (9-4) Hightstown (9-4) 002 200 0 — 4 8 0 000 000 0 — 0 2 0
WP-Staniec. LP-Bridgman. 2B-Jantorno (ND). 3B-Doan (ND). RBIs: Jantorno, Giampolo 2, Reinstein.