HoVal edges Colts Neck in state tourney

In a year in which it improved from the previous season more than any other softball team in Mercer County, it was only fitting Hopewell Valley was also able to win a state tournament game on Tuesday.

Taking on defending state champion Colts Neck in the opening round of Central Jersey Group III, Hopewell Valley posted a 3-2 victory to pick up its first state tournament victory since 2017.

Next up for Hopewell Valley will be a quarterfinal round game on Friday at No. 2 seed Middetown North, which advanced with a 6-0 victory over Red Bank Regional.

It’s been sort of been a roller coaster type of season for Hopewell Valley (11-8), but the trajectory was up on this day behind the strong pitching of Sam Shaw.

Showing good control and striking out 10, Shaw gave up only single runs in the third and fifth innings and finished with a four-hitter. Colts Neck did have its chances, but Shaw was able to get strikeouts in key situations, including striking out a batter for the last out in three innings.

The third inning run for Colts Neck came in on a sac fly by Kate Mager in which a runner on third base appeared to leave early. Mager also got the Shore Conference team’s second run home with a single in the fifth.

It wasn’t enough because although Hopewell Valley also failed to take advantage of several great opportunities, it was able to do just enough against Colts Neck’ pitcher Sam Sponder.

After falling behind by one run, Hopewell Valley took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a smoked two-run, two-out single to right by Jenna Powers. This came after a walk to Izabella Cornish-DiDonato and a double by red-hot Sofia Zangrilli.

From the beginning of the game Colts Neck had trouble dealing with Hopewell’s speed and the result was four infield hits for the Valley Girls. This didn’t figure in the first two runs, but it did with the winning run as No. 9 batter Charlotte Barnes beat out an infield single to start the fourth.

After Barnes advanced on a wild pitch and Sarah Yancey walked, Mea Allex drove in the decisive run with a single to center. Yancey and Allex, of course, were members of Hopewell Valley’s ultra successful girls soccer team and will be sorely missed next year after they graduate along with Zangrilli and Shaw.

As mentioned at the top, the strides Hopewell Valley made this year were significant. Last year it was 5-14. This year it will win at least 11 games and although a big rebuilding job appears in store for next year, the program can take pride in the fact this year’s team was able to drastically turn things around.