Bordentown mashes its way to victory
BORDENTOWN TWP. >> With the month of May just a few days away and only eight games in the books, it’s almost like the Bordentown High softball team is just getting its season started.
If Thursday was any indication, the Scotties (5-3) might just be ready to get on a roll because they sure came out swinging in a 14-1 romp over Pemberton.
Although Pemberton does not exactly possess lockdown pitching, it did come into the game with an 8-3 record and has played well at times against some pretty good times. This was not one of those occasions as three Hornet errors in the first inning helped Bordentown pour across 10 runs to put this game away immediately.
St. John’s University recruit Mel Ditolvo got that bottom of the first started with a double and then Anastasia Salera singled. On the play, Ditolvo alertly raced home while Pemberton unsuccessfully tried to get Salera out in a rundown.
After a walk to Bordentown’s good-looking freshman Mackenza Goleniecki, Katie Schroeder ripped an RBI single. The next two batters reached on errors before Michaela Luyber drove the fifth run home with a single.
Pemberton temporarily got a reprieve on a fly ball to left for the first out, but then made a throwing error on an infield single by Abby Gunther. This led to an RBI single by Ditolvo, the second of three hits by Salera and a two-run single by Goleniecki. The final run of the inning scored on another single by Schroeder.
The assault continued in the second when Gunther walked with the bases loaded, Salera singled home a run with her third single and Goleniecki lofted a sac fly. Schroeder later drove home the 14th run with a base hit after Ditolvo and Goleniecki had singled in the fourth.
The Scotties finished with 13 hits in all, including three apiece by Ditolvo, Salera and Schroeder. Throw in Goleniecki’s two hits and three RBIs, and that’s a lot of offense out of the top four girls in the order.
As the final score indicates, the other side of the scorebook was equally lopsided.
In her five innings of work, Bordentown’s hardthrowing junior righty Debra Jones struck out seven and yielded just two hits. One of them was a double in the first inning by Hornet catcher Gabi Earley, who has been on fire this season and leads the area with six home runs.
The lone Pemberton run was totally unearned after two dropped fly balls in the fourth inning led to an RBI fielders’ choice by Morgan Doyle.
A somewhat stunning loss to Cinnaminson earlier in the week and its resulting early ouster in the Burlington County Scholastic League Tournament not withstanding, Bordentown remains the team to beat in its division. It also has the pitching and enough offense to again be a major factor in the C.J. Group II sectionals. NOTES >> Former Bordentown softball coach Chris O’Leary was on hand and did his usual great job of providing crowd control. ... Bordentown’s rained-out game at New Egypt earlier in the week has not yet been rescheduled. Pembrton (8-4) 000 10 - 1 2 4 Bordentown (5-3) (10)30 1x - 14 13 3 WP-Jones. LP-Mendenhall. 2B-Earley (P), Ditolvo (B). RBIs: P-M. Doyle. B-Ditolvo, Salera, Goleniecki 3, Schroeder 3, Luyber, Gunther.