NBC pounds 17 hits to knock out Hopewell
COLUMBUS >> The Hopewell Valley softball team had Northern Burlington’s talented freshman hurler Haylei Archer on the ropes in the first inning, but let her off the hook.
Against a pitcher as good as Archer and an offense as potent as NBC’s, Gary Nucera knew that would come back to haunt his Bulldogs.
Nicole Bondoc collected four hits, Megan Berg belted a two-run homer and the top-seeded Greyhounds pulled away from eighthseeded Hopewell to win 11-1 in six innings on Tuesday and advance to the Central Jersey Group III semifinals.
“You got to start the fight and throw the first punch,” Nucera said. “We missed that opportunity and they came out and got to do it. ... The last time we met two years ago, we came from behind by eight runs in the final inning to beat them. We were trying to convince our girls we still had that magic, but maybe it was their chance to get us back fort that.”
NBC (20-3), which hosts fourth-seeded Ewing in Thursday’s semifinals, pounded out 17 hits, including six extra-base hits. The Greyhounds wasted no time taking advantage of Hopewell’s inability to plate a run in the first despite having runners on the corners with no outs and the bases loaded with one out.
Bondoc, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs, said Archer’s ability to navigate that first-inning jam with help from catcher Julia Mayernick was a key moment in the game.
“The play that Julia made getting the runner out at third was a big deal,” Bondoc said. “It really set the tone for the game and I think it really motivated us to get this.”
Not that NBC would have panicked if it got behind.
The hosts went to work against Bulldogs starter Elysse Nardozza, scoring two in the first, one in the second, four in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Berg effectively ended any chance Hopewell had of an upset with a two-run shot to center in the fourth that made it 7-0.
“Hitting is so contagious on this team,” said Bondoc, one of seven freshmen starters. “Once one starts getting hits, we all get some. It’s really good.”
Berg and Alexa Blue both went 3-for-4 and all nine NBC starters had at least one hit.
“Sometimes I just think they’re eating horse-feed around here,” Nucera joked. “You look at the build of some of their girls, and they’re tiny girls, but they swing a large bat. That’s going to win ballgames. You can see why they’re a No. 1 seed.”
Archer settled in and kept Hopewell (14-12) from getting the big hit it needed despite not having her sharpest stuff (four strikeouts, eight walks) and stranded 10 runners on base.
“She had an off day,” NBC coach Tara Corcoran said, “but that’s the beauty of this team because they’re there to pick her up.”
The Bulldogs scored in the fifth on Marley Citrone’s RBI groundout after Nardozza led off with a single and got to third on Bailey Coughlin’s double.
“We put that mojo in action and put ourselves in scoring position ... we were in scoring position four different times,” Nucera said. “We were just one key hit away.” WP-Archer. LP-Nardozza. 2B-MiCarrell, Coughlin (HV); Bondoc 2, Blue, Alexander, Bowen (NBC). HR-Berg (NBC). RBICitrone (HV); Cassidy, Bondoc 3, Blue 3, Berg 3, Bowen (NBC).