Hightstown eliminated; Steinert game suspended
FLEMINGTON >> The Hightstown High School softball team’s reign as the defending Group IV state champions came to an end on Wednesday in a 7-0 loss at Hunterdon Central.
Hightstown could manage just two hits in this Central Jersey Group IV semifinal against a Central team that is now 214. Hightstown finished the year at 16-7.
Hightstown (16-7) 000 000 0 — 0 4 0 Hunterdon Cent. (21-4) 310 300 x — 7 1 2
STEINERT SUSPENDED
WALL TWP. >> Steinert’s Central Jersey Group III semifinal was halted in the top of the fifth inning and is scheduled to be completed on Thursday, starting at 2 p.m.
When the game was stopped, Steinert was ahead by the score of 4-2 and was batting with two outs in the fifth with nobody on base.
Steinert took a 2-1 lead in the second when Bella Truelove doubled, pitcher Isabella Bonacci singled, Ceara O’Neal stroked an RBI double and Wall committed an error.
Steinert added two more in the third on back-to-back home runs by Kelsey Smith and Truelove, whose homer was a monster blast that went way up in the air and ended up clearing the fence by a good 50 feet.
Although Steinert is ahead, it missed a great chance to take control when it loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth. The Spartans, however, failed to score and whether this missed opportunity will come back to haunt them remains to be seen.
S.J. GROUP II DELRAN 11, AUDUBON 4 AUDUBON >>
It took a while for the Bears to get going with all 11 runs coming in the last two innings, but when they did they rolled into a sectional final in emphatic style. Booke Acker homered for Delran, and Olivia Reisman, Aly Reim, Devyn Jordan and Zee Zee Schreter all had two hits. Lindsey Rodzon scattered 13 hits for the win.
Delran (18-3) 000 008 3 — 11 12 4 Audubon 100 200 1 — 4 13 2 WP-Rodzon. LP-Bobo. HR-Acker (D).
C.J. GROUP I SOUTH HUNTERDON 10, BURLINGTON CITY 0 WEST AMWELL TWP. >>
The Eagles (22-2) cruised into the sectional final when Kayla Kilmer fired a onehitter with 10 strikeouts and Katelyn Carrier homered.
POSTPONEMENTS
Among the state tournament games that were postponed on Wednesday were
Allentown at Colts Neck and Governor Livingston at Bordentown. Both have been rescheduled for Thursday afternoon.
PENNSYLVANIA UPDATE
In what has rapidly turned into a District 1 Round 2 competition, the PIAA Class 6A State Tournament resumes on Thursday with the quarterfinals. Six of the remaining eight teams are all from District 1.
There will be two District 1 collisions in the upper half of the bracket with Pennsbury taking on Quakertown at the SpringFord field at noon and district champion Spring-Ford playing Haverford. Pennsbury (22-3) will be looking to reverse a loss it suffered to Quakertown in the quarters of district play.
Neshaminy (19-6), meanwhile will play Canon-McMillan out of Western Pennsylvania at 3:30 p.m. at the Big Spring High School. These two teams slugged it out in a memorable state final eight or so years ago when Lauren Quense, the daughter of current Neshaminy coach Tim Quense, was in the circle for the Redskins.
Should it win, Neshaminy will play the winner of the North Penn-Penn Manor game in the state semifinals on Monday.