Red Raider girls beat Clearview 4-2 for sectional championship
OCEAN CITY – When senior Brooke Douglas took the mound in the fifth inning of the South Jersey Group III championship softball game June 4, she finished what pitching partner Jessica Mooney started.
The two young women have been swapping places on the mound since their freshman year, confident in each other’s abilities to get the job done. Mooney had already struck out nine Clearview batters, but in the fourth inning two Pioneers tagged her for home runs that tied the game at 2-2.
The Red Raiders added two more runs in the fifth inning and led Clearview 4-2 in the top of the seventh.
Douglas, who started at shortstop, struck out two batters but allowed a double.
Up came Pioneer batter Ava D’Alessandro, who had hit one of the home runs earlier. With a runner on base, she was the potential tying run.
Mooney was watching her teammate from first base.
“I could feel it coming,” Mooney said. “When (Brooke) gets into a groove it’s just really great and there’s no stopping her.”
“I was just grateful to be on the mound at that moment,” Douglas said. “I kind of block everything out. I block out all the outside noise and I just wanted to stay patient and work my game.”
She did work her game. Douglas made D’Alessandro her eighth strikeout as she went down swinging.
The Red Raiders immediately erupted into a celebration, winning the fourth South Jersey title in the Ocean City High School softball team’s history, but the first in 37 years.
“It just felt great for our team,” Douglas said. “It means everything. I’m just so blessed to be a part of this team and I’m blessed that I get the opportunity to be a leader to all these girls.”
“I feel like we’ve really grown this year, and we’ve built from each other,” Mooney said. “I know Brooke always has my back, and even if I get taken out, I know she’s right there to pick me back up. I feel like we all went in a little nervous, but once we settled in, that’s when we really came together.”
Mooney and Douglas have been the catalysts for the team for the past four years, but it took the entire roster to win the sectional title.
Six players had hits in the game, all singles. Douglas and Alex Rothman had two each; Maeve Daily, Mackenzie Vandever and Mooney one each; and sophomore catcher Leah Catto went three for three at the plate. Catto scored two of the runs and Mooney and Douglas accounted for the other two.
Ocean City took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and made it 2-0 in the second before the other two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good after those two Pioneer home runs.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be going out with some hardware,” senior Kiley McCorristin said. “It’s such good teamwork and to do it with Brooke and Jess, who I’ve been with for the last four years, it’s amazing.
“We were close each year, but we didn’t quite get there,” McCorristin added. “This year we finally got over that little ledge that we needed to get over. I could not have asked for anything more.”
When the seniors were freshmen, the team was 20-9 (11-1 in the Cape-Atlantic League National Division) and fell in the semifinals of the South Jersey sectional. In the 2024 season, the team was 17-10 (11-2 CAL National) and lost in the quarterfinals. Last year, the team was 15-10 (8-4 CAL American) and again lost in the quarterfinals.
This year the team is 23-6 (9-3 CAL American) and South Jersey champions.
The Red Raiders were the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Clearview (18-9) was No. 3.
“You know how I feel about my seniors, how they’ve changed this program. They are absolutely deserving of this,” head coach Carrie Merritt said. “A weight is lifted because they put so much time into this program. This is the perfect ending for them.”
Asked what has changed to get them the title, the beaming coach said, “I think my two little freshman studs grew up and they figured out how to lead a team. There has been a different team energy (this season) from the ninth graders to the 12th graders. They’re broken more records this year in offensive and defensive categories, but ultimately they were playing to win and to win for each other.”
The Ocean City softball program has three sectional titles, but all were in the 1980s, the last in 1989.
“It’s been what, 37 years? Even I was a little kid,” she said about when the Red Raiders were last South Jersey champs.
“It’s really neat to make a mark on history and it’s been too long for the Ocean City softball program. One of my kids snapped a picture and sent it in our team chat today. It was the empty banner (hanging in the gym). And then it’s hanging next to Ocean City field hockey and Ocean City soccer and basketball with all these years of titles,” Merritt said. “So it feels good it will be hanging up there with them soon.”
The coach credited her entire team’s play for the championship, but added a special mention for Catto.
“Catto has really been the punch in the offensive lineup that has added an extra bit of fear to other teams’ pitchers and pitching staffs,” Merritt said. “And she calls a great game. As a former catcher myself, I always called pitchers in high school. She’s taken that over and I love seeing that because the mental aspect of catching is just awesome.”
“I never thought this day would come,” Catto said. “It’s truly a dream to do it with the people I love the most. They really motivate me. It’s been so fun this whole year. We deserve it. We got it with some great seniors.
“I love these girls so much. I’m just filled with joy right now,” she said. “I can’t even process it, but I’m super excited for the years to come.”
The Game
In the bottom of the second inning, Douglas strikes out but the ball gets away from the catcher and she races to first base. Rothman singles, putting runners on first and second. Mackenzie Vandever singles to the outfield and Douglas makes it home for the first run. Rothman slides into third base, beating the tag and Vandever scrambles to third. They both end up stranded.
It’s 1-0.
Mooney allows a double by Pioneer Rylee Brazleton to start the top of the third. Zoe Wood’s bunt moves her to third, but Wood is thrown out at first. Mooney strikes out the next two batters to end the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, freshman Avery Watson hits a deep ball, but it’s caught for the first out. Catto singles. Mooney flies out. With two down, Douglas comes up. Catto steals second. On a full count, Douglas singles to the outfield over the third baseman’s head. Catto makes it home for the 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, D’Alessandro starts things off with her big home run. It’s 2-1. Mooney strikes out the next two batters, but Mallory Engle slams her home run. It’s now 2-2.
Ocean City doesn’t score in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, the Pioneers mount a threat.
Brazleton starts it off with another double. Zoe Wood lays down a clean bunt and makes it safely to first, moving Brazleton to third. Wood steals second. The Pioneers have runners at second and third with no outs.
Douglas strikes out the next three batters. The threat ends.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ocean City brings up the top of the order.
Watson is thrown out on an infield hit. One down. Catto comes up and singles to the outfield. Mooney hits a bloop fly ball just into the outfield, putting runners on first and second.
Douglas singles to the outfield and Catto comes around to score. It’s 3-2.
Rothman singles to the outfield, scoring Mooney for a 4-2 lead and Douglas moves to third. On a daring play trying to catch the Pioneers off guard, Douglas tries to steal home but the Pioneer catcher tags her out as she slides in. The inning ends 4-2.
Clearview mounts another threat in the top of the sixth. Douglas strikes out the first batter, but walks Gabriela Capri. Douglas strikes out the next batter, then walks Elizabeth Morgan. With two runners on base and the go-ahead run at the plate, Douglas gets Brazleton to pop up and catches the ball herself for the third out. Ocean City doesn’t score in the bottom of the inning, then it’s up to Douglas in the top of the seventh, where she strikes out the first batter, allows a double, but finishes off the next Clearview batters.
The Red Raiders celebrate. OCHS Athletic Director Mike Pellegrino hands the players the South Jersey Group III sectional trophy.
State tournament
In the Group III state tournament, Ocean City will take on Central Jersey champion Steinert (23-4) at Steinert on Monday, June 8. On the other side of the bracket, it will be a meeting between the two North Jersey sectional champs, North Hunterdon (17-9) and Roxbury (18-11-1). The state final is Friday, June 12, at Ivy Hill Park in Newark.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
