Girls have different types of losses to St. Joe’s, come back with two nice wins
OCEAN CITY — Ocean City High School’s softball team has six wins and only two losses so far this season, both to unbeaten St. Joseph of Hammonton. Those losses were quite different.
The girls got pounded 15-4 at home Wednesday, April 8, but six days earlier had kept it close in a 6-5 loss after leading through the top of the sixth inning.
“St. Joe’s is just a sound team. They can hit the ball, they can field the ball, they have great pitching. You can’t give them an inch,” Red Raider coach Carrie Merritt said. “You make one little mistake and then that leads to another, and you give them that little space, and you really end up in the danger zone. That’s what we did on Wednesday.”
In their first game this season, however, when they lost to St. Joseph by one run, “we never really let off the gas. That was just a hard-fought, good game,” Merritt said. “This game, we just let them take control and then we never got any momentum back.”
Last week, Ocean City got out to a 3-1 lead in the first inning, courtesy of a big home run by senior Brooke Douglas. The teams were scoreless in the second inning and then St. Joseph broke it open in the third and fourth, scoring five and three runs, respectively, to lead 9-4. The Red Raiders didn’t score again, but St. Joseph added three more runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.
It didn’t matter that Merritt switched pitchers. Douglas gave up six runs on five hits and fellow senior Jessica Mooney gave up nine runs on five hits.
St. Joseph pitcher Elaina Portalatin went all seven innings and struck out 12 along the way, boosted by teammates Kensie Giovanazzi and Giselle Pescatore going yard.
“Those things kind of happen; it flows. Just like the energy in an inning can all of a sudden go boom, you can rack up the runs and then things just slack off,” Merritt said.
“And then I think our own hitters start to get in their head a little bit, thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, this pitcher’s so good.’ I don’t think people really think about the mental piece of softball and baseball. It really is a huge part of the game. You get on a streak of getting some hits and everybody feels that energy, and vice versa, you start having a strikeout here or there and it really can carry over to your teammates,” she said. “It’s an energy game for sure.”
In spite of that loss, Merritt has reason to feel optimistic about her team. And it’s not just the two more wins they picked up after the St. Joseph game.
“Just the way this team gets along with one another, the way this team wants to win with one another. Honestly, even in the hard moments, the way the team sticks together, it’s just a different feel,” she said. “I just feel like our seniors, all three of them, both Jess and Brooke and Kiley (McCorristin) are doing an awesome job leading the team. I think they want to have the best season of their careers, and these younger kids are just really following their lead and want to learn from them and want to be one of the better teams that Ocean City has seen.”
Against St. Joseph, Douglas had a single to go with her homer, Mooney had a double and single, and Leah Catto had a double. Douglas was intentionally walked the next time she was up to bat.
In their earlier game against the team, Mooney homered and had two singles, Douglas homered, Mackenzie Vandever had a double and two singles, Catto singled twice and Alex Rothman had a single. Douglas pitched that whole game, giving up six runs but striking out 10 batters.
Even though it’s still early, Merritt is getting those bittersweet feelings watching her seniors in their last season, having been impact players since they were freshmen.
After Douglas graduates, she will be playing Division I softball at Rhode Island. Mooney originally signed Division I but decided to stay more local. She’s going to Stockton University, where she’ll play while majoring in premed.
Merritt knows there are tough games ahead — “there’s nothing easy on our schedule, no ‘gimme’ games” — but playing the good teams will help prepare them for sectionals in May.
“I’m really pleased with how we’re hanging with some of the big teams in our conference,” the coach said. “The one area I’m trying to focus on with them is that they have nothing to lose. Stop pressing and just have fun playing the sport you love.”
Two more victories
On Friday, the Red Raiders traveled to Kingsway (6-2) and came away with a 6-1 victory. Douglas went the distance on the mound, allowing only one hit and striking out 14 batters. She added a double and single in the win, Mooney and Rothman had two singles each and Vandever and Catto a single each. Rothman was credited with three RBI.
On Sunday, Rothman had her first full game on the mound against Camden Catholic in a Holy Spirit At Bat For Autism Awareness game. She allowed only one hit and struck out nine in the 14-1 win, which featured a nine-run fourth inning.
Douglas had a big day at bat, hitting a home run, a double and a single. Ava Seeburg hit three singles and Keira Murray, Avery Watson and Vandever had two singles each. Catto had a single and Mooney a double and single.
The Raiders are at Egg Harbor Township Wednesday and at Vineland Friday. They’ll be back at home at 10 a.m. Saturday, hosting Rancocas Valley.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
