Softball: Ninth-inning rally caps fourth-annual Skyland Conference Senior All-Star Game

RARITAN TOWNSHIP – The look on Hillsborough High School ace Sarah Davenport’s face when Watchung Hills counterpart Juliana Raymond stepped into the batter’s box against her in the first inning Thursday was precisely the reason the Skyland Conference Senior All-Star Game has become one of the highlights of the softball season.

The superstar hurlers have faced each other in a ton of big games and big spots over the past three years -- as pitchers -- with conference titles and county and state tournaments on the line. But with neither pitcher a regular part of her team’s batting order during the season – especially this year when Raymond’s four at-bats were the only plate appearances the pair had, combined – it was a whole new perspective. And the smirk of surreal amusement was evident on Davenport’s face as they squared off as batter vs. pitcher for the first time ever.

“I saw her and I was confused at first,” Davenport said. “Then I remember, oh, yeah. It’s an all-star game. It was so funny. And then (later) I saw her playing first (base) and I was like, ‘Yeah, Jules!”

Raymond wasn’t the only one who played unusual positions during Thursday’s night event at Diamond Nation, which ended in a 2-2 tie after Team National scored twice in the top of the ninth inning. The all-star game was a chance to go out, have fun with nothing on the line, and play all over the place, whether in deference to another player, or just for the fun of it.

Pingry’s Grace Stowe, who doubled and scored the tying run during Team National’s ninth-inning rally, was the Big Blue’s catcher this season. Thursday, she was everywhere, seeing time behind the plate, at second base, at shortstop and in left field.

“Everyone that was on our team was very versatile and super excited to be here, so they were willing to go where ever they were needed,” Stowe said. “This experience was so much fun, because I got to play against all the girls I’ve played with from 8-years-old on, so it was really great to play with them again. And it was a low-stress environment, which I loved.”

North Hunterdon shortstop Grace Reed, who was named the game’s MVP on the strength of a mammoth home run she hit in the fifth inning to snap a scoreless tie, was also delighted to play with so many of the players she’d competed against during her three years.

“All my years playing high school, I was playing against them,” Reed said. “We know each other, but it was good to really get to know each other better and work together. I felt like if we were an actual team, we would have a lot of fun.”

The game began as another epic pitcher’s duel between Davenport and Raymond. The Hillsborough righty allowed a one-out single to Hunterdon Central’s Celia Totaro in the first inning, but struck out the next two hitters, and did not allow another base runner over the next three frames, coming out after four innings, having allowed one hit and striking out 10.

Raymond, meanwhile, tossed three shutout frames in her start, allowing two hits and three walks, striking out six. That included three straight Ks to end the first inning, after Hillsborough’s Clay’le Correa walked and Warren Hills’ Mia Ganter singled.

Team American finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Grace Reed was left at the plate when a runner was caught stealing to end the fourth inning, and she wasted no time in the fifth, crushing the first pitch she saw well over the left-field fence to make it 1-0.

“It felt really good,” she said. “I wanted to redeem myself after (striking out) my first at-bat, so I just wanted to jump on the pitcher and look for first pitch, because it could be the best pitch.”

Delaware Valley’s Paige Brightwell came on in relief of Davenport to start the fifth inning, and tossed three more shutout frames, allowing two hits and a walk and striking out five. Bridgewater-Raritan’s Kailey Hisko tossed a scoreless eighth inning for Team American, walking one, before her team tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the frame.

And in case being, arguably, the most dominant pitcher in state history wasn’t enough, Davenport, who had not had an at-bat all season, singled with one out, before her courtesy runner, Del Val’s Skylee Ohler, advanced on a Correa hit – she was on base all three times up, also walking twice – before Ohler scored on an error to make it 2-0.

But Team National finally found some runs in the top of the ninth, tying the game. Hunterdon Central’s Riley Failla walked to start the rally, before Stowe lashed a double down the left-field line to put runners on second and third.

Hillsborough head coach Cheryl Iaione, who was skippering Team American, went back to her ace, reinserting Davenport into the circle, but Phillipsburg’s Addie Fornacian knocked in one run with a bunt single, before the Stowe scampered home with the tying run on a wild pitch.

Davenport struck out three in the ninth inning, finishing her day having allowed no runs on three hits in five innings, walking none and striking out 13.

Mount St. Mary’s Shea Murphy then entered in the bottom of the ninth for Team National, allowing a two-out walk to North Hunterdon’s Mia Parker, before Brightwell reached on an error, but Murphy fanned the next hitter to end the game.

Box score

2B: Stowe, Fornacian; SB: Totaro 2

HR: Reed; SB: Ohler 2.

Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997, and has been on the softball beat since 1999. He can be reached at CourierSoftball@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Softball: Ninth-inning rally caps Skyland Conference All-Star Game