Softball: South River uses classic blueprint to top Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK — Like many other teams, the South River High School’s offensive game plan is based on its top two batters getting on base so the sluggers coming up behind them can drive them in.

The Rams followed that formula well on Friday, as their first two batters each got on base three times and scored three runs, while the hitters following them drove in three runs apiece leading to a GMC Gold Division 15-10 triumph over Highland Park.

Britney Babers continued her recent torrid pace by going 4-for-4 with two singles, a double, a triple and three RBI, and was also hit by a pitch and scored during a game-changing fourth inning. Leigha Borusovic, batting cleanup behind Babers, put South River on top to stay in the fourth with a three-run homer to a fence-less left field.

Leadoff hitter Jamie Kowalski and No. 2 batter Veronica McKim set the table nicely, each scoring three times over the first five frames. Kowalski stole three bases and McKim tripled her home in the fifth.

Aniya Johnson, South River’s No. 1 pitcher, was terrific in relief, blanking Highland Park (6-8) over her first three innings before yielding a pair of runs in the seven, then ending the game with a strikeout.

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South River jumped on the Owls for three runs in the top of the first, capped by Jalyn Ramirez’s two-run single. Highland Park immediately loaded the bases and tied the score on a sacrifice fly by Melissa Evans, a grounder by India Fields and a single through short by Vanessa Kohler.

The Rams regained the lead at 5-3 in the second on Baber’s two-run triple, but Highland Park claimed its first lead with a three-run rally as Alexis Valenta plated the tying run with a triple and scored on Evans’ single to left.

The Owls tacked on two more in third as Evans drove in her third and fourth runs with a single, but Highland Park would not cross the plate again until the seventh.

South River took control by scoring four runs in the fourth, three on Borusovic’s blast, and six more in the fifth, the last couple scoring on a single by Johnson, who earned the victory in relief.

What it means

The contest means little in the GMC Gold Division title race, with unbeaten East Brunswick Tech in control, but it does give South River an edge over the Owls in the division standings. The victory gives the Rams 31 runs over its last two outings, both victories, coming off a three-game losing streak. The loss was the second in a row for Highland Park after a four-game winning streak, the last when it knocked off Edison of the Blue Division, 14-7, on Tuesday.

Key play

With the Highland Park clinging to a 8-6 lead in the top of the fourth and two runners on Borusovic drilled an 0-1 pitch to deep left center and tore around the bases, putting South River on top to stay at 9-8.

By the numbers

South River’s first five hitters (Kowalski, McKim, Babers, Borusovic and Johnson) were a combined 9-for-20 with two doubles, two triples, a home run, 13 runs scored and 10 RBI. South River has scored 10 or more runs in seven of its eight victories and put up nine in the outlier. Highland Park scored 12 or more runs in each outing of its recent four-game winning streak.

Game balls

Babers reached base in all five of her at bats, driving in three runs and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Johnson gave up two runs, six hits and one walk in her game-preserving relief stint.

Evans went 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and four RBI for Highland Park, while Valenta went 3-for-3 with a a triple, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly for two RBI.

They said it

“It makes it so much better because I get a chance for RBIs,” Babers replied, when asked how she feels when the batters ahead of her get on base. “I love it. Jamie’s just great, she gets on a lot of the time. She started slapping this year so every once in a while she’ll go in and slap. She’s a great base-runner, she was stealing bases all over today. Veronica is a great bunter. When they get on it’s really good and it just sets everything up, it starts everything. I love the offensive part of the game.” Babers addressed her recent tear: “I’m just kind of relaxed up there. I hit some home runs, I love it.”

“That was huge,” South River coach Nicky Cacoilo said of the exploits of the top of her lineup. “Making sure that I have runners on bases for my big hitters like Brittany and Leigha Borusovic, who’s been struggling a little but. Today, she’d came up big after being in a little funk. I was super proud of her that she was able to bring in those runs. I actually moved Brittany up in the lineup, she was batting fourth and I put her up third because I wanted her hitting sooner to get those runs in quicker and that’s seems to be working for us. I like what I see.” On Johnson’s efforts in relief: “I usually do start her but I’m trying to develop other pitchers, to make sure that we have other options. Whenever I don’t start her she always ends up coming in and being huge and she really kind of puts the team on her back and throws strikes when we need them. As a sophomore, I think she has so much potential and will even be a much better pitcher next year.”

Up next

Both schools host non-divisional opponents on Monday, South River vs. Roselle Park and Highland Park stepping up to take on Piscataway from the Blue Division.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Softball: South River uses classic blueprint to top Highland Park