Softball: St. Thomas Aquinas falls in South Jersey Non-Public A final
HOLMDEL — The timely hitting that joined forces with Hayley Wieczerak’s magnificent pitching to make St. Thomas Aquinas insurmountable during the post-season failed to show up Friday, and it cost the Trojans dearly.
Second-seeded St. John Vianney (26-1) collected four of its five hits off the St. Thomas junior in the third and fourth innings and capitalized by scoring all of its runs in those frames for a 3-0 victory in the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A championship game.
It was the Trojans third-straight loss in the sectional title game, falling to the team they came from behind to defeat, 7-6, in last year’s semifinal round.
The Lancers twice loaded the bases for fourth-seeded St. Thomas (23-4) by intentionally walking Mary Kate Murray, the state’s leading home run hitter, a strategy that has failed in the past when those hitting behind her came through.
That failed to occur on Friday.
Wieczerzak walked St. John’s leadoff batter, one of her few bad habits of late, then struck out the next six hitters she faced.
The Lancers’ Isabella Cattelona walked to lead off the third and took second on Giuliana Cardin’s bunt. Holly Lovett’s single to right, St. John’s first hit, scored Cattelona, and another single by Gabby Gonzalez drove in Lovett for a 2-0 cushion.
St. John did it again in the fourth as Grace Colucci stroked a leadoff single to right, took second when Nicole Giglio was hit by a pitch, and scored on Cattelona’s single to left. Two innings, four hits, three runs, one sectional title.
Freshman Madison McDougall, daughter of St. John coach Kim Lombardi-McDougall, matched Wieczerzak by hurling a three-hitter and both benefited from some terrific plays behind them in the field. St. Thomas did not place a runner in scoring position until the fourth inning, and squandered a golden opportunity in the fifth.
Kamerin Collado singled with one out and Wieczerzak singled with two outs, her second hit of the afternoon. St. John then intentionally walked Murray to load the bases and McDougall silenced the threat by striking out the next batter.
A similar scenario played out in the seventh. Collado was hit by a pitch leading off and Amya Hill reached first on a grounder as St. John’s first baseman missed the bag. After McDougall’s seventh and final strikeout, St. John walked Murray again to load the bases. The Lancers then got a force out at the plate before a game-ending foul pop up, setting off a celebration worthy of a sectional title.
What it means
St. John Vianney are the Non-Public A South champions and will complete for the state title next Friday at Kean University. St. Thomas Aquinas lost in the sectional final for the third year in a row.
Key play
The two biggest plays of the contest did not require a pitch or a swing of the bat. Murray was intentionally walked to fill the bases in the fifth and seventh innings, and St. Thomas left all six runners on base. Murray, who belted a hard-hit fly to center in the first inning, walked in her final three at bats, two intentionally.
By the numbers
Wieczerzak yielded five hits, three earned runs, two walks, and one hit batter while striking out nine, all in the first four frames. Her second strikeout was her 300th of the season and she reached 600 for her career in St. Thomas’ 8-2 win over Donovan Catholic in the sectional semifinals. She had two of the Trojans’ three hits.
McDougall allowed three hits, walked six (two intentionally), hit one batter and stuck out seven. Gonzalez was the only Lancer with two hits while Cattelona had an RBI-single and scored a run. St. John, which has three double-digit home run hitters and 45 dingers on the season failed to go yard.
Game balls
McDougall shut out a St. Thomas team that homered twice and dropped eight runs on Shore Conference champion Donovan Catholic in the semifinals. Cattelona, who bats eighth, was an integral part of both rallies. Lovett, who plays third base, had an RBI single and got the force out at the plate in the seventh that kept the Trojans off the scoreboard.
Wieczerzak had another strong outing in the circle for the Trogans and delivered two of St. Thomas Aquinas’ three hits.
They said it
St. Thomas Aquinas coach Missy Collazo stated, “We didn’t get the hits when we needed them. We got some people in scoring position but we didn't get them across the plate. That is one of the key components to winning and we did not do that today.”
On Wieczerzak pitching from behind, rather than with a lead as occurred in their first two state tournament contests, “Obviously, she feels more comfortable with the lead but she pitched good today, she did the best she could. That’s a very good hitting team and she held them down pretty well. Sometimes you get the hits, sometimes you don’t.”
On their season: “We had a great year, winning the GMC, winning the division, getting to the state sectionals (final) again. No other team can say they made it to (this) state sectional the last three years, but we can. There’s nothing for us to hang our heads. Unfortunately, we got beat this game. We had a great year.”
St. John Vianney coach Lombardi-McDougall said, “Like I told the kids all year long, it’s just about finding a way to get the base hit or make something happen, put the ball in play. It doesn’t always have to be a home run to win the game. In fact, I actually like a couple of hits in a row, that shows that you’re doing a nice job.”
On Wieczerzak: “She’s a great pitcher, one of the top pitchers in the state. She struck us out three in a row, then three in a row, she struck out the side in both innings. I had a little conversation with them about making an adjustment and you can’t get behind in the count against her because she’s such a great pitcher and can dominate you. I can’t say enough good things about her and I tip my hat to her.”
On walking Murray intentionally: “I have to be honest with your, I rarely walk people. There’s two kids in the state I walked this year, Julia from Donovan Catholic and Mary Kate. Not that the kid behind her isn’t a great hitter, she’s a great player and I used to coach her years ago, but when a kid’s putting up numbers, 14 home runs, I mean, one swing of the bat or the pitcher messes up. I did not want her to beat me.”
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Softball: St. Thomas Aquinas falls in South Jersey Non-Public A final
