Sports
Cassell, Edison Eliminate Warriors
Edison ace fires a three-hitter to oust Watchung Hills from the Elite Softball League playoffs.
Meghan Kovac’s fourth-inning RBI single was one of only three hits the Watchung Hills Elite Softball League team managed Monday, as Edison right-hander Valerie Cassell tossed a three-hitter and struck out nine to send the second-seeded Warriors to a 6-1 loss in the semifinals at Ann Van Middlesworth Park.
IN SHORT
While Watchung Hills did manage to draw four walks against Cassell, it was the fourth inning that featured all the Warriors hitting.
Down 1-0, Lindsay Ball led off with a single to center field, before Tina Scolaro reached on an infield hit. After a strikeout, Kovac ripped one to center to tie it.
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But that was all the Warriors could manage, as they netted just two more base-runners—on walks by Kovac and Stephanie Teixeira—to see their season end.
Cassell, who is a two-time All-County pitching standout at Edison High School and was named Middlesex County Softball Player of the Year in June, kept the Warriors at bay, but it was the bat of Tracy Balinskas that did most of the damage.
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Balinskas finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, including a long triple to deep center field to start the game.
Edison broke it open in the top of the fifth, scoring four times, two on a Balinskas single and twice more on an error.
Jess Gaeta started in the circle and allowed just three earned runs on just five hits for Watchung Hills, before Shannon Pillsbury finished up, allowing a run on two hits over two innings.
WARRIOR OF THE GAME
Meghan Kovac – The shortstop singled in a run in the fourth and drew one of four Warriors walks.
OTHER KEY PERFORMANCES
Lindsay Ball – Ball singled to lead off the fourth inning – the first hit against Cassell – and later scored Watchung Hills’ lone run.
Tina Scolaro – Watchung Hills’ fiery leader legged out an infield hit to help spark the fourth inning rally that got the Warriors on the board.
Stephanie Teixeira – The Warriors starting catcher worked out a walk in both plate appearances Monday.
THEY SAID IT
“The one inning killed us. It’s 1-1 until then and that was the difference. Then we had bases loaded (in the fourth) and couldn’t get (more than one) run in.” - Watchung Hills head coach Jim Hurley on Monday’s semifinals loss
