Thursday, May 29, 2008

By Scott Van Dorn
NJS.com Student Intern

SADDLE BROOK -- After a three-run loss to Saddle Brook in the Bergen County Tournament earlier this month, Park Ridge coach Frank Baldino wanted to teach his team how to be mentally tougher.

Pitcher Jaclyn Masterson must have been listening.

The two rivals met up again on Wednesday in the North 1, Group 1 state sectional semifinals and the rematch was a game of many pressure-filled situations. Masterson, with unfriendly memories of the county loss in the back of her mind and clinging to a one-run lead, became the epitome of her coach’s call for mental toughness when she pitched her way out of bases loaded jams in both the sixth and seventh innings.

In the thrilling final inning, Saddle Brook led off with two hits, but Masterson was able to get the next two batters to pop out to close out Park Ridge’s 5-4 win and earn the Owls a trip to Thursday’s state sectional final.

“After I gave up those first two hits, I knew I really had to buckle down,” Masterson said.

Following a walk to load the bases, she struck out the next batter to give Park Ridge the victory.

“I am so proud of how our team played from a mental standpoint,” Baldino said, “After counties, we needed to realize that we could play with anyone.”

Saddle Brook jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. It was 2-1 in the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded after two walks and an error, when Cailyn Lavender pounded a two-run double to give Park Ridge the 3-2 lead.

Knowing the game would be tight, Baldino searched for any extra source of motivation. Before the game, he delivered a speech regarding his team’s sole senior, Rachel Losco.

“He said, ‘let’s play for Rachael to keep playing’,” Losco recalled after the game.

Losco, the “mother hen” as one of her teammates called her, pulled through with two singles and two runs scored.

After Park Ridge added two more in the fifth for a 5-2 lead, Saddle Brook immediately cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run single from Lauren Gramegna.

The Falcons’ comeback hopes were stifled, however, when Masterson closed out the last two innings.

“We just ran out of gas this past week,” Saddle Brook coach Darren White said. “We played eight games in the last 10 days; it’s hard to get up every time like that.”

The physical and mental wear did not hinder the mutual respect between the two coaches and the two teams.

“We ran into a team that was very hungry, they put a lot of pressure on us,” White said.

“There’s a lot of respect between us,” Baldino said, “The kids are like carbon copies of each other.”

Park Ridge will play for the North 1, Group 1 final on Thursday against Pompton Lakes.

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