Thursday, May 28, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

In addition to throwing a 10-inning shutout, Ramapo senior Julie Shaw a walk-off, 3-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to led her team past Pascack Valley and into the North 1, Group 3 state sectional on final.

FRANKLIN LAKES -- Ramapo had just the hitter that it wanted coming up to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning of a scoreless tie in the North 1, Group 3 state sectional semifinal against Pascack Valley. The only question was weather or not Julie Shaw, the senior batting out of the No. 3 hole who was intentionally walked in one of her previous at bats and pitched around in another. Shaw had carried the Green Raiders into extra innings with a sparkling pitching performance and was just looking for any chance to get her team a win and a spot in the section final.

With runners on the corners and nobody out, Shaw’s chance came on a 2-2 pitch.

From the moment it left the bat it was obvious that Shaw’s flyball to centerfield going to be deep enough to score Emily Brown, who started the inning at second base via the International Tiebreaker Rule, but when it came down it was more than just a ho-hum sacrifice fly. Instead it was a walk-off three run home run that gave the Green Raiders a 3-0 win with one swing of the bat.

Brittany DeMaio was outstanding in the circle and had two of Pascack Valley's six hits.

“I was surprised that they pitched to me because in my first at bat I flied out to left field pretty deep. Other than that they just pitched around me and I thought that they were going to walk me again. I thought, strategically, that was what they were going to do to set up the force at every base,” said Shaw. “I fouled a bunch [of pitches] off and then I saw that one come in. I was like ‘Oh God, I have to swing!’ I thought it was a flyout, but it was deep and I knew that we would at least score the run, but it wasn’t.”

And add to a little more spice, how many home runs does that one make in Shaw’s softball playing career?

“One ever in my entire life,” she said.

And while it was sheer joy in (and out) of the Ramapo dugout when Shaw’s shot left the yard, it was eerily familiar disappointment for Pascack Valley, which experienced almost identical heartbreak on Sunday when it lost the Bergen County Tournament championship game on a walk-off, three-run homer in extra innings.

To the Indians’ credit, they got right back at it and played solid softball for nine-plus innings on Ramapo’s home field on Wednesday.

Ramapo second baseman Christine Boylan after making a diving catch that saved a run in the top of the sixth inning.

“We felt good coming in and we didn’t play poorly, we just didn’t execute the way we could have,” said Pascack Valley head coach Craig Neilsen. “Give [Ramapo] credit, they played a good game.”

With the way Shaw (10 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 6H, 6K, BB) and DeMaio (9+ IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 6H, 6K, 4 BB) were throwing, the tiebreaker could be seen coming a mile away. Shaw was perfect through the first 3 2/3 innings until Jenny Arcella and DeMaio hit back-to-back, two-out singles to become PV’s first baserunners, but Shaw got a strikeout to end the mini-threat.

Ramapo had baserunners in three of the first four innings, but it was not until the fifth that the Green Raiders really threatened. Gen Cohen led off the frame by slapping a single and she was moved up two bases, one on a sacrifice bunt by Emily Brown and the other on a flyball hit to right field by Christine Boylan. After two straight walks loaded the bases, Amanda Schellaci, Ramapo’s senior third baseman, hit one right on the screws, but it was right at Corinne Finamore in centerfield to get Pascack Valley in to hit and the Indians soon came close to finding the potential winning run shortly thereafter.

Jenny Arcella hitting a fourth inning single for Pascack Valley.

Nikki Bischoff led off the top of the sixth inning with a double the opposite way and just inside the leftfield line. Bischoff was still at second base after two flyball outs, but was off and running when Finamore hit a line drive toward the middle of the diamond.

Had the ball gotten through Bischoff, who has excellent speed, would likely have scored, but she never got the chance as Boylan, Ramapo’s second baseman, took one step to her right and then, with an all out dive, gloved the ball before it hit the ground and before it could find its way into centerfield. That was the defensive play of the game and probably a game-saver as Ramapo was retired in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.

“We had to hold or breath a lot of times today, but our defense played great behind Julie today. We made plays that were unbelievable,” said Ramapo head coach Leslie Stephen. “That was the sixth inning that [Boylan] made that play and it saved a run. We might not have gotten to extra innings without it.”

Pascack Valley, understandably desperate for a go-ahead run, went for broke in the top of the ninth. DeMaio led off with a single and was replaced at first base by courtesy runner Nicole Marino. Neilsen tried a hit-and-run with Finamore at the plate, but that plan was foiled by a line drive that was caught in centerfield by Emily Brown.

Ramapo catcher Alyssa Nacco hung onto the ball for an out on this collision with PV's Nicole Marino in the top of the ninth inning.

After Cohen, Ramapo’s senior first baseman made a nice grab at the fence of a foul ball for the second out, Neilsen sent Marino on a straight steal. The throw down to second made a loud crack as it ricocheted off of Marino’s helmet and took a high left turn toward left field. Marino took third and, with the ball still rolling, Neilsen waved her home.

Tori Sobel, Ramapo’s left fielder, came up with the ball and threw home and it arrived up the line at the same time as Marino and Ramapo catcher Alyssa Nacco, who took a shot from the charging base runner, but held on as she was run over. It wasn’t a dirty play as Marino had no where else to go but through the catcher about 15 feet up the line, but there was a collision that ended the inning.

An inning-and-a-half later, Shaw knocked the ball over the left field fence and landed Ramapo, the No. 5 seed, a home game in the section final where it will host No. 6 Sparta.

“It’s awesome. We’ve been a good team, but this year we are a little young. But now everybody is stepping up big and everyone is playing their part,” said Schellaci, one of Ramapo’s five seniors. “Right now we are forming into just an amazing team. We are stepping up every game and doing what we have to do move on [in the state tournament].”

It’s been an up-and-down season for Ramapo, which saw its streak of three straight Bergen County championships come to an end in the quarterfinals of that tournament, but the Raiders are now 21-9 and, more importantly, still playing.

“When you have Julie in the circle and you have Mallory [Brown], Amanda [Schellaci], Gen [Cohen] and Nikki [DeFranco], we have great seniors that have nurtured these young kids and allowed them to grow and develop. And know look what we have,” said Stephen. “These kids will lay it all out for each other and that is the beauty of this team. Granted we have laid some eggs this year, but when they have had their big moments they have stepped up and played well.”

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