Monday, June 8, 2009

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

After 11 innings and three-plus hours, IHA finally got to celebrate its 5-4 win over Bishop Ahr in the Non-Public A state final on Sunday at Toms River East High School

TOMS RIVER – Over the past few weeks, the Immaculate Heart Academy softball team has dodged one playoff bullet after another with a slew of incredible victories. But in the Blue Eagles’ final posteseason game, it appeared like they had finally run out of miracles. Trailing by three runs on Sunday in the Non-Public A state final heading into the top of the seventh inning and then facing a bases-loaded, no-out jam in a tie game in the 10th against a tough Bishop Ahr squad, IHA had plenty of chances to accept its fate.

However, this IHA team knew it was in the precipice of doing something truly special and never lost faith in the fact it would make a comeback, even in the most unlikely of circumstances.

In a roller-coaster ride of emotions felt throughout the game, it seemed someone different had to make a play to keep IHA’s slim hopes of winning alive. From Carly Piccinich’s hook slide, to great catches from Alexis Durando and Kaitlyn McGillycuddy, to catcher Juliette D’Ambrosio turning a double play, the entire team had a hand in letting this dream season end on the highest of notes.

IHA's Carly Piccinich finishing off the hook slide that tied the game on a broken play in the top of the seventh inning.

Holding a one-run lead in the bottom of the 11th with a Bishop Ahr baserunner on third, IHA pitcher Christina Miquel struck out the final two batters of the game as the Blue Eagles completed the triple crown of league, county, and state championships with a wild 5-4, 11-inning triumph over Bishop Ahr at Toms River East High School.

“This is the craziest game I’ve ever been in, and I’ve been around to see a lot of them” said IHA head coach Anthony Larezza. “We’re like a cat with nine lives and I felt like we had run out of them. Our kids never quit and we keep on fighting until we’re out of outs.”

IHA survived nailbiting wins over DePaul and Mount St. Dominic, along with two rainouts against Paramus Catholic before putting the Paladins away on the third try. It seemed like the worst was out of the way and IHA would put it together against an unfamiliar opponent in Bishop Ahr, the Edison school that had made the state final only once before, losing to IHA in 2000. But the Lady Trojans got off to a quick start and had IHA on its heels for the first six innings.

Before it was all said and done, Bishop Ahr had crossed home plate three times and kept the powerful IHA offense off the scoreboard for six innings. The Blue Eagles were three outs away from seeing their state championship dreams come to an abrupt halt until some patience at the plate gave the Eagles some life.

Centerfielder Laura Sharlow made a couple of big catches for Bishop Ahr.

Alexis Durando and Nikki Osofsky, the No. 8 and 9 batters, drew walks to lead off the inning with Durando coming around to score on a single by freshman Carly Piccinich. Taylor Cosentino followed with a hot shot off the glove of Bishop Ahr third baseman Kelsey Harsh and into left-center scoring Osofsky. That cut the lead to 3-2 and also put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.

It was also when things truly got interesting. Bishop Ahr coach Missy Magyar took out sophomore starting pitcher Jessica Gomez, replaced her with Becky Hilliard, another sophomore, and the had Hilliard intentionally walk Jen Keller, the first hitter she was set to face, to load the bases.

Hilliard then threw three consecutive pitches outside the strike zone to Juliette D’Ambrosio and what appeared to a fourth. As D’Ambrosio tossed the bat and began to trot down to first, Keller left for second. What neither party realized at that moment was that the umpire had called a strike on the pitch, and, all of a sudden, Keller was immediately hung up in a rundown between first and second. She was tagged out heading back to first, but Piccinich the tying run, broke for the plate. Her head-first hook slide got just around the tag of Trojans’ catcher Chelsea Curcio and knotted the game at 3.

IHA catcher Julliette D'Ambrosio making the pivot at home plate on a 3-2-4 double play that came with the bases loaded an no outs in the bottom of the 10th.

“That play was crazy, but that’s what we’re all about,” said IHA’s Christina Miquel. “We’re a team and we all pick each other up. My teammates had to pick me up and they did it. I just had to get focused again on throwing strikes.”

IHA almost pulled ahead in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs, but was spurned by Trojan left fielder Samantha Velasquez. Her tumbling catch of a sinking line drive by Piccinich saved two runs and ended the inning.

As the 10th inning started, the tiebreaker rule was put into effect and IHA quickly took advantage. After a wild pitch moved courtesy runner Alicia Daniele to third base, Miquel drove her in with a groundout to make it 4-3 IHA.

Bishop Ahr wasted little time in answering back without the ball ever leaving the infield in the bottom of the 10th. Two straight infield hits, the latter by Laura Sharlow, tied the game at 4. A walk to Curcio loaded the bases with nobody out and presented the ultimate crisis moment for Miquel and her teammates.

Without a forceout at the plate or a strikeout, the game and the season would both be over. Miquel knew what was on the line and knew exactly what she had to do.

“I was really nervous, but I had to keep the ball down and throw strikes,” said Miquel, a junior from Emerson. “I was going to do anything to make sure that runner from third did not score. I just focused on throwing to a spot and hoping for the best.”

IHA junior Christina Miquel threw 106 of her 162 pitches for strikes.

Miquel got something better than she could have imagined as a hard ground ball from Bishop Ahr’s Jill Popek was hit right at the first baseman, Durando. The junior fielded the ball clearly and fired to home for the force out. D’Ambrosio made the pivot and fired to Piccinich covering first to complete the 3-2-4 double play. Miquel followed with a strikeout to get out of the bases-loaded, no-out jam unscathed and give IHA, a team that has lived on the edge in recent weeks, one more chance.

Osofsky started off the 11th inning on second and was moved over to third on a sac bunt from Kelsey Trujillo. The Blue Eagles pulled into the lead, 5-4, on an RBI groundout by Piccinich. That left the game in the hands of Miquel, who was not about to let it go another inning.

A sac bunt by Hilliard put the tying run on third with one out, but she did not get any farther. Miquel struckout the next two batters to end the three-hour marathon game and touch off a wild celebration as IHA cemented its place as the best team in New Jersey this season.

“We came into this season with high goals and it’s a great feeling to have achieved all of them,” added Larezza. “Of course, we had to do it the hardest way possible, but that will make this season that much more memorable. This is a season and a game that these girls will be telling their grandkids about. Unbelievable, for once I don’t know what else to say.”

Miquel threw 106 of her 162 pitches for strikes in getting the win for IHA (28-2). She scattered 10 hits, walked one, and had 13 Ks. Curcio and Sharlow each had two hits and an RBI to pace Bishop Ahr (24-3).

The win completed the triple crown of championships for IHA, which includes the NNJIL Division C title and the Bergen County title won on Miquel’s three-run walkoff homer against Pascack Valley, the Blue Eagles saved the best for last and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Words can’t express the feeling I have right now,” said IHA’s Alexis Durando. “It’s euphoric, amazing. There were so many times today and during the state tournament where we were down and out. But we fought through it as a team and we became better for it. We were nervous the whole time, but we all believed in each other. Whatever we needed to do to win, that is what we did. It’s the best feeling ever.”

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