Friday, May 20, 2011

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Tori Sobel making contact with one of her two RBI singles in Ramapo's 4-1 win over Pascack Valley on Senior Day in Franklin Lakes.

FRANKLIN LAKES – It was the perfect set up for the seniors on the Ramapo softball team. The underclassmen had decked out the dugout with pictures, balloons and streamers; the dedicated grounds crew painted a tribute to the Class of 2011 in the dirt behind second base and there were photos ops aplenty with parents, bouquets of flowers…the whole nine yards. From a Green Raiders’ perspective, it would have really stunk if they had walked off their spruced up home field with anything less than a ‘W’ against old rival Pascack Valley.

“We were really excited to play and we were hoping to make this one of our best games of the season,” said Christine Boylan, Ramapo’s shortstop and one of its six seniors. “The younger girls made it such a great atmosphere for us today. We appreciated it and we wanted to go out and play together as a team.”

All six of Ramapo’s seniors made a contribution in one way or another, but it was senior hurler Tori Sobel who had the day to remember. She allowed just three hits and one walk in a complete game victory and also went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. She had the key two-out, run-scoring single that gave Ramapo the lead in the bottom of the fourth and added another RBI single in the sixth to help her team break it open on the way to a 4-1 victory in Franklin Lakes.

Pascack Valley rightfielder Ashley Delaney hit a home run and threw out a runner at the plate.

“When we came out and saw the dugout we were really pumped up about it and before the game the five other seniors and I were all just kind of looking at each in shock that it was our Senior Day. It happened so fast,” said Sobel, who has carried the torch of quality Ramapo pitching with her 11-4 record this season. “Having to follow Brittany Baiunco and Julie Shaw as a pitcher definitely was some big shoes to fill, but we have tried our best and we have done pretty well. We played IHA tough in the counties, this was a good win for us today and we are looking forward to the states.”

Sobel held Pascack Valley to just one hit and no runs through the first four innings, but when her team came up to bat in its half of the fourth it was still a scoreless game. But then senior Emily Brown led off with Ramapo’s second hit of the game, a clean single to left and Melanie Psota followed with a successful sacrifice bunt. Lexi Graber followed with a single and stole second before Sobel came through with the first of her two run scoring singles.

Pascack Valley stayed in the game with its defense as rightfielder Ashley Delaney cut down Graber trying to score from second on Sobel’s knock, but it in a recurring theme this season, the Indians were unable to get their offense in gear.

“We can play with anyone, but we have a tendency to hit the ball at people and we don’t really put our hits together. That has been our biggest problem,” said Pascack Valley head coach Craig Nielsen, whose team fell to 13-12. “We’ve struggled with the offense, but we graduated 28 home runs from last year’s team and that is a lot to make up for.”

Christine Boylan, one of Ramapo's six seniors, drove in a run on this swing.

Ramapo scratched out an unearned run in the top of the fifth when Boylan’s two-out single plated Caitlyn Hickey to give Ramapo a 2-0 lead, but PV cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth when Ashley Delaney hit a no-doubter over the fence just to the left of straightaway centerfield. Except there was a doubt when the umpire on the bases originally called it a grounds rule double before conferring, reversing the call and making it a 2-1 game.

Ramapo (16-6) put the game away in the bottom of the sixth with three hits by the first four hitters in the inning. Psota, the Raiders’ freshman cleanup hitter, led off with a well-struck double to left center, Graber followed with a sacrifice bunt and Sobel found the grass in left for her second RBI. Sil Imbimbo kept the rally going with a single and, after Alyssa Nacco was hit by a Jess Prinzi pitch to load the bases, Hickey drew a walk to force home the final run of the game.

“We have had such a nice rivalry in the past against Pascack Valley and we didn’t get to play them in the league this year. But it was like old times because this game was a battle, like it always is against them,” said Ramapo head coach Leslie Stephen. “We got those insurance runs late and that was huge for us because you know that PV is going to play hard all the way through.”

PV catcher Nicole Sandner tagged out two Ramapo runners at the plate.

Both teams are just about all the way through their league schedules although there are rainouts to be made up. Ramapo, which had not played since Saturday because of the weather, has long since clinched the title inside whatever league it plays in inside the Big North Conference and both sides are looking ahead to the North 1, Group 3 state sectional playoffs, which were seeded on Thursday and begin on Tuesday.

Pascack Valley is the No. 12 and will be on the road in the opening round against No. 5 High Point, while Ramapo is No. 7 and will open at home against No. 10 Jefferson.

It’s the last go around for the Ramapo seniors and they are looking forward to their final postseason opportunity.

“We are playing Jefferson at home and we want to go out and set the tone for what we hope will be a long run,” said Sobel. “We play together and we have the kind of team that can do well in the [state] playoffs.”

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