Sunday, June 12, 2011

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Rachel Pollard and the rest of an outstanding freshman class helped IHA get as far as the Non-Public A state final before losing to St. John Vianney, 10-2, at Toms River East.

TOMS RIVER - Immaculate Heart Academy has been a powerhouse both in Bergen County and in the state for a long time, but this was the year that it was finally expected to drop off. With four freshmen in the starting lineup, including one in the pitcher’s circle, IHA came into this season filled with question marks. But after winning a Bergen County title and a Non-Public A North section title, the pressure was off of the Blue Eagles.

The only question remaining in their season was, 'Could the Blue Eagles pull one last surprise over a seasoned opponent to complete an unlikely triple crown?'. Unfortunately, St. John Vianney senior Jen Retzer answered that question all by herself and finished her scholastic career in style.

Retzer single-handedly baffled IHA all game long both in the circle and in the batter's box. She allowed just four hits, struck out 12 batters, and went 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI as St. John Vianney cruised to 10-2 victory on Saturday the Non-Public A State final at Toms River High School East.

"(Retzer) was really tough and we didn't put the ball in play enough," said IHA head coach Anthony Larezza. "That was the difference in the game. They put the ball in play consistently and we didn't put the ball in play nearly enough."

St. John Vianney finished the season with a 31-1-1 record.

St. John Vianney put the pressure on right from its first turn at-bat. IHA freshman Steph Thomas was able to escape trouble trouble in both the first and second innings, but she and the rest of the Blue Eagles were not so lucky in the third. With two outs, Retzer lined a shot just out of the reach of the IHA first baseman to bring home Cailin Winokur for a 1-0 lead. Shortstop Danielle Ibarra then made a great play up the middle to snare a hard ground ball off the bat of Kristen Solari, but the ball squirted loose as Ibarra went to touch the bag with her glove and another run scored. The third run came around on an error and that was all Retzer needed.

"I knew if we scored first that we were going to win the game," said Retzer, who will play next year for the University of Pennsylvania. "Getting three runs there was really big because then I didn't have to worry about anything but changing speeds and throwing strikes. We wanted to play our best game in our last game and that's what we did. It's a great feeling to go out on top."

Retzer helped her own cause again in the fourth by roping a two-out double to make it 5-0. The Blue Eagles proved in their section final victory over DePaul that it will fight until the very last out and did it again by getting two runs back in the top of the fifth. Lauryn Currens, the hero in the section final win, singled, and Angelina McGuire was hit by a pitch. With two outs, junior Carly Piccinich singled to right-center. That plated Currens and Piccinich got caught up long enough in a rundown to allow McGuire to scoot home and trim the lead to 5-2.

Carly Piccinich had two hits for IHA, which finished at 29-4.

But any momentum gained was quickly taken back by St. John Vianney, which really got the bats going in the fifth. The Lancers had six hits in the fifth inning and scored five more times, including yet another RBI base hit from Retzer, and it was simply too much for IHA to overcome.

Retzer retired the final six batters and had a career day for St. John Vianney, which finished the season with a 31-1-1 record and will likely end the season as the No. 1 ranked team in New Jersey. Winokur and Solari each went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Taylor August also knocked in two runs.

Although Thomas took the loss for IHA (29-4), she had one of the best freshman seasons in the history of Bergen County softball. Piccinich, who is committed to play at Notre Dame, was the lone Blue Eagle with two hits.

It was a disappointing ending to an otherwise great season, but it will not diminish what IHA has accomplished in such a short time. With many of the key pieces returning, IHA will use the loss as motivation to get back down to Toms River.

"The frustrating thing is this game was not indicative of what kind of team we were this season," added Larezza. "We dodged a couple of bullets early, but you can only get yourself into trouble so many times before you pay for it. Bottom line, they outplayed us in every phase of the game. But it doesn't take away from the fact that we won a league, a county, and a section title. Our goal now is to get back down here again next year and win one more."

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