Sunday, June 10, 2012

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Steph Thomas threw a six-hit shutout and drove in the winning run for IHA, which blanked St. John-Vianney, 3-0, in the Non-Public A state final on Saturday in Toms River.

TOMS RIVER - Steph Thomas has made quite a name for herself as one of the premier pitchers in the state. Not only had the sophomore carried IHA in the circle to within a game of a perfect season, but she felt she was peaking at the right time. Yet through all of that, Thomas was far from satisfied with her offensive performance during the state tournament. Facing a St. John Vianney squad that handed Thomas her last loss almost a year ago to the day, the sophomore knew she had to step up her level of play and not only come up with big pitches in crucial moments but also come up with the big hit she had been desperately searching for recently. Thomas did just that and the end result was a perfect ending to a perfect season.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, Thomas drove a hard single to right-center that scored a run. When the ball was misplayed in the outfield, two more runs came around to score and that was all the run support she needed. Thomas wiggled her way out of a jam in the sixth and tossed a six-hitter as IHA became the first North Jersey team to finish a season undefeated since Ramsey did it in 1991, capping off its season with a Non-Public A state championship and getting some revenge in the process with a 3-0 victory over St. John Vianney on Saturday at Toms River East High School.

"I talked to them about how badly they beat us last year (10-2) in the final. I knew we had to limit our mistakes and score first, that was the most important thing," said IHA head coach Anthony Larezza. "We had to set the tone and Steph came up with a big hit when we needed one. I think if St. John Vianney got out of that inning without us scoring that we were in trouble. She's had a real bad week at the plate, but she made up for it in one swing."

Caitlin Wonikur held start SJ-V's near rally in the sixth inning.

The first inning had scoring opportunities for both sides, but neither were able to cash in. St. John Vianney put runners on the corners but Thomas got out of that that jam. Carly Piccinich stroked a leadoff triple in the bottom half of the frame but was stranded there as Katie Bieront pitched out of a jam of her own to keep the game scoreless.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the third when Angelina McGuire started things of by drawing a walk. Danielle Ibarra and Piccinich lined back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out for Thomas. After striking out in her first at-bat with Piccinich on third, Thomas knew this would likely be her only shot to make up for it. She did just that by lining a ball through the drawn-in infield and into right-center allowing McGuire to score. When the ball was misplayed by the centerfielder, Ibarra and Piccnich raced around to score and give the Blue Eagles a 3-0 lead.

"After striking out my first time up, I just wanted to keep it simple and get the bat on the ball," said Thomas. "I just wanted to hit the ball hard somewhere and get the run from third home. Before I knew it, I was standing on third and I was like 'What just happened?'. There was still a lot of game left though and I had to get my focus back to hitting my spots and making good pitches."

Carly Piccinich (right), here with her sister Amy, goes out as IHA's all-time leader in hits.

Thomas was on cruise control until the sixth when Caitlin Wonikur and Taylor August stroked back-to-back singles and moved up to second and third on a throwing error with nobody out and SJV's dangerous cleanup batter Kristen Solari at the plate. Thomas was able to induce a pop-up to short and then a groundout to third with the runners holding before getting a strikeout to get out of the jam.

"Steph getting out of that jam was huge no question about it," added Larezza. "Even if they get a hit there and score a run or two, that gives them some momentum and they can turn their lineup over and get the heart of the lineup to the plate in the seventh. Steph has done that for us all year though, when she needs to make pitches in key spots, she does it. That is the difference between the way she pitched last year down here and this year. She had the confidence to know that she could do it and she stayed calm when all the pressure was on her."

Zoe Otterman singled with two outs and went to third to keep the game alive momentarily and put Thomas' shutout bid in jeopardy. McGuire, IHA's centerfielder who was magnificent defensively throughout the state tournament, made a running catch in right-center to end the game and touch off a perfect celebration for a perfect team.

Thomas scattered six hits, walked two and struck out three for IHA, which finished the season with a 32-0 record and a No. 1 ranking in New Jersey. Only Ramsey in 1991 and St. John Vianney in 2003 have ever won as many games in an undefeated season as IHA did this year. 

The 2012 IHA Blue Eagles finished the season with a perfect 32-0 record.

It was a storybook ending for the team and especially those seniors who got to go out as champions. One senior in particular had two hits on the day and finished as one of, if not the, best player to ever put on an IHA uniform. Carly Piccinich, who scored the game-tying run as a freshman when IHA pulled off a miraculous comeback over Bishop Ahr to win a Non-Public A state title, finished her career as the all-time leader at IHA for hits in a season and hits in a career. It was a fitting end for a player of her stature to go in as a champion and go out the exact same way.

"This season has been truly amazing, to win a state title and go undefeated, I couldn't think of a better way to go out," said Piccinich, who will play at Notre Dame next year. "After losing the way we did to Vianney last year, we worked so hard to get back down here hoping we would get another shot at them. They are a great team and we had to come ready to play today. Steph pitched great today and came up with the one big hit we needed. To talk about going undefeated and winning states is one thing, but to actually do it is crazy. I couldn't have asked for better teammates, better coaches, or a better ending to this season. It something I'm sure all of us will remember for the rest of our lives."

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