Ramsey first baseman Uma Corcoran made a nervy defensive play to record the final out as No. 3 Ramsey held off Ridgefield Park, 4-3, in the Round of 16 of the Bergen County Tournament.
RAMSEY – After upsetting Park Ridge in the opening round of the Bergen County Tournament, Ridgefield Park had hopes of pulling even more a shocker when it visited third-seeded Ramsey in the Round of 16 on Saturday afternoon. It was a tall task as Ramsey has lost just once all season and was riding a 14-game winning streak. The Rams confidently have shown poise all year and they needed every bit of it as Ridgefield Park put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the top of the seventh. That was when Ramsey picked the perfect time to come up with its biggest defensive play of the season.
First baseman Uma Corcoran corralled a squibbing ground ball and barely won the race to the bag on a bang-bang play for the final out as Ramsey held on and advanced to the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals with a thrilling 4-3 win over No. 19 seed Ridgefield Park at Tisdale Elementary School.
“I think it’s a quite from Derek Jeter that says ‘If you’re not nervous in big games then you’re too comfortable’, and you never want to be too comfortable because anyone can win on any given day,” said Ramsey’s Sydney Suser. “We’re always striving to get better and playing to win. There are some things you can’t control on the field. But you can control how you react to it. The energy a player brings is contagious to the team and we always make it a point to bring a lot of energy to every game.”
After a short 1-2-3 first inning pitched by Lucy Sobel, the Rams were able to get their bats going. Ava Greco fought back on a 0-2 count with a base hit to get the momentum going for the rest of her teammates. A crafty sacrifice squeeze bunt by Corcoran put the Rams on the board in the first inning.
All the while, Ramsey head coach Chris Caserta was motivating his athletes, emphasizing their “new plans” while they are up at bat as the Rams tacked on another run for a 2-0 lead.
“The ‘new plan’ is specific to each batter because of the versatility we have in our lineup,” said Caserta. “We don’t just get up to bat looking to hit homeruns. Swinging away, putting the ball in play, and bunting. Having that up and down the lineup is a big asset for us.”
Karylle Cualas’s double in the top of the seventh inning put the tying runner in scoring position for Ridgefield Park.
Sobel continued suit with another 1-2-3 inning to keep the Rams in the lead. At bat, Ramsey’s Kacey Olshalsky hit a double into centerfield, sending her dugout into a frenzy. All hope was not lost for Ridgefield Park, as the Scarlets were able to make a double play, disrupting Ramsey’s plan to score. The inning was far from over after the first two outs, as a solid base hit and steal of second by Cynthia Chetaitis was followed by an RBI single from Sobel to make it 3-0.
The Scarlets had gotten a runner on base for the first time in the top of the third. A quick fumble by Ramsey catcher Kacey Olshalsky was quickly brought under control and she threw down to third to nail a runner for the final out of the inning.
The valiant Ridgefield Park team remained upbeat and began to step on the gas when it came to defensive strategy. Scarlet sophomore pitcher Gabriella Rivera has incredible accuracy and was able to secure the last out of the inning via strikeout, her 300th in her short two-year career.
The Scarlets got to work at the plate, with singles by Rivera, Monteleone and Nagle loaded the bases. It was a hit off the ankle of Lucy Sobel that put Ridgefield Park on the board in the fourth inning. Yet again, another quick and reliable play by Ramsey's Alana Chetaitis got the Rams out of a potentially sticky situation.
Ridgefield Park got aggressive on the defensive end following their first run on the board. A 1-2-3 inning by Rivera gave Ridgefield Park a clear vision as to what they needed to do in the upcoming innings. After a base hit, a stolen base and an intentional walk an error by and confusion in Ramsey’s outfield, Ridgefield Park was able to tie up the score, 3-3, in the top of the fifth.
With Ridgefield Park’s new life, Ramsey had to step up its game, and it did. Sydney Suser hit a leadoff double and stole third to give the Rams the offensive advantage they needed. Greco followed with a double to center, putting the Rams in the lead, 4-3.
As Ramsey’s only senior, Sydney Suser expressed how well her team worked together to overcome the sticky situation in the previous inning. “It’s all about how you react to good and bad plays. We pick each other up, and out team’s energy is contagious.”
The fight was not over for the Rams in the seventh inning. After Karylle Cualas’s double to center, Monteleone singled and was on second base. With two outs on the board and two girls on base, Riley Fucci got the end of the bat on a Sobel pitch. The ball was spinning rapidly between Ramsey first baseman Corcoran and Sobel. An incredibly tough play to make with the pressure on, Corcoran scooped it up and was able to rush to her bag to beat the runner by a half-step to close out the game as the Rams were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
“I feel like the whole way that we have some nerves, but we love each other so much and we’re confident that we’ll find a way to win,” said Corcoran. “There was a time when we were worried. Before every pitch I take a huge breath and think about what I want to do if the ball is hit to me. I just go with my instinct, I go for the ball and get the out.”
Ramsey (17-1) moves into the Bergen County quarterfinals. There the Rams will face sixth-seeded Northern Valley/Old Tappan, a 4-1 winner over Pascack Valley in its Round of 16 game. The Rams have been humming along all season. With the pressure mounting with each win, the Rams know they will face more challenges like this for the remainder of the season.
“Being a great teammate is written on the wall in our dugout and I really believe being a great teammate will help you overcome adverse situations,” added Caserta. “Our senior captain came up with a big double after they tied it up and we executed getting her in. We didn’t get upset when they tied the game, we responded. It shows how the girls have bought into the program and what we’re trying to accomplish. We don’t handle adversity alone; we handle it together.”
FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT PLEASE CLICK HERE. TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS STORY PLEASE VISIT 4-FeetGrafix.com
