Cresskill pitcher Jaime Conrad may not throw the hardest, but she will get you out.
After surrendering a run in the opening inning, the Cougar buckled down to regain command of the strike zone and beautifully painted pitches on the outside corner to shut out the visiting Park Ridge Owls for the rest of regulation. On the strength of two homeruns and the dazzling three-hit pitching performance, Cresskill muscled its way to a 4-1 victory.
"Today I knew it was crucial to hit those spots because Park Ridge is a talented team and it worked out," said Conrad. "After the first, I got into a good groove and once through the lineup knew what pitch was right for each hitter."
The 1-0 Owl lead stuck on the board until the third inning, when Cresskill streaked across three runs. It started with second baseman Patricia Clark climbing out of a 0-2 hole to draw a walk. With Conrad up at the plate, the hustling Clark stole both second and third base to put the pressure on.
"I knew we needed a run and I did whatever it took," said Clark. "I was determined to steal those bases from the moment I was on first."
Conrad stared at the opposing pitcher and focused all of her concentration on driving in the runner. The Cresskill pitcher was able to drive the ball past the reach of the second baseman to tie the game. Up next, shortstop Floriana Borova catapulted the first pitch she saw to deep center for the two-run homerun and the 3-1 lead.
"We needed more runs and it was my job to get Jaime in," said Borova. "When I first made contact with the ball I could tell I hit it hard."
Conrad pitched a gem, as batters were off balance and unable to string any hits together. The Cougar defense was the key, as almost every opposing batter put the ball in play. The home team defense was sound, making difficult plays in the field look routine.
"It started with a great pre-game warm-up and positive attitude," said Clark "Everyone was ready and focused from the start."
Third baseman Carly Cerone made significant stops in the sixth inning stretching to snag a hard bouncing ball up the line and then showing off her strong arm for the put out. Center fielder Patricia Callahan patrolled the outfield making sure nothing hit the ground.
"Our defense was flawless," said Conrad. "Everyone in the infield did their job and the outfielders hustled."
Clark led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a homerun to left field over the outstretched opposing outfielder’s glove. The previous inning ended with Clark behind in the count 0-2, but Callahan was called out on an attempt trying to steal allowing Clark the clean slate in the next inning.
"I got a fresh count and I concentrated on finding a good pitch to hit," said Clark. "By hitting a homerun it’s a nice ending to the win."
Coach Michael Doto attributes the hot hitting to an addition the Cougars received last week.
"We added a batting cage last week and our confidence has really gone up," said Doto. "Our success is also in our preparation. The girls come to field ready to play and focused."
Doto also noted that confidence would be a major factor in the Cougar’s future. The girls are remaining positive and feel that they can contend. With the win, Cresskill boosts its record to 6-4.
"This win gives us a great opportunity to make the county tournament and the confidence to beat anyone in the league," said Doto. "Earlier in the season, we’ve been in close games."
The Cougars now believe that they have the edge to win the close games they lost earlier in the season. It may have taken half of a season to get on the same page, but the Cougars are determined to script out a happy ending.
"Our goal in the beginning of the season was to make counties," said Conrad. "This win puts us in a great spot at 6-4 and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season."
