Cody Kugler dunked a triple just inside the right field foul line to score teammate Jaimie Beddoe with the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, as Demarest came from behind to beat Old Tappan 2-1.

"It was an outside pitch and I just drove it to right field," said Kugler. "She was peppering the outside corner and it took us a while to adjust."

"As they say," said Old Tappan coach Melissa Landeck, "it’s a game of inches and sometimes luck is on your side. Sometimes it isn’t."

Old Tappan had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Mia Assante smacked a base hit up the middle and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Kirsten Savage. Cally Young followed with a scorching line drive that was snatched by Demarest pitcher Jessica Iuliano.

After a walk to Jaime Giacomelli, senior captain Alexis Kral plated Assante with a single to center.

"I was locating low and I guess they were getting on top of it," said Iuliano. "They are great hitters. In the beginning I got a little shaky, but once I got into the groove I felt I was on."

"We don’t play here so it was her first time on the mound," said Demarest coach Keith Johnson. "It’s a different field; a different mound. She had to feel her way out a little bit. It takes a while."

Old Tappan sophomore pitcher Jennifer Capazzi had a 1-2-3 first inning and Iuliano did the same in the Golden Knight second inning. Demarest got two hits in the second but Capazzi came back to retire the next two batters.

In the third Old Tappan got a one-out base hit by Savage but she did not get past second base.

"Jess pitched well," said Johnson. "Pitchers need consistency. When she got her feet grounded she came through for us at the end. Once she got settled there and once she found where she wanted to go she stayed right there."

"She (Capazzi) did everything she needed to do out on that mound tonight," said Landeck. "She did a great job for us – another confidence building effort.

"It’s tough when you don’t get the win to gain confidence but when you have a performance like that I hope she gets confidence out of it."

Capazzi and Iuliano continued to match zeroes until the Demarest fifth.

Kim Runge led off with a double over the head of Old Tappan right fielder Danielle Betts. Capazzi struck out Schuyler Watkins and got Adina Fried on a comebacker as Runge took third.

Beddoe dropped a single just in front of center fielder Cally Young to score Runge and the game was tied 1-1. Then came Kugler’s heroics.

Old Tappan had a couple of chances to tie the game.

In the sixth Savage led off with a liner to center. Just as Kugler was about to catch the ball, she suddenly slipped down and the ball sailed over her head as Savage scampered to second.

"We hit the ball great," said Landeck. "I feel like we had 10 from the way we touched her up. We couldn’t hit the ball any harder. Our outs were tough outs."

Iuliano struck out Young and Giacomelli as Savage stayed put at second. Kral looped a ball over second toward right center field and Kugler, running full speed, snared the ball before it hit the ground and the inning was over.

"Our defense is awesome," said Iuliano. "I have complete confidence in every single one of those girls."

In the Old Tappan seventh Capazzi led off with a line drive that tipped off the glove of Demarest shortstop Michelle Brody. Freshman Alexa Pensabene ran for Capazzi.

With Nicole DeLisio at bat, Pensabene took off for second. She looked to have beaten the throw by Demarest catcher Watkins, but the umpire saw it differently and called her out.

DeLisio completed her at bat by lining out to Iuliano and Caroline Mann grounded out to first to end the game.

"We played a very solid game and unfortunately it came down to one play and one call from us making that comeback," said Landeck.

"That’s the breaks. When something doesn’t go your way, it doesn’t go your way. We thought she had a good jump. That’s our fastest kid. She doesn’t get thrown out."

But Pensabene did get thrown out and Demarest held on for a 2-1 win – the second 2-1 win over Old Tappan this season.

"It’s a rivalry game and in those it doesn’t matter – records are out," said Johnson. "Somebody had to win. They played a great game; we played a great game. We got the better of them today but if we play again tomorrow, who knows?"

"We were all psyched and we wanted this so badly," said Iuliano. "We kept our heads in the game and didn’t give up."

The Norsewomen are a senior-laden team that has been together for a couple of years.

"We always come out with the same intensity and the same intention to win," said Iuliano. "We were really pumped up for this game. It’s O.T., our rivals and we always want to go after them. And they played a great game.

"They are a good team and it feels good to beat a good team like this."

"We had a very bad first inning but we shook it off," said Kugler. "We are not usually a comeback team, so it was good for us."

On the other side Old Tappan has a young team so they will make noise in the future. Kral is the only senior, while in addition to Capazzi, Assante, DeLisio and Savage are sophomores. Betts, Giacomelli, Mann and Young are juniors.

"We don’t like to use that as an excuse," Landeck said of the team’s youth. "The majority of the team played for us last year. We don’t let that be an excuse. We don’t let that enter their minds. We treat this group like a veteran group.

"They know the game. They’ve played it a lot. We expect them to play like veterans."

So the district rivals move on to finish out the regular season and prepare for the state tournament.

"They bounce back well after a tough loss," said Landeck. "There is no doubt in my mind that tomorrow they will be at practice ready to work hard. They truly enjoy the game.

"We always have more fun when we win games, but these kids truly love the game and they will not let it get them down. They just keep fighting back."

"These games are tough," said Johnson. "You just try to scrap and fight your way in these games. Old Tappan can hit. They demonstrated that today. They got a couple of unlucky breaks. They are a good hitting team and a good fielding team, but we are as well.

"We’re finding ways to win games and I guess that’s the big difference between this year and previous years."