Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 14

II II I I I I I I "I.I 6B COURIER-POST, Monday, June 10, 198S HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT SOFTOALL Burlington Township rallies for wild title victory By BOB BROOKOVER Of the Courier-Post start Township's sixth and Osborne tripled her home. Sadlier knocked in Osborne with a sacrifice bunt to put Township up 12-7. i That lead appeared safe, but in this game no lead was safe. Fran Cerniglia, who had ripped a three-run home run in the second, ripped a two-run single to cap off a five-run seventh inning for Saddle Brook and tie the score at 12. "At that point I was a little worried," said Tucker.

But her players remained calm and Hopps came through with the hit that was heard around Burlington with five runs in the third inning. After three consecutive errors by Saddle Brook loaded the bases, Theresa Darch hit into a fielder's choice to knock in Sadlier. With two outs, winning pitcher Gina Fandetta lined a single to center that plated Hopps. A single to left field by Missy Pa len tcha a nd an error a 1 lo wed Darch and Fandetta to score. Designated hitter Tricia Flannery capped the inning with a single to right-center that scored Palentchar.

"When we scored the five runs in that inning I knew we'd score more," said Hopps, one of three seniors on the squad. "It didn't bother us when we got behind. We've been behind before." Burlington Township surged ahead with five more runs in the fifth. Diane Flannery, who made a pair of spectacular diving plays at third base, led off the fifth with a walk. Fandetta then walked and after a line out by Palentchar, Tricia Flannery and Osborne walked to force in Township's sixth run.

Sadlier then lined a single up the middle that scored Fandetta with the game-tying run. Two more runs scored on a throwing error by shorstop Kerri Fortsch and Hopps lined a single to left to plate Sadlier with Township's 10th run. Palentchar lined a single to left to the eighth with a single to right and Barb Sadlier followed with a bunt single. Janet George then laid down a sacrifice bunt and Saddle Brook pitcher Lisa Sedlemeir went to third, but Osborne was safe. Hopps then stepped to the plate and lined a shot over left fielder Dawn D'Anna's head to end the game.

"I noticed their outfielders were playing very close," said Hopps, after Burlington Township completed its season with a 16-5 record. "I just wanted to hit the ball hard somewhere." It didn't take Burlington Township long to rally from the 7-0 deficit. The Falconscut Saddle Brook's lead to two GROUP 1 single by Gina Hopps in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the end it was Burlington Township that found itself having to stave off a rally by Saddle Brook to capture the state title. Township held a 12-7 lead going into the top of the seventh inning, but Saddle Brook answered with five runs in the inning to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

Then Township decided enough was enough and finished Saddle Brook off in the eighth. Sophomore Chris Osborne started WEST WINDSOR Two innings had been played in the Group 1 state title Softball game yesterday and the scoreboard read Saddle Brook High School 7, Burlington Township 0. Burlington Township coach Leslie Tucker should have been a nervous wreck. But she wasn't. "I remained calm," Tucker said.

"We've been coming from behind all year. We came from behind by 10 runs in one game this season." JTucker's aplomb carried over to her team and the Falcons rallied and finally won 13-12 on a bases-loaded Collingswood falls victim to Mendham's bunting game "We usually come back in these type of games," Roos said. "We just ran into a good pitcher today. We have the Group 3 South Jersey title and nobody can take that away from us." Collingswood will return everyone except for shortstop Maureen Cannon and top pitcher Campbell next' season. In the Group 2 title game, Delaware Valley defeated Jefferson, 3-1.

Janine Finelli fired a four-hitter to earn the victory for Delaware Valley, which defeated Pennsville. 2-1. in 10 innings in the state semifinal round. Delaware Valley completed its season with a 25-2 record and Jefferson finished with a 22-4 mark. This year Mendham had all of its starters back.

Theend result wasa 26-0 record and a state championship. "This has been the style of execution that we have used all year," saidTogno. "I figure if we get Traci a three-run lead then we should win. In the last game (a 1-0 win over Pascack Hills in the semi-finals) I went away from our game plan and it showed. This game I stayed with it." Collingswood by comparison had nothing to be ashamed of.

The Panthers went farther than anyone except Roosexpected them. It had an 18-game winning streak stopped by the loss, but compiling an 19-3 record and going to the state championship shouldn't dampen anything. play in time. Liebe went to third on the play. Lori Welles followed with a bunt single that plated Liebe.

Miller went to third as there was some confusion in the Collingswood infield. Kathy Callahan grounded into a fielder's choice to score Miller. Jeanne Mooney opened Collings-wood'r half with a solid single to left. It looked as if the Colls would be on a roll. But Kennedy pitched her way out of the jam and cruised the rest of the way.

This year has been a big change for Mendham. Last year the Minutemaids were 10-9 in the Colonial Hills Conference. But there was some justification for the mark. The conference had three state champions in it. By EDCUNEO Of the Courier-Post "WEST WINDSOR The bunt in spftball is usually used to advance a runner or as a surprise attempt to get a base hit.

iMendham High School played yesterday's Group 3 state championship game against Collingswood High School like the bunt was the only thing that the Minutemaids could do offensively. "The Minutemaids bunted three times in the first inning, scoring two riinsandconfusingCollingswoodinthe process to win the game, 6-0, at Mercer County Park. was exactly our game plan coming Dave togno, whose team bunted a half- seen all season. With a pitcher like that, you just don't do much." Kennedy said that coming in she would have to throw her best because of the Coll reputation as a hot-hitting team. "I was very nervous." said Kennedy, who finished the season 25-0 with 258 strikeouts and just 40 walks.

"I just wanted to find their weak points and exploit them. The pitch would depend on the stance of the hitter. When they couldn't get around, I would throw the fastball. If the timing was there I would try to upset it with the change." Mendham upset the Colls timing in the first inning. Leadof batter Denise Liebe set the tone as she bunted for a base hit.

The next batter, Jen Miller, did the same thing, except that pitcher Nancy Campbell couldn't make the GROUP 3 dozen times during the game. "We wanted to bunt to shake up Collingswood and gain some kind of advantage. Sure we would have bunted to move the runners up in scoring position if need be, but we wanted to use the bunt in another way to our advantage." It was to Mendham's advantage. But the big reason for the Minutemaids success had to rest in pitcher Traci Kennedy. The hard-throwing junior right-hander struck out 12 batters and allowed only three hits as she overpowered Collingswood, which came into the game hitting over .400 as a team.

"She was just overpowering today," said Collingswood coach Kim Roos. "She is better than anyone we have FAST PITCH All-Star Trophies captures second place in tournament Earn extra money, win prizes, trips, have fun and learn how to operate your own business. Be a Courier-Post Newspapercarrier Delivery routes now available in these locations: CORN WELLS HEIGHTS. Pa. -The All-Star Trophies team from Collingswood roared through the rain-delayed women's fast pitch tournament this weekend and brought second place home to South Jersey.

Behind the brilliant pitching of DianneRuhlandJoannSulmonetti.the South Jersey based team surprised some of the top teams in the East to reach the championship round of the annual Lower Bucks County Tournament. Pennsbury Unlimited captured the title with a 5-2 victory in the final game of the tournament. Competition got underway on four fields Friday night and continued through Saturday and yesterday despite long rain delays which carried the games well into the night. With teams from Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and New York City heavily favored to dominate the 18-team invi tational competition, the All-Star Trophies entry was given little chance to excell. Instead, the defending South Jersey Leaguechampions became theCinder-ella entry while winning five of seven games over 48 hours.

With Ruhl and Sulmonetti combining for four shutouts, the Trophies used near perfect defense to advance. Led by third baseman Coleen Grasso and second basemanCheryl Matthews, the Trophies turned six double plays and committed only eight errors in the tournament. Grasso also started a triple play on a hard grounder in game three. While the defense was flagging down the high reputations of such fine teams as the Allentown Diamonds and Bethlehem Sokols, Dawn Kennedy, Mo Par-ham and Shirley Tremont unleashed a torrid long ball attack. Kennedy hit tape measure triples in BELLMAWR PARK AREA MR.

FARR EXT. 282 E. BROWING AVE. E. ARDMORE AVE.

MR. SCHALLER EXT. 293 COUNTRY CLUB PRKWY LARCHMONT DEVELOPMENT MR. CALOGERO EXT. 298 HIGH ST.

GLOVER ST. MR. HOUTS. EXT. 313 three straight games and Parham, the team's talented catcher, started the tournament with a three-run home run which set the tone for the Trophies squad.

Parham drove in four runs and Ruhl scattered three singles as the Collingswood team defeated the Roadrunners of Lower Bucks, 6-0, to open the tournament. Martha Houts tripled and Karen Black doubled to highlight a 5-2 win over Bethelehem which featured strong defense by Rea Pritchett. Then the South Jersey club was sidetracked by the Blazing Angeles, the defending Pennsy state champions, 3-1, despite extra base hits by Kennedy and Tremont. Tremont doubled and tripled in the next game and scored both her team's runs a 2-0 victory over Allentown. Diane Ebbeson turned in the defensive play of the game completing a twin killing at third.

Char'otte Heenan tripled and Parham doubled while Matthews and Molly Avery contributed two hits each as the Trophies qualified for the semifinals with a 6-0 victory over the Avengers. In the semifinal. Collingswood made good use of sacrifice bunts to set up three single run innings to avenge the loss to the Blazing Angelsand reach the title game with a 3-0 victory. Despite two hits each by Avery and Tremont and a Kennedy double, the All-Stars were unable to overcome a two-run first inning in the championship game. Collingswood opens its regular season in the South Jersey League Thursday night at Camden Catholic High School.

The League All-Stars will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a benefit game Friday at the Laurel Springs field off Atlantic Ave. PAUL RD. ARLINGTON AVE. MR. BARR EXT.

286 MANSION APTS CHALET APTS. MS. HENRY EXT. 314 INDEPENDENT BASEBALL Bedford tops Heights EAST ATLANTIC WEST GRAISBURY MR. GREEN EXT.

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RUTGERS AVE. MR. TEDESCHI EXT. 287 wood rallied for seven runs in the topof the seventh inning to down Moores-town, 10-7. DarrenCummingssingledintwo tallies and Bill Gibison slugged a two-run triple to cap the rallv.

Phillies Dream Weekers defeated the Camden County Hot Stovers, 7-3. as Bernie Pekala pitched shutout ball over the first five innings. The squad made up of players who attended a special spring training session at the Phillies training complex in Clearwater, scored three times in the fourth then added three in the sixth to clinch victory. KELLY COVE PINE COVE MR. CALOGERO EXT.

298 SYCAMORE AVE. 7TH AVE. MR. GREEN EXT. 295 If you are at least 11 years old CALL TODAY 662-4700 or 1-800-257-6289 Brian Brodwater drove in four runs with two home runs and pitcher Joe Catalano scattered nine hits in leading Medford over Haddon Heights.

9-4, in an American Legion Baseball League game yesterday. Medford spotted Haddon Heights a 3-0 lead in the first two innings, but bounced back and scored the deciding runintheseventhonMikeSchick'sRBI hit, Medford added four runs in the eighth with the help of Brodwater homer and a two-run single by Jim Radwannwski Steve Clair tossed a six-hitter and Ken Villanova batted 4-for-5 with three doubles in sparking South Harri-. son to a 7-3 victory over Haddon Town-Ship Post 230. After scoring twice in the first inning, South Harrison clinched victory in the second when Villanova and Nick DeVincentis. who was 4-for-4, had RBI singles.

TRI-COL'NTY: Jay Tiziani's sacrifice fly in the last half of the ninth inning gave Delran a 4-3 victory over Wenonah. Jim Varley pitched a seven-hitter for Delran. Jim Haney drew a walk to start the Delran ninth, was sacrificed lu secuiMi. luoik liiil i on Fiui Statu utk. and scored on Tiziani's fly.

CAMCO SENIOR BABE RUTH: Dave Page not only batted 3-for-3 with four RBIs. but gave up only three runs after relieving the starting pitcher with none out in the first inning in leading Westmont Shop Bag to a 22-8 success over Somerdale. Jim Gardner also batted 3-for-3 for Westmont, which featured a 13 run sixth inning Seventeen batters went to the plate during the rally and there were six hits, six walks and three errors. SOUTH JERSEY: Clark Cinelli singled, stole second and scored on a hit by winning pitcher Larry Rybak, who worked the last two frames, to give Stratford an 8-7 triumph over Blackwood DELAWARE Colhngs-f i I'm 1 1 years old or more and I'd like more information on being a Courier-Post newspapercarrier in my neighborhood. Name.

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NJ 08034 The Daily Sunday Courier-Post.