LaBIANCA 3-FOR-3, RBI 2B, 2 RUNS; CONFORTI RBI 2B

An element of surprise and a string of three hits in a row got the Gloucester Lions softball team on the right path to catch the AL Johnson Crusaders off-guard with a 5-0 lead during the Group 2 semifinal game atALJohnson High School in Clark on June 5. But the Crusaders put up a fight in the fourth and fifth innings only to come up on the short side of a 5-3 decision.

The victory for the 20-5 Lions, winners of South Jersey Group 2, set up a Group 2 title match with the North Jersey, Section 1 champs Ramsey Rams, who defeated North Jersey, Section 2 champs, Rutherford, 6-0, in the other Group 2 semifinal. The Crusaders, recently the Central Jersey, Group 2 champions, finished with a 20-12 record.

“We’ve had several come from behind victories. Even today we fell a little short. They are a very nice team and they played a clean game. We probably didn’t play the cleanest game today. That probably affected us. But what I was most proud of is we went down 5-0. I don’t know if a lot of teams come back and make it 5-3 and chip away and do the things that we did. Even in the last inning, if we get one runner on, the tying run is at the plate. Very impressed with our girls, only fourth sectional title in 50 years! Unfortunately only four teams go on and win Group championships. We made it to the last 16 teams in the state of New Jersey for public schools,” Crusader Head Coach Chris DiNucci pointed out.

The Lions had senior Olivia George on the mound and she was pitted against Crusader freshman Cassie Conforti. George allowed seven hits, three earned runs and a walk, while striking out six Crusaders. Conforti yielded six hits, four earned runs and four walks, while recording two strikeouts.

Of the Crusaders’ seven hits, senior left-handed hitter Krista LaBianca went 3-for-3 with an RBI double and scored twice.

“She had a tremendous year. She obviously was our catalyst in the circle for the past couple of years. She hit in the middle of our lineup pretty much since the day she walked in and continued that in her senior season,” Coach DiNucci said.

Sophomore centerfielder Liz Fitzharris went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Conforti whacked an RBI double. Senior Madden Puerari went 1-for-3 and senior Shannon Lancellotti tapped an RBI single.

The Lions played “small ball” right from the start when the very speedy leadoff hitter Bailey Schoenfelt (2for-4, run, 2 stolen bases) laid down a perfect bunt single in the top of the first inning. Ava Rodgers struck out as Schoenfelt stole second and third during her at-bat. Kaelyn Zearfoss stepped to the plate and pulled off a perfect squeeze bunt single as Schoenfelt came flying home for the score. Conforti walked Lauren Parry (1-for-3, RBI) then got Valerie Hatterer and Alexis Ulman to ground out back to the mound.

The Crusaders attempted to answer in the bottom of the inning.After Liz Yanni grounded out to shortstop, Fitzharris walked and stole second base. LaBianca hacked an infield single setting up a first-and-third situation. LaBianca took advantage and stole second unopposed. But Conforti lined out back to the mound then George struck out Puerari.

From her third base position, Puerari made a great diving grab that she converted to a putout in the scoreless second inning but the Lions would string together three straight hits to add a pair of runs in the third inning for a 3-0 lead but not before Fitzharris made a smooth, knee-sliding snag of Schoenfelt’s low liner in center and Conforti struck out Rodgers. Kaelyn Zearfoss doubled down the right field line and Parry followed with an RBI single just over first base. Parry’s courtesy runner advanced to second on a wild pitch then scored on Hatterer’s single that slipped under the glove of the second baseman.

The Gloucester fourth inning did not start out well for the Crusaders as Conforti walked leadoff batter Gabby Maldinaldo and Rylie Zearfoss. The left-handed batter Ryleigh Hunter attempted a running forward slap shot but she was called out for being out of the batter’s box. Schoenfelt pulled off another bunt single then Rodger’s RBI sacrifice fly to right resulted in a throwing error and two runners scoring for a 5-0 lead.

LaBianca led off the ALJ fourth with a chopping single over second.

Puerari looped a one-out single over first and Lancellotti hooked an RBI single into right field for the Crusaders’ first run.

LaBianca pulled off a double play to keep the Lions silent in the fifth then the Crusaders tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning and it all began with two outs. Fitzharris tapped a bunt single. LaBianca went the other way with a double down the leftfield line as Fitzharris came all the way around to score. Conforti followed with an RBI double to left-centerfield.

Both pitchers bore down and neither teams could score as the Lions hung on to advance to the Group 2 championship game.

“A phenomenal year! We started the season, it was a little tough. We started 1-4 and we were digging ourselves out of a hole. Credit to our kids! They worked hard, they always battled, they kept working. We talked about three things all year – have a great attitude, give a great effort and have a lot of energy. Those three things carried us through this tournament,” said Coach DiNucci, who added, “When you win a sectional title, you got to be good, you got to have great chemistry and you got to have a little luck too.”

Gloucester 102 200 0 5 AL Johnson 000 120 0 3