Chatham Softball Guts it Out Against Pequannock

For more than a few minutes toward the end of the seventh inning in the Chatham softball team's game against Pequannock, it looked as if the Cougars were down and out.

The Panthers had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth on a two-out single by Becky Myron, and their pitcher, Dana Nielsen, was humming the ball toward home plate like she had all game. After Nielsen struck out catcher Alex St. Romain to begin the bottom of the final inning, the Cougars were down to their final two outs.

But first baseman Kelly Winans ignited a Cougar rally with a single to left field, and two batters later, senior Caroline Murphy drove in pinch runner Elke Luria with two outs to tie the game. After a few tense moments in extra innings, Chatham eventually won, 3-2, in 10 frames.

"It was kind of like every game we lost where we find a way to make a baserunning snafu or we hesitate and bobble the ball," Head Coach Alexis Davies said.

This time, though, the Cougars came out on top, and Davies said she hopes this game proves to her players that they're good enough to compete with lots of teams when they play well.

"This is a big win," she said.

Both Nielsen and Chatham starter Amanda Fazio made quick work of their opponents in the first two innings—Nielsen struck out each of Chatham's first six batters. But in the third inning, the Cougars got a read on the pitcher who Davies called the best the team has faced all season.

Third baseman Jenna Ioffredo became the team's first baserunner after a walk, and left fielder Catrina Yohay reached first after Pequannock booted her bunt. Second baseman Kelsey Davies bunted to advance the runners, and Fazio then lined a single to center, scoring Ioffredo. Yohay was gunned down at the plate.

The Panthers tied it up the following inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by left fielder Ally Thomas.

Both teams remained relatively quiet offensively until the bottom of the sixth, when Pequannock took the lead. Second baseman Kristin Brain and Thomas reached on a single and a walk, and after Myron singled to right, right fielder Caroline Murphy's throw to the plate was cut off and Brain scored to put her team in the lead.

But before Murphy came up in the bottom of the seventh with two on and two outs, Coach Davies exuded confidence, telling Emily Karpowic that she would go in to first base to replace Winans "when we tie this game up." Murphy then came through in the clutch with her line drive single to left, tying the score at two. Another single put two runners in scoring position in the inning but Chatham could not score.

Pequannock got two batters on in the eighth but wasn't able to push either across as Fazio struck out catcher Cara Maloney to end the inning. Neither team had major threats in the ninth, but in the tenth, each team started with a runner on second base, as tiebreaker rules stipulate.

The Panthers attempted to manufacture their run, bunting the runner on second over to third and then trying to bunt her home with one out. But Fazio jumped on that bunt, shoveling the ball to St. Romain so she could apply the tag on the runner. She eventually got out of the inning.

In the bottom of the tenth, Murphy started the inning on second base and a poor throw to third after a bunt by Ioffredo caused Murphy to be safe and allowed Ioffredo to advance to second. Yohay was then intentionally walked.

But Nielsen then struck out Kelsey Davies and Fazio, leaving shortstop Kendall Davies to hit with the bases loaded and two outs with the game on the line. Davies quickly worked the count to 3-1 before the count went full.

"I knew I had to get a hit or get on base," she said.

And that she did. Davies took ball four to force in the winning run, setting off a joyous celebration at home plate for the Cougars.

The win was Chatham's second of the year against Pequannock. Chatham remains undefeated in Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference-Independence Division play—the Cougars are 9-0—and Pequannock's only two losses in the division are to Chatham.

The game was televised by MSG Varsity and will be broadcast Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.