Mayrose, Brown, Forsyth lead Colonials to CJ semis

BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Less than 24 hours after absorbing a heartbreaking defeat, the Freehold Borough softball team rediscovered its offense and is moving on.

The Colonials beat Hopewell Valley Thursday, 3-0, in a Central Jersey Group III quarterfinal game in Freehold, advancing to Tuesday's semifinals. The Colonials hosted Ocean Township with the winner going on to play in today's sectional final.

The win over Hopewell Valley came the day after the Colonials almost pulled off one of the school's biggest wins, over Red Bank Catholic, the 2006 Monmouth County Tournament champions.

Playing in the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference Tournament, the Colonials led the Caseys 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Pitcher Ashley Forsyth had been in control all game, but a two-out error extended the sixth inning, and helped the Caseys get the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position at second and third. That allowed Erica Benn's single to right to plate both runners leading to an RBC 2-1 win.

The cruel defeat did not linger with the Colonials, however, as they were back at it at home in the state sectional quarterfinals the next day, and showing no signs of a hangover.

Forsyth, who struck out 10 at RBC, said she preferred playing right away following a difficult loss.

"You don't have time to think about it," she noted.

Hopewell Valley, which had eliminated Colts Neck 5-0 in the first round, was unable to get anything going against Forsyth, who struck out 12, walked none and allowed just four hits. The Colonials played errorless ball behind her.

Freehold Borough broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. Alyssa Mayrose reached first on a bunt single and stole second base. She came around to score on Julia Brown's clutch single.

The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when the Colonial bats suddenly awakened.

Mayrose started it with her second hit of the day, followed by a Forsyth single. Brown drove home her second run of the day with another hit, and Kristi Lynch finished off the two-run inning with an RBI single.

"It was good to see us score some runs," said coach Jerry Acevedo. "We've been getting our chances, but we haven't been getting the big hit."

Staked to a 3-0 lead, Forsyth safely steered the Colonials home to the 3-0 win. Her 12 strikeouts moved her to within 19 of tying the state record of 1,263 held by Rancocas Valley's Lisa Sweeney. Forsyth is 17-5.

Mayrose scored twice and Lynch and Brown were both 2-3.

The Colonials improved to 19-5 on the season.

Freehold Borough and Ocean played in the county tournament, with the Colonials getting the win.

Wall is the top seed in the state sectional and if they win their semifinal on Tuesday, the Knights will host today's final. Freehold and Wall split their two regular season games in the B North Division.

If the Colonials win and Wall were to be upset, Freehold Borough would get to host the sectional championship game.

Manalapan wasn't as fortunate as Freehold Borough in its state's sectional game. The Braves lost to South Brunswick Thursday, 2-1, victims of a bottom of the seventh rally.

During the week, though, the Braves did move on in the SCT, beating Matawan, which had upset the top-seeded Toms River North Mariners, 6-1, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

April Daluise's two-run home run in the fourth inning gave the Braves the lead for good, 2-1. They added a third run in the inning when pitcher Ashley Rampino scored on Jill Kwiatowski's single.

The floodgates opened in the fifth when the Braves pushed three more runs across the plate.

Daluise now has five round-trippers on the season.

Rampino tossed a three-hitter, striking out 11 and walking no one as she improved her record to 10-3 and the team's to 17-5.

Manalapan, which also made the Monmouth County semifinals, met St. John Vianney in Saturday's semifinal in Wall Township, where they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker.

Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Braves saw the two-time defending champion Lancers score twice to win the game, and end their season

at 17-7.