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The calendar read June, and the hot and sunny weather made it feel like summer vacation. But the Montville High School softball team wasn’t going to close the book on its best season without a banner and a place in school sports history.
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The Mustangs rallied from behind in the final two innings to beat Pequannock 5-2 to claim the Northern Hills Conference Suburban Division title. It’s Montville’s first conference softball crown in 23 years.
The Panthers held a 2-0 lead after RBI singles by Jamie O’Rourke and Kristin Brain in the second inning. With ace pitcher Meg Brain on the hill, Pequannock looked to be in good shape, but the Mustangs wouldn’t give up.
Montville started to get better swings, and cut the lead in half in the fourth on Alison Patierno’s run-scoring single. “I liked the way my kids responded being down 2-0 to a good pitcher,” said Mustangs coach John Immediato.
With the heart of their order up in the sixth, the Mustangs capitalized with a big rally. Amanda Meytrott’s double put two aboard, and freshman Patierno came through again, delivering a two-run single to put Montville ahead. Lexi Haugh added an RBI hit to make it a 4-2 game.
“In that 6th inning, I asked them for a little extra,” said Immediato. “You gotta dig deep to win a conference championship.”
Pitcher Noelle Sisco managed to keep her team ahead the rest of the way, stranding two runners in the bottom of the sixth. Sisco allowed nine hits but shut down Pequannock after the early trouble.
“In the first few innings my pitches weren’t working as well as I wanted,” she said. “I started to warm up more and more, and we got used to the field and started to make the plays.” The Montville defense helped Sisco tremendously, cutting down two potential runs on plays at the plate.
Immediato had high praise for his senior hurler. “She was spectacular after giving up those two early runs,” he said.
The game’s final run crossed the plate on an overthrow in the top of the seventh.
It was the second straight game that Pequannock saw a late lead get away. The Panthers fell 3-1 to Kittatinny in the state sectional softball semifinals after leading 1-0 through five innings. Pequannock ends the year at 23-5.
Montville finishes with its best-ever record at 28-4. The Mustangs lost a tough sectional final game to Mount Olive in the New Jersey state tournament the previous Thursday, and had to rebound in order to clinch the league title.
“It’s kind of weird because the season usually ends after the state game,” Immediato said. “We kept saying we’re having a great season but what are we going to show for it? Now they’re champions and no one can take that away from them.”
Sisco added, “It’s a great feeling, it’s very surreal. This is my last high school game so it’s great to end on this win." -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now
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