Game of the Week: Fort Lee Defeats Lodi in Lopsided Win, 10-0

The Lodi and Fort Lee softball teams took to the field in less than ideal conditions for their game on Saturday.  

With a major rainstorm approaching and temperatures hovering in the low 40s, a majority of the student athletes bundled up in hoodies and sweatpants.

But as it turned out they wouldn't have to play a full game, as the Lady Bridgemen shut out Lodi 10-0 in just five innings on Saturday.

“The weather was pretty bad,” said senior Brianna Mattessich. “You can’t base it on the weather. You just have to go out there, play and be mentally prepared.”

After the Lady Bridgemen and Rams played to a scoreless tie through the first inning and a half, Fort Lee came to the plate in the bottom of the second looking to take the lead.

The home team took advantage of a dropped pop-up to start a rally. That was followed by a walk and a bunt single from junior first baseman Anthe Nikolaidis.  With the bases loaded, sophomore Renee Mattesich drove in a pair of runs on a single to right field, and Fort Lee surged ahead 2-0.

“Renee had a great two RBIs in the beginning to get us started,” her unrelated teammate Brianna Mattessich said. “It really helped us.”

Fort Lee would add another four runs the next inning as Lodi fell further behind 6-0. The Lady Bridgemen batted around in as the team received an RBI double from pitcher Amanda Maldonado as well as a bases loaded walk from junior catcher Megan Gimson.

Together, Maldonado and Gimson also held the Lady Rams from scoring throughout the game. The battery mates never allowed more than one base runner per inning as their fellow teammates played errorless defense.

“Every girl did contribute,” said Fort Lee head coach Bob Aughey. “Offense is hit or miss but pitching and defense keeps you in games and that is key to any team…hitting was a nice plus for us today.”

Fort Lee finished the game in the fifth inning by tallying the last four runs without getting a hit. The Lady Bridgemen utilized a quartet of walks as all runners scored on wild pitches for the 10-0 victory.

“We were impressive with our pitching, our defense, and our timely hitting,” coach Aughey said of his team.  

Every starter in the lineup except one reached base during the game for Fort Lee, and Amanda Maldonado also struck out eight Lodi players in the win.

“She pitched great,” Brianna Mattessich said. “It was one of her best games.”

Fort Lee is now 6-2-1 this season with another set of games coming up this week. The Lady Bridgemen will host Lakeland on Monday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. before traveling to play Mahwah at the same time on Wednesday. Fort Lee concludes the week with a Thursday afternoon game at McNair-Academic.

All games will be played weather permitting. Check back throughout the week to see which games are played and which ones may be postponed.