Another Dominating Win for HHS Softball

Coming off a 13-0 route over Marist High School in Saturday's Hudson County Tournament, the Redwings bats remained hot as they crushed Ferris High 15-5. The Redwings needed just one inning to secure the win Monday afternoon. 

Coach Carmine Ronga could be overheard saying games like don't do much for the team.

"We are committed to playing our conference first, and this is a conference game," he said, "so we fulfill our commitment. We start our starters and then we try to sub as liberal and as fast as possible. It's something that you have to do."

He says it is not a bad thing, just part of the game. 

"It's all positive, this way everybody gets to get some game experience," he said. "It's just that sometimes it's misleading, a win like this. Tomorrow we play North Bergen, who's probably the best team in Hudson County, so it really doesn't get you ready pitching-wise when you face a pitcher not as fast or as accurate as the kid we're going to face tomorrow."

Regardless, a win's a win. And on Monday, the 15-2 Redwings showed their strength at the plate.

The bottom of the Hoboken order broke the game open with two down in the bottom of the first. Catcher Ashley Barron notched the first RBI, on a sacrifice fly. With Amanda Spano on second, Yaritza Santiago reached on an RBI double. Santiago was next to score, as she stole home on ball four to Samantha Maldonado. The inning appeared to be over as Desiree Rivera hit a short pop-up between the pitcher and first baseman, but no one made the play. Maldonado scored on the miscue.

Number nine batter Madelyn Rodriguez runners at the corners, but quickly cleared the bases with a three-run shot to left-center. After Jayla Vega walked, Renee Zabaleta added another home-run. Her two-run blast gave Hoboken a 9-0 advantage.

The Redwings added three in the second on a 2-run triple from Rivera to deep left center, driving in Moldonado and Martinez. Rivera came in to score on a throwing error at third to make it 12-0 Hoboken.

The Redwings added another in the third. Barron reached on a double, before Moldonado tripled her home.

Ferris broke the shut-out in the top of the fourth, scoring on two walks and errors at second and in left. 

Leading 13-2, Hoboken added two more in the fourth on a Barron RBI single and a Moldonado RBI walk. 

The game ended after five, with Ferris scoring three more in the top of the inning on two errors. All five runs were unearned. 

The top hitters were Barron (3-4; 2 RBI), Moldonado (2-2; 2 RBI), Rivera (2-3; 2 RBI), and Rodriguez (1-2; 3 RBI).

Starting pitcher Vega takes the win, striking out six, walking two and allowing four hits over five innings. She improves to 7-1 on the season. 

Hoboken takes on county rival North Bergen tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. North Bergen won when the two teams met earlier this season in North Bergen.