Ventura Throws Perfect Game, Homers as St. John Vianney Captures MCT Title

Photo’s above: Star pitcher Ashley Ventura on the mound Saturday, team celebrates with trophy.

WALL TOWNSHIP – Senior right-hander Ashley Ventura threw a perfect game and also homered to break a scoreless tie leading off the fourth inning as St. John Vianney got by Matawan 2-0 in the Monmouth County Tournament softball final Saturday at Wall Township High School.

Ventura, the 2014 Shore Conference Player of the Year, struck out five in her third perfect game this year to pick up her 22nd win of the season without a loss.

St. John Vianney second baseman Erica Krumbine’s diving stop and throw to nail Jessica Veary at first base in the bottom of the fourth and Shannon Sansone’s line drive right at Krumbine in the sixth were Matawan’s best chances at a hit all game.

“I didn’t know I had it (perfect game),” Ventura said. “I don’t think about that when I’m pitching, I just go batter-by-batter. It’s the greatest feeling in the world, I’m very blessed to have a great team and coaching staff behind me and it was awesome.”

“She hits her locations, pitches the pitches I ask her to pitch and she’s only missed her spot once or twice all year,” said Lancer head coach Kim Lombardi. “She has a little virus and was sick before the game but she said ‘I’m pitching, I don’t care if I’m throwing up between every inning.’”

With the score still tied at 0-0 entering the top of the fourth, the St. Joseph University bound Ventura led off the inning and jumped all over Matawan pitcher Erin Powers first pitch driving it to deep left field easily clearing the eight-foot high fence in left for the only run she would need. It was her team-leading ninth home run of the season and 44th RBI – second on the team.

“She (Powers) was throwing a lot inside so I was looking,” Ventura said of her home run. “If I saw a first pitch that I liked I was going to take a crack at it.”

“Yesterday, she had a memorial for her father who was a fallen police officer when she was four, so I’m sure there was a lot on her mind,” Lombardi added. “But I thought she came out here today and did awesome.”

For the No.1 seed Lancers (22-0) it was their sixth-straight Monmouth County Tournament title and ninth MCT championship since 2002. They outscored their four opponents in the tournament 35-0 including three five-inning mercy-rule games prior to Saturday’s win. As of Saturday, the Lancers are ranked No.2 in the state and No.1 in the Shore Conference.

Senior centerfielder Jess Carlucci went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the top of the sixth to give Ventura an insurance run to work with but they allowed Powers to wiggle out of a base loaded no-out jam.

Krumbine and Ventura had reached on errors and advanced a base on a pass ball before Carlucci’s hit up the middle drove in Krumbine. Powers then hit Helena Coppola with a pitch to load the bases with no outs, but Powers got Demi Rivera to fly out to center with the runner getting doubled up at home trying to tag and Megan Masi flied out to end the inning.

Powers pitched valiantly - if not magnificently - for the No.2 seeded Huskies (17-6) holding the powerful Lancer lineup to only one earned run on five hits in seven innings of work, while striking out two without a walk.

“She did a great job,” Lombardi said of Powers pitching performance. “They definitely thought they were going to come out and win and this time of year you have to believe; I hand it to them. All around it was a really good softball game.”

Masi led off the fifth with a double down the right-field line but was thrown out at third by Powers on a hit-and-run to the pitcher before consecutive ground outs ended the inning.

In the seventh, freshman right fielder Lindsey Baron lined a one-out single to centerfield but two fly balls followed leaving her stranded.

The Lancers have already wrapped up the Class A Central with a perfect 12-0 record and are the No.1 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament. They’ll play the winner of the No. 16 Ocean Township vs. No. 17 Howell game after receiving a first-round bye.

They were also awarded the No.1 seed and bye in the NJIAA Non-Public South A bracket and will play the winner of the No. 9 Bishop Eustace vs. No. 8 Immaculata game.

“I don’t think there was ever a doubt in our mind we were going to win today,” Lambardi said. “I don’t think my kids panic, one thing we do well is stay composed. It was a closer game than most games we’ve played this season, but you want to play those games to see what your team is going to do under some pressure and I thought they did well and we’ll get better from it.”

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