LIVINGSTON - After a heart-breaking loss to Mt. St. Dominic less than twenty four hours prior, the Lancers' girls softball team headed into Saturday's contest looking to get back on the winning track.
That's what they did, indeed, blanking the Millers 10-0 in the first round of the Essex County Tournament.
Almost instantly, Livingston jumped on the board by scoring a run early in the first inning. Livingston was held to just one run in that inning, as Millburn's Kaitlin Zampino pitched well. The Millers didn't have a chance to score when it first went to bat, as Livingston's Jessica Peslak shut down the opposition's offense.
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In the second inning, Peslak struck out the side in order. In the bottom of the same inning, Livingston's Alex Bell laced a line drive that was caught for an out.
Unfortunately for Millburn, the game started to unravel in the bottom of the fourth inning when Livingston's Carly LaGrotta came up to the plate with the bases loaded and promptly singled and drove in a run. Rebecca Herman followed suite and hit a line drive single to drive in the second Livingston run of the inning.
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After getting Amy Zhou to fly-out, it appeared that Millburn's Zampino had escaped the inning with minimal damage. But then Livingston's first baseman, Melissa Pence, crushed a three-run double to break the game wide open and put Livingston up by a score of 6-0.
In the fifth inning, Millburn stranded a runner on first base and then Livingston had the bases loaded in the bottom portion of the inning.
Zampino, who clearly was tiring out on the mound, fell behind in the count and issued a one out walk to Livingston's LaGrotta to force home a run.
RBI singles by both Kaitlyn Reilly and Rebecca Herman extended Livingston's lead to 9-0.
The Lancers scored their tenth run on a wild pitch that went behind the catcher. As a result, the mercy rule was enacted and Livingston was awarded the victory despite not playing all seven innings.
The win brings Livingston's overall record to 7-8. On Monday afternoon, the Lancers will look to get back to .500 when they take on West Essex on the road.
