Kernan, Gebhardt Carry Middletown North over Middletown South

Photo's above: Gebhardt at the plate and Kernan on the mound in Thursday's big win over Middletown South

MIDDLETOWN – After Middletown South ace Maddie McMahon walked leadoff batter Milena Wilton and No.2 hitter Liz Dorsa in the top of the first inning, Manhattan College-bound first baseman Christine Gebhardt came up to the plate looking for something to drive.

She found what she was looking for crushing a high McMahon fastball over the right-field wall for an early 3-0 lead over cross-town rival Middletown South. The Lions then went on to a 8-1 win for a two-game regular-season sweep of the Eagles and a seemingly insurmountable two-game lead in the Shore Conference Class A North division race.

“I look for something to drive all the time,” Gebhardt said. “I always chase the high pitch and I got a hold of that one and got it to go out. We all get energized when we go up against South, and it felt good to come out and score quick like that. It really got us going for the rest of the game.”

“That was huge for us,” Middletown North head coach Marc Rosner said of Gebhardt’s blast. “We have a very good lineup up-and-down but we know that South is always very solid defensively, they’re going to do enough to score and Maddie is a great pitcher for them. So we know that scoring off her and getting to her early is key, so Christine’s home run was great and the girls did a great job getting in front of her; we had great at bats all day up-and-down.”

Gebhardt’s three-run shot afforded University of Rhode Island commit Riley Kernan a three-run cushion when she took the mound in the top of the first and the senior righty looked relaxed and confident throughout the game. She tossed a complete-game four-hitter allowing one run on four hits, while giving up three walks and striking out seven Eagle batters for her 13th win of the season.

“I knew I had to come into this game loose just because I didn’t want the team to get in their heads that it’s South and such a big game,” Kernan said. “I just wanted to take it as if it was just another game and that’s what I did and it was a good outcome. It’s huge (sweeping South) I’m just really happy we got to do that my senior year especially for all the girls on the team; they really deserve it.

“Christine’s home run was phenomenal; it really helped me and the team out a lot. She’s an amazing hitter and I’m just really grateful to have her on the field with me.”

“We're lucky to have a great pitcher like her,” Rosner said. “They have a great pitcher too. When you have two great pitchers on different teams from the same town then both our programs are pretty lucky. Riley was able to settle in with a three-run lead and we able to take it one game, one inning at a time like we’ve been talking about all year, just staying loose and playing together.”

Kernan’s only blemish was a solo home run by Ciara Sullivan, her conference - leading eighth round-tripper of the season, leading off the bottom of the sixth. Besides that, she didn’t allow a Middletown South runner past second base all game thanks in part to some stellar defense behind her.

In the first inning, sophomore third baseman Milena Wilton made short-hop backhanded stab of a liner down the third-base line with Gebhardt making a nice scoop at first on the throw. Then in the sixth, after Eagles shortstop Julia Blarr lined a single to centerfield she was thrown out trying to steal second base on a perfect strike by Lions catcher Ryan Rasmussen.

Wilton then got Kernan out of her only rough inning of the game with another outstanding backhanded stop and strong throw to first after an Ally Massa single had put a runner on first with two outs.

The Lions (14-1, 9-0) tacked on a run in the fifth, three in the sixth and another in the seventh as they won their fifth game in a row since their 7-5 loss to Vineland in the final of the Rancocas Valley Elite Tournament when they were playing their fourth game in two days.

In the fifth, Gabhardt laced a double off the right-field wall and Florida International University commit Kayla Gallo singled before Alyssa Vetrano lined a RBI single off the glove of Massa at first and into right field. Then in the sixth, base hits by Payleigh Behan and Wilton and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Liz Dorsa led to a run before Gallo drove in her team-leading 26th run with a single and Kernan’s picked up a RBI with a single to make it 7-1.

In the seventh, Gebhardt knocked in her fourth run of the game on a grounder that plated Behan who had singled and advanced on an error.

Middletown North is ranked second in the Shore Conference behind undefeated and No.1 St. John Vianney (10-0, 8-0) who is also ranked No.1 in the state by NJ.com with the Lions ranked No.4 in the state. Middletown South (10-3, 8-2) is right behind at No.3 in the conference and sixth in the state.

Chances are that this is not the last time the Lions and Eagles will meet this season with the post-season looming.

Gebhardt finished 2-for-5 with a HR, 2B, 4RBI and two runs scored for the Middletown North which out-hit Middletown South, 11-4. Aside from her stellar performance on the mound, Kernan went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Lions while Gallo was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Behan also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

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