Kernan Leads No.2 Middletown North Softball Over No.8 Marlboro

Photo above: Kernan on the mound in Monday's game vs Marlboro

MIDDLETOWN – University of Rhode Island commit Riley Kernan collected her 10th win and clubbed her first home run of the season - a two-run shot in the second inning - as Middletown North picked up a key Class A North win, 8-4, over Marlboro Monday in Middletown.

Kernan helped the Lions – ranked No.2 in the latest NJ.com top 20 poll - rebound from their only loss of the season in Sunday’s final of the Rancocas Valley Elite Tournament. Their 7-5 loss to Vineland in the final was their fourth game in two day’s including a 7-3 win over No.3 Washington Township in the semifinals.

“This was definitely a very nice bounce-back win for us,” Kernan said. “Yesterday when we lost that game a lot of the girls were down. I told everyone before today’s game that we can beat this team and it will be a good win because they’re a really good team in our division. I knew it was going to be a tough game coming into it and I was going to have to work really hard to get the win. Everyone knew coming in we would have to play the way we’re capable of playing.”

Kernan tossed a complete game allowing four runs (three earned) and five hits while striking out six and walking four in a workman-like effort.

After Marlboro (6-2, 4-2) scored an unearned run in the top of the first, Middletown North (10-1, 6-0) scored a run of their own to tie the game on a Kernan bases-loaded RBI sacrifice fly. The Lions were aided by a controversial illegal pitch - the first of five called by the umpire – on Mustangs starter Kaleigh Oplinger.

With one out, No.2 batter Liz Dorsa struck out on a one and two count but Oplinger was called for a “crow hop” delivery and the pitch was instead called a ball giving Dorsa new life at the plate. Oplinger then walked Dorsa and was visibly shaken hitting the next batter before another walk loaded the bases for Kernan.

Marlboro took advantage of some wildness by Kernan and a sun-aided two-run single to jump out to a 3-1 lead in the top of the second. Kernan walked the bases loaded with two outs before No.3 hitter Macie Ditillo lofted a fly ball into short right field that dropped in for a single scoring two runs after Kayla Gallo lost the ball in the sun for what should’ve been the third out.

The Lions bottom of the batting order got things rolling during a six-run second-inning explosion as Adriana Cerbo lead off with a double followed by a bloop single down the third-base line by Ryan Rasmussen and an RBI single through the five – six hole by Payleigh Behan that drove in Cerbo.

Manhattan College-bound senior Christine Gebhardt then brought Rasmussen home with a line-drive double down the first-base line before Florida International University commit Kayla Gallo drilled a two-run double into right field. Kernan then capped off the inning with a two-run shot that easily cleared the fence in left field handing the Lions a 7-3 lead.

“Getting those six runs was huge,” Kernan said. “As a pitcher it’s easier for me to pitch when we get those runs on our side of the scoreboard. It also helps knowing I have the girls behind me that can crush the ball whenever they really need too.”

“We’re lucky to have a player as dynamic as Riley; she does it from both sides,” Middletown North head coach Marc Rosner said. “She was seeing the ball really well today and obviously throwing the ball she did a great job. She’s just a great all-around player and we’re really lucky to have her.”

Sophomore Gabby Cerbo ripped an RBI double into the right-center field gap in the bottom of the fifth for the Lions final run driving in pinch runner Alyssa Aurin running for Rasmussen who had walked.

The Lions banged out nine hits, including four doubles with Gallo going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored while Kernan finished 1-for-3 with a HR and three RBI and was robbed of two possible hits after scorching the ball twice for what looked like hits. Gebhardt and Gabby Cerbo each had RBI doubles and Adriana Cerbo went 1-for-2 with a double and run scored while Dorsa was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and Behan 1-for-3 with an RBI.

In the top of the fifth after Marlboro’s Alex DiGrande led off with a single and Kernan struck out Jessica Zwerin, Gallo made a spectacular diving catch in right field on a sinking line-drive and doubled up DiGrande at first to get out of the inning.

“We had a long weekend and we put the loss behind us,” Rosner said. “We knew today we were going to be put to the test by a solid Marlboro team because they’re a solid team all-around. We know it’s going to be a dog-fight, we respect every team, not only in our division and we can’t afford to take anyone lightly because we know we’re going to get everyone’s best and we respect that.

“But I feel like our lineup is great from one through nine and we have girls that can come off the bench and contribute. We love what we have up-and-down the lineup, we feel like we can score a lot of runs and put a lot of pressure on teams and we feel like we have a pitcher that can close the door on teams with a great defense behind her.”

Follow @getmready