McMahon, Sullivan Lead Middletown South into CJGIII final

Photo above: Maddie McMahon winds up and let’s one fly

MIDDLETOWN – Junior Maddie McMahon went the distance picking up her 14th win of the season and junior left fielder Ciara Sullivan had a 3-for-3 day at the plate including two doubles, a run scored and three runs batted in leading the No.1 seeded Eagles to a 8-2 victory over fourth-seeded Wall Township Tuesday in Middletown for a trip to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III final.

“It was a nice win for us,” long-time Eagles head coach Tom Erbig said. “It’s always tough to beat a team twice, especially a team like Wall. We’re just trying to take one game at a time knowing where we want to get to. It’s cliché, but that’s basically what we talk about.”

The hard throwing right-hander allowed one earned run on five hits, struck out six and walked only one batter in seven innings of work. After giving up a bunt single to Jackie Howarth to lead off the game, McMahon retired 16 of the next 17 batters she faced, including setting the side down in order in the second and third innings when she struck out four of six hitters.

“Maddie’s been big for us this year,” Erbig said. “But basically so has everyone. Everybody’s done their job out here, it’s just the route we’re going right now and it’s working; don’t wake a sleeping dog.”

Howarth scored on a wild pitch after being sacrificed to second base, moving to third on a tapper to the mound and racing home on a 5-3 ground out by junior shortstop Casey DeSarno for a short-lived 1-0 lead.

McMahon (14-1) was never in any trouble after that until she loaded the bases in the top of the seventh when a hit batsman, a ground single through the 6-5 hole and an infield hit led to an unearned run.

“The seventh inning is always seems to be interesting for me,” McMahon said. “I just had to push through. My defense backed me up again; they’ve been great to me every game.”

With the Eagles ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the third, Sullivan lined a two-out, two-run RBI double plating McMahon, who walked and junior third baseman Julia Blarr, who had lined a single into right field to put runners on first and second. Senior pitcher/first baseman Tiffani Lambert’s sacrifice bunt then moved both runners up for Sullivan to bring home for a 5-1 lead.

Blarr finished with two singles in three at bats and two runs scored while playing flawlessly at the hot corner.

In the fifth inning, Blarr lined a one-out single off the glove of DeSarno and stole second base before scoring on a Lambert base hit. After a Alex Corrigan fly out for the second out, Sullivan lined a RBI double off the wall in centerfield but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

The win moves the Eagles into the sectional final for the second year in a row after losing a 8-2 decision in last year’s final to third-seeded Ewing as the No.5 seed. They’re shooting for their first sectional title since 2011 when they beat fourth-seeded Wall 7-1 for the title as the No.2 seed.

“We’re hitting the ball as well as we did back then.” Erbig said referring to his 2011 team. “We’re putting some pressure on people, making the defensive plays and running the bases well; one run can make a big difference. We’re really working it.”

“Last year’s loss has definitely been a driving force for us,” McMahon said. “We’re better, we’re a year older, stronger and more mature. “We want to win it for our seniors, they’ve helped us out all year and we’re doing it for them.”

Both Wall and Middletown South play quarterfinal games today in the Shore Conference Tournament with the third-seeded Eagles hosting No.11 seed Raritan and fifth-seed Wall traveling to fourth-seeded Donovan Catholic.

Junior catcher Ally Massa went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, Lambert had an RBI, run scored and a sacrifice bunt and junior Hannah Wisialko chipped in with a two-bagger for the Eagles (23-4).

Howarth was 2-for-4 with a run scored and took the loss on the mound for Wall (17-8).

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