Hurls Complete Game 2-Hitter, Drives in Winning Run
By Mike Ready
MIDDLETOWN – Junior Tiffani Lambert went the distance and drove in the winning run as fifth-seeded Middletown South defeated No.8 seeded Ocean Township 2-1 in Tuesday’s NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III softball semifinal at Middletown South.
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The hard-throwing righty didn’t give up an earned run or walk a batter, while striking out six and allowing only two hits in leading the Eagles (18-8) to their fourth sectional final in five years.
It was beginning to look as though it was not the Eagles day. They left runners in scoring position in every inning but the sixth, including the fourth, when Ocean centerfielder Kelli Shapiro made a sensational shoe-string catch on a sinking line drive to rob Nicolette Curran of a two-run extra base hit.
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However, Lambert (7-4) kept it a one-run game setting down the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings, working around a meaningless two-out error in the sixth and stranding a runner at second after giving up a one-out double in the seventh.
“We didn’t want to go home,” Lambert said. “We made it this far and worked so hard to get here. We’re fighters and we knew we could do it, we had to do it.”
Curran led off the bottom of the seventh with a ground single up the middle before junior Phoenix Starick laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit, putting runners at first and second with no outs.
Senior Grace Heller bunted in an attempt to move both runners into scoring position and the throw to first was in the dirt allowing Curran to score and tie the game on a close play at the plate. With runners now at second and third, Ocean elected to intentionally walk sophomore Julia Blarr to load the bases with Lambert coming to bat.
With the outfield drawn in for a potential play at the plate, Lambert worked the count full before drilling a ball into the right-center gap over the heads of right fielder Kaitlyn Pascua and Shapiro in center to end the game in dramatic fashion.
“I knew we would come back,” Lambert said. “We were hitting the ball well but just not getting the big hit. But I had confidence our team could do this and we got the big hit when we needed it. My team played amazing defense behind me, I’m just really proud of them.”
“This game’s wonderful for Tiffani,” Eagle coach Tom Erbig said. “She’s had some tough breaks along the line pitching, with us not playing behind her all the time. She was fantastic today and has been important to this team all season. We need her bat in the lineup as well as her arm.”
Hannah Milano, Veronica Zega and Blarr each went 2-for-3 while Lambert finished 2-for-4 as the Eagles banged out 11 hits in the win.
South now has a chance to win their third NJSIAA sectional title in five years – 2010-11 being the last two – when they face No.3 seeded Ewing for the sectional title, Friday in Ewing.
Ewing (21-4) is led by Sam McQueen (.494, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 14 2B), Nicole Rinaldi (.532, 4 HR, 5 3B, 28 RBI) and Sara Bearden (.394, 2 HR, 26 RBI) at the plate, and Killian Kueny (10-4, 63 K’s in 72 IP) and Bearden (6-0, 48 K’s in 49.1 IP) on the mound.
Ewing’s last sectional final appearance was in 1996 when it was defeated by Ocean Township.
“In the fifth inning I told them they have nine outs to left,” Erbig said. “I didn’t say anything to them in the seventh; I let them talk between themselves. They knew how many outs they had left and my assistant, Lisa Smith, got them fired up.”
“We’re playing really solid ball right now,” Erbig added. “We’re playing the way I expected us to be playing all year long. We’re more consistent and we’re getting the hits we weren't getting before; our offense has really come around. We’ve had good pitching all season and I’m lucky to have two fantastic pitchers in Tiffani and Maddie (McMahon). ”
