Lady Mounties Look for Trip to Sectional Finals

There are a couple of Montclair-area teams still alive in the spring sports finals this week.

The Montclair softball team not only knocked off the top-seeded North Bergen, but also received a home game on Tuesday against 12th-seeded Roxbury at 4 p.m. A Mounties win and they will be taking on the winner of third-seeded Ridgewood-versus-second-seeded-Morris Knolls game on Friday. Montclair received the home game after stunning North Bergen 3-1.

Montclair Kimberley baseball (16-12) was still alive in the state playoffs and will travel to second-seeded Gill St. Bernard's on Tuesday in the Non-Public North B quarterfinals. An upset over Gill St. Bernard’s would send the Cougars to the winner of third-seeded Morristown-Bears-11th-seeded Newark Academy on Friday in the semi-finals. Seventh-seeded MKA defeated 10th-seeded Hudson Catholic, 3-1, on Friday in the first round.

And the second-seeded Montclair Kimberley boys lacrosse team will look to win the Non-Public B title when they take on top-seeded Immaculata on Wednesday at Watchung Hills. The Cougars defeated sixth-seeded Newark Academy, 5-4, in the semi-finals on Saturday in Montclair.

Softball

It was a combination of pitcher Tori Sneden and outfielder Sara Haefeli that propelled Montclair by top-seeded North Bergen on Thursday.

Sneden kept the Bruins off the scoreboard after giving up one run in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one.

And then in the top of the fifth inning, Haefeli smacked a pitch for a two-run home run to give the Lady Mounties a 3-1 lead. Sneden would finish off North Bergen the last couple of innings to preserve the upset.

Haefeli would go 3-for-4 for the game and Sneden would fire a three-hitter while striking out seven for Montclair.

It was definitely a different game in the first round of the state section as Montclair pulled off its first upset as they ousted Clifton, 13-6, in Clifton on May 24.

The Lady Mounties got off on the right foot with five runs in the top of the first inning. Haefeli was 3-for-4 in the game with three runs scored and two RBI while Deja Davis and Amy Bianco hit a home run each for Montclair. Sneden helped her own cause with the bat, 2-for-4 and two RBI. Fabiana Citro and Laura Haefeli added two RBI each.

Baseball

MKA pitcher Mike Sasso continues to dominant the opponents as he fired a two-hitter in the victory over Hudson Catholic.

Sasso also used his bat to help his own cause with a two RBI triple in the sixth inning to power the Cougars by Hudson Catholic.

On the mound Sasso also struck out eight while walking one. MKA's Max Herrman went 2-for-2 while scoring a run in the victory.

Montclair's trek in the state tournament ended in the Group 4 North 1 quarterfinals, a 2-0 decision at Morris Knolls on Friday.

The 10th-seeded Mounties could not rally an attack against Morris Knolls pitcher Jackson Baird who allowed only five Montclair hits. The Mounties dropped to 16-10 on the season.

In the first round Montclair upset seventh-seeded Memorial in Hudson County, 8-3, on May 23. Brett Cooper and Evan Janifer had a pair of RBI for the Mounties. Montclair sophomore pitcher Sam Ackerman allowed only two runs in five innings to collect the victory.

Montclair Kimberley (16-12) was still alive in the state playoffs and will take on second-seeded Gill St. Bernard's on Tuesday in the Non-Public North B quarterfinals.

In the battle of the Montclairs, the Mounties overpowered Montclair Kimberley 13-10 in eighth innings to win the Yogi Berra Cup at Yogi Berra Stadium at Montclair State University.

Montclair scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

After MKA notched a run into the top of the eighth, Montclair scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Travers Nammack was 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored along with a triple. Max Herrman was 2-for-5 with three runs scored. John Beck was 3-for-4 for two RBI and a double for MKA.
   
Boys lacrosse

The combination of Alex Morse and Kyle Morris were just what Montclair Kimberley (16-1) was looking for in the fourth quarter against Newark Academy in the Non-Public B semi-final on Saturday.

Morse feed Morris who fired a shot by Minutemen goalie Jack Bloom with a little more than six minutes left in the game to give the Cougars a 5-4 lead.

As it turned out that would be the difference in the low-scoring contest as Montclair Kimberley goalie Craig Schweitzer and the defense shut down Newark Academy.

Jack Strain led the Cougars with two goals while MKA received goals from Matt Lane, Morse, Mark Phillips, and Maurice Walsh.

Both teams battled back and forth throughout the game that was tied at halftime at three.

The combination of a potent offense and the goal keeping of Schweitzer was too much for Gloucester Catholic in the quarterfinals of Non-Public B on Wednesday in Montclair.

Montclair Kimberley pulled away in the 15-2 victory with the help of the scoring from Strain, Lane, and Phillips who had three goals each. Both Lane and Phillips added three assists each. Schweitzer made 16 saves to stymie Gloucester Catholic.

Boys tennis

In a battle of Montclair the Mounties defeated Montclair Kimberley, 3-2, on May 24 as Montclair (11-13) swept the Cougars (10-9) this season.

The match came down to an intense battle at third singles that had to go to a tiebreaker.

Mounties David Ellman just outlasted MKA's Brandon Kwan, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (9-7) in the third singles.

The only other match that went three sets came in second singles as Montclair Kimberley's Matt Dumoff who defeated Montclair's Gran Zaccareo, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Montclair's Jackson Claudio defeated MKA's Shaunak Champaneria, 6-0, 6-3 to win the first singles.

It was a split in the doubles with Montclair Kimberley's Jason Kwan and Conor Breen defeat Montclair's pair of Jake Garfinkle and Matt Ratliff 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles. And Montclair's duo of Alex Goulet and Ben Selesnick returned the favor by winning the second doubles.