Feorenzo Pitches Gem, Spartan Softball Team Wins

OLD TAPPAN- After suffering a setback on Saturday, the Paramus High School softball team got back on track by defeating Old Tappan 6-0 on a gorgeous Monday afternoon.

The Spartans (5-1) threatened early but did not get on the board until the fifth inning. Stephanie Huang (2-for-5, SB, run) led off with a double. Second baseman Shayna Brock (3-for-3, walk, run) hit her third single and Huang came around to score on a throwing error by the Golden Knight's left fielder Alexa Pensabene. Brock would advance to second. Shortstop Kristina Meier (1-for-3, SB, run) walked to give Paramus runners on first and second. Victoria Vergona (1-for-4) and Taylor Boffalo (2-for-4) each hit back-to-back RBI singles.

Paramus tacked on three more runs in the final stanza. The Spartans hit three straight singles by Boffalo, Alissa Miranda (2-for-4, run), and Tori Feorenzo (1-for 4, RBI). Lauren Feorenzo, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, grounded out to short, scoring Miranda. Lauren Holden (2-for-4) followed up with an RBI base hit.

"I told the kids early on that we were squandering our opportunities," Paramus head coach Brian Hay said. "We weren’t taking a good approach. Then in the fifth inning the kids started doing what we talked about, driving the ball to right center field. We came through with some clutch base hits."

Tori Feorenzo pitched a four-hit shutout (all singles), and struck out seven (four looking). She held talented catcher Allison Brown hitless, as the Golden Knight was also a strikeout victim.

"All my pitches were on today," the staff ace said. "I went inside a lot on the lefty batters, which kept them off balance. My curveball was breaking well today, too."

"Tori so far this year showed why she should be an all-county pitcher," her coach said. "She kept us in the ball game."

Feorenzo added that the team played solid defense behind her, highlighted by Meier's diving catch in the outfield to rob Pensabene of a base hit in the fifth.

"We got the hits we needed and it all clicked after that," Feorenzo said.

Hay said to his team before the game that they had two choices: "come out hungry and get back on track or you can feel sorry for yourselves and worry about Saturday", referring to the Spartan's first loss of the season 3-2 to Nutley.

Hay stressed that the team is a taking a game-by-game approach to the season.

"Win or lose its one game at a time," said Hay, who is in his ninth year at the helm. "We want to win at the end [in the county and state tournaments]. That’s when it’s important."