UC Softball Splits Games in Inaugural Viking Classic

The softball team hosted its first Viking Classic on Saturday. Four games were played on two fields.

THE SCORES: In the early morning games, Union Catholic held off Roselle Catholic 4-2 on the varsity field, while Dunellen downed Piscataway 3-1. In the late morning contests, Union Catholic was defeated by Dunellen 7-4, while Piscataway defeated Roselle Catholic 6-0.

UNION CATHOLIC’S RECORD: The Vikings are now 6-5.

UNION CATHOLIC’S WIN OVER ROSELLE CATHOLIC: There was plenty of seventh-inning drama in the first meeting of the year between these parochial schools. After a couple of hits, Roselle Catholic loaded the bases with two outs. With the go-ahead run at first base, the next batter hit a ground ball to third. Kelly Schulhafer’s throw to first baseman Ashley Straile just beat the runner to end the game in favor of Union Catholic 4-2. Sophomore left fielder Casey Hauck produced the game-winning hit, driving in a run with a single in the fourth inning to put Union Catholic ahead for good at 3-2. The Vikings added an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI-groundout by Loren Franco. Winning pitcher Colleen Dow led off the fifth with a double and was replaced on the base paths by pinch runner Kaitlyn Njoroge, who ended up scoring the game’s final run. 

UNION CATHOLIC’S SETBACK TO DUNELLEN: The Destroyers of Middlesex County scored four runs in the top of the first to take the lead for good. The first three batters all reached base and scored, with four hits being produced in the inning. Dunellen added three more runs in the third for a 7-0 advantage. Union Catholic scored all four of its runs in the fourth, the first one driven in by junior center fielder Katie Bree. Hauck then delivered a bases-clearing triple for three RBI and a 7-4 score, which is how the game remained the rest of the way.

THE QUOTES: “I’m not disappointed,” Union Catholic head coach Ed Ryan said of the team’s 6-5 record. “We’re not getting blown out.” 

Union Catholic has losses by one run, two runs, two by three runs and one by four runs. 

“We’ve not gotten timely hits in certain games,” Ryan said. “We had one breakout game against Rahway [a 13-3 win at Rahway Wednesday]. We still have time.”

SCOTCH PLAINS RESIDENTS DOW, FRANCO EXCEL: Dow is now 5-5 heading into the month of May. 

“She’s pitched well,” Ryan said. “Walks have hurt her at times, followed by hits right after. All of our games have been close, though, so she’s doing a good job.”

Franco is now at shortstop after playing in the outfield last year and the beginning of this year. She had Union Catholic’s first hit against Dunellen. 

“Loren has been our most consistent hitter so far,” Ryan said. “She has a hit in almost every game. After she changed her stance two and a half weeks ago she’s been hitting the ball real well. At shortstop she fields the ball pretty well and has a good arm.”

Sophomore Amanda Szyszkiewicz is 1-0 on the mound.

THE FIRST VIKING CLASSIC: “We had competitive games and the parents seemed to like it,” Ryan said. “This was a trial year. If it’s possible, maybe we can go two days and have eight teams next year, maybe a Saturday and Sunday. Or we can keep it the same way.”