14U Softball Overpowered by North Plainfield

The 14U Summit softball team lost Tuesday, 28-5, at the hands of North Plainfield at Ashland Field.

Summit got itself into a deep hole early by surrendering nine first inning runs to North Plainfield. NP only recorded three hits in the inning, but walks plagued Summit as a seemingly insurmountable lead was built only a few minutes into the game. Left fielder Amy Macdonald stopped the bleeding by making a great jumping catch to close out the top of the first inning.

"I told the girls to keep their heads up after what happened in the first inning," Summit acting head coach John Kovar said. "We just needed to keep trying and needed to focus on hitting the ball."

Summit came to bat in the bottom of the inning and received a leadoff single from Tabatha Hickman. Hickman stole two bases and scored the first run of the game for Summit on an RBI-groundout by Alex Pohl. Hickman finished the game with three hits, three runs scored, three stolen bases, and a run batted in.

"Hickman played an excellent game," Kovar said. "She got things started in multiple innings from the leadoff spot and ran the bases aggressively for us."

The second inning featured more of the same for Summit as North Plainfield plated four more runs to take a 13-1 lead entering the third inning. North Plainfield really broke the game open in the third inning, equaling their first inning total by scoring nine runs and taking a commanding 21-run lead into the bottom of the third.

Colleen Kovar got things going for Summit in the third when she hit a one-out single. Hickman followed with an RBI-triple and Macdonald singled to score Hickman, Summit's third run of the game.

"These girls didn't give up," John Kovar said. "They were still swinging the bats and cheering from the bench. Nobody was keeping their head down."

The best inning for Summit was undoubtedly the fourth, when North Plainfield was held scoreless. Hickman started the inning with a nice snag on a line drive and recorded the second out on a ground out to shortstop. After two North Plainfield hits, pitcher Pohl forced a groundout, ending the inning.

Singles by Miranda Meyers and Jade Torok for Summit allowed for a fourth-team run in the bottom of the fourth, but an inning-ending double play by North Plainfield ended any Summit threat for more runs.

North Plainfield scored six more runs in the top of the fifth inning, and Summit answered with their fifth and final run in the bottom of the fifth. A one-out single by Hickman and RBI-single by Macdonald closed out the scoring for Summit.

"We need to keep working on catching fly balls," John Kovar said. "We also need to cut the ball off better and run the bases more effectively."

Summit's next home game is July 22 at Myrtle Field against Dunellen at 6 p.m. The High School summer team will play Monday at Myrtle Field against Rahway at 6 p.m.