STATE CHAMPS: Lady Braves the Class of Group II

TOMS RIVER—All year softball Coach Joe Leicht said that his team's goal was to be one run better every game. On Saturday, the Braves were one run better than Overbrook, and it earned them the Group II championship.

Locked in a scoreless game in the bottom of the seventh, a leadoff double by Carey Houston and great at-bats by Perri Goldberg and Ashley DeYoung loaded the bases for ace pitcher Katie Enright. The senior went down 0-2 early in the at-bat, but worked the count full before taking a low, inside pitch for ball four. The walk brought home Houston from third to preserve a 1-0 victory.

"It took me awhile to realize, wow we just did this," Enright said.

The win not only got the Braves their first state championship, but the girls' 33-2 record also tied the state record for victories in a season.

"I just knew last year and right through this year that this was going to be the team (to win a state title)," Leicht said.

The game was a pitchers' duel from beginning to end, with both Enright and Overbrook's Jennifer Metzger throwing gems. The only blemish on the scoreboard came in the seventh when the Braves pushed across the only run of the game against Metzger. Enright was absolutely dominant, as she's been all season: striking out eight and retiring 16 straight batters while allowing only three baserunners.

The Rams were held to just one hit, getting it in the very first inning. Unfazed, Enright induced a double play to get out of the inning. The Braves threatened in their half of the first, getting first and second with one out, but Metzger worked out of trouble and escaped without giving up a run.

The Braves threatened again in the fourth, but the Rams' defense came up big to keep Indian Hills off the board. Enright got a walk to lead off the inning, then ceded the basepaths to courtesy runner Meghan Burke. After a Danielle Brogan double moved Burke to third, Burke took off for home on a Danielle Dorsa grounder to third.  Burke was cut down at the plate, keeping the game scoreless.

After Enright worked her fifth consecutive 1-2-3 inning, a leadoff walk by DeYoung then another hit by Brogan got the Braves in scoring position. But once again, Metzger got out of the inning unharmed.

The Rams got their first scoring chance in the seventh, getting a runner in scoring position for the first time all game. That didn't matter to Enright, as she forced a comebacker to get out of the inning.

Indian Hills finally got over the hump with their last licks in the seventh. With one out, Houston got the rally going with a double over the left fielders' head.  After Metzger got Kelly Strittmatter out after a tough battle, Goldberg took first after being hit by a pitch, and DeYoung walked to load the bases. That brought up Enright, the possible player of the year in North Jersey. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh with a full count, Enright came through, drawing a walk to bring home Houston for the winning run.

Leicht praised Enright's discipline in the final at-bat. "I guess that was the pitcher in her, knowing where the strike zone is."

The Group II championship caps a postseason of accomplishment, as the girls also can boast of league, county and state sectional crowns.