Sunday,
April 19, 2015
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Not only did sophomore Katie Chinery throw a three-hit shutout in her varsity debut as a starting pitcher, but she also drove in the game's lone run in a 1-0 win over Secaucus on Saturday afternoon. |
RUTHERFORD – When she woke up on a gorgeous Saturday morning, Rutherford sophomore Katie Chinery knew that this day would be different from any other she has experienced in her young lifeChinery was slated to make her first ever varsity start in the circle and was to do it against a surging Secaucus lineup full of pop. The Patriots’ lineup is good enough to make any pitcher nervous, especially one starting for the first time on the varsity level.
Chinery showed poise well beyond her years as she and Secaucus right-hander Alyssa Voli locked in a classic pitcher's duel. The teams matched zeros through five-and-a-half innings before Chinery helped her own cause.
Her RBI single knocked in the only run of the game and shortstop Brielle Prince atoned for a seventh-inning error with a nice catch to end the game as Chinery tossed a shutout in her debut and accounted for the game’s only run as Rutherford scored a 1-0 victory over Seacaucus on Saturday at Memorial Field.
“My dad has really helped me with teaching me how not to be nervous when I'm out there,” said Chinery, who was more nervous in the post-game interview then she was in any point during the game. “I have total confidence in my teammates behind me to make the plays and my drop-curve was working well so I threw it a lot.”
Secaucus senior Kendall Caruso drew a leadoff walk and stole second on the next pitch. Chinery never got rattled and retired three straight, including striking out Patriots' standout Julia McClure to end the threat.
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Secaucus starter Alyssa Voli gave up just four hits and an unearned run but ended up with a hard-luck loss. |
Chinery moved the ball around the zone and changed speeds effectively throughout as only one Patriot reached third base all game. Voli kept the Patriots in the game with stellar pitching of her own. The senior had her stuff working and got some defensive help from Caruso in the bottom of the fourth. With two on and two out, Caruso handled a hot shot between shortstop and third base with a strong throw to first for the final out of the inning.
Secaucus appeared to get out of a jam in the sixth when second baseman Andie Lennon made a nice throw to cut down a runner at third base for the second out of the inning. But after an Andrea Hernandez single put the runner in scoring position, Chinery lined a single to center that scored Kathleen Nowinski to put the Bulldogs ahead, 1-0.
After scuffling offensively all game, the Patriots had two chances to take the lead in their final at-bat. Voli led off the inning by drawing a walk before taking second base on a wild pitch and stealing third. With one out, Julia Peschetti hit a scorching ground ball but right at the shortstop. Prince fielded the ball cleanly and got Voli hung up in a rundown where she eventually was tagged out by Bulldogs' catcher Emily Lichtenberger. The game was all but over when Chinery induced a lazy pop-up to short. However, the ball was dropped which put the Bulldogs in a precarious in position in two ways.
One, the tying run was now just 60 feet away and the go-ahead run was on base. Also it turned the lineup over and brought up Caruso, a four-year starter who has homerun power, to the plate. That caused Rutherford head coach Helen Antzoulides to come out for a conference.
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Kathleen Nowinski had two of Rutherford's four hits and scored the game's only run. |
“Last time I went out for a conference I laced into the girls. This time I promised them I'd have a more relaxed approach when I went out there,” said Antzoulides. “I just told them to settle down. It was a normal first and third situation that we've gone over many times before so they knew what to do.”
Caruso hit a line low line-drive but Prince reacted quickly to atone for her mistake just three pitches earlier. She took a step to her left and reached down for a shoe-top catch of the liner that gave the Bulldogs a much-needed win over a quality opponent. Even though it was a disappointing loss for the Secaucus, head coach Amanda Jones looked at the game in a positive light.
“I thought we did a lot of really good things we just didn't hit the ball the way we usually do,” said Jones, a former all-county player at Rutherford. “We've been utilizing small ball more and it's been working pretty well. I think we're making big improvements and we're still finding who fits best in what spot. This was a tough loss, but we're getting better every day and we'll keep working hard.”
Chinery twirled a three-hitter with two walks and eight Ks in her first varsity win for Rutherford (5-3). Nowinski had two of the Bulldogs' four hits.
Voli took the hard-luck loss, giving up the one unearned run for Secaucus (5-3). She allowed just four hits, issued two walks and had four strikeouts. Brittney Smith, Voli, and Lennon had the three hits for the Patriots.
With Rutherford starting to realize its potential and with Chinery adding another solid arm in the circle, Antzoulides feels confident that her team can get on a roll and peak at the right time.
“We're short a few starters and have some inexperience on the field, so to get a win like this for us is big,” said Antzoulides. “The kids who are up on varsity for the first time are gaining some confidence. They've had success on the freshman level and the JV level, why not have the same confidence on the varsity level? The hitting will come around the more that we seeing pitching. When we pitch and play defense like we did today, these are the types of good teams we think we can beat.”
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