Park Ridge's Kate Broderick needed just 64 minutes to clinch a 3-0 shutout victory over Cresskill that included the 400th strikeout of her career.

PARK RIDGE – With most high school teams having a clear-cut No. 1 pitcher, how successful a high school softball team is often depends on how that pitcher is throwing. Through the early portion of the season Park Ridge hurler Kate Broderick struggled with her control and had a challenging time finding a rhythm as a result.

She kept working through it and the hard-throwing junior hit her stride at the perfect time as the state tournament approaches. Facing Cresskill, Broderick settled in early and showed why the Lady Owls will be a tough out the rest of the way.

Broderick got ahead of batters and was in complete control from start to finish, allowing just three hits and notching her 400th career strikeout as Park Ridge won its third straight game with a 3-0 triumph over Cresskill in a game that took just 64 minutes to complete at Davies Memorial Field in Park Ridge.

The Lady Owls scored all of their runs in the first two innings. Stacy Caracozza, one of Bergen County’s best defensive first basemen, slapped her way on to start the game. Teni Richard, the lone freshman on Park Ridge, stroked an RBI triple to quickly give the Owls the lead before being driven in on an RBI groundout by Broderick.

Sophia Coleman was solid in the circle for Cresskill.

“Anything close I knew I was going to hack away at it,” said Richard on her RBI triple. “As a freshman, I’ve had so much support from my teammates. We’re all cheering for each other and we’re all there to pick each other up at the plate and in the field.”

Lily Robinson drove in Alexis Iula in the second inning to make it a three-run lead. Cresskill’s lone chance to create some offense came in the fourth inning. Aya Catran singled and Angelina Cecere followed with a single to right. Robinson fielded it cleanly and the cutoff off throw from shortstop Lauren Stewart was on the money with Kayla Iula putting on the tag for a big out. It was all Broderick needed as she got right back to mowing down the Cougars, allowing just one hit over the final three frames to pick up the shutout.

“I feel more comfortable hitting my spots than I was earlier in the season,” said Broderick, a three-sport athlete. “It makes me more relaxed when I have a lead to work with. My team does a great job of making plays in the field and keeping the hits coming. We started off slow this season, but we feel like we’re finally coming together.”

Broderick did not walk a batter and had nine K’s, including the 400th of her career, for Park Ridge (11-7).

Sophia Coleman held her own in the circle for Cresskill (8-7). She gave up five hits, walked one, had four strikeouts, and had a stretch spanning the second through sixth innings where she retired 11 straight batters. While the loss was a tough one, the Cougars are a team on the rise. After winning just one game last season, they now have eight wins and could potentially reach double-digits in the win column for the first time since 2012.

Lily Robinson drove in a run for Park Ridge, which is now 11-7 on the season.

“Last time we played Park Ridge we had five errors in the first inning and today we didn’t have a single error. That’s progress,” said Cresskill head coach Laura Germano. “We held a good team scoreless for five straight innings. We would have liked to steal a win today, but it’s about the small victories and knowing the program is going in the right direction. We’re not that far off from where we want to be and it can only go up from here.”

With a huge game on tap against rival Emerson today and the power points cutoff for the state tournament coming up this weekend, Park Ridge is looking to keep the train rolling and become the team nobody wants to face come state tourney time.

“We have a little bit of everything on this team, but we go as Kate goes and she’s pitching really well lately,” said Park Ridge head coach Rick Eichenlaub. “I like this team and we’re dangerous if can pull it all together. There are a lot of tough teams in our section and we have our work cut out for us. If Kate keeps pitching the way she has, and we get hot at the plate we’ll do well.”

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