Brinley Sullivan pitched a shutout on her birthday as Paramus Catholic topped Hoboken, 12-0, on Monday afternoon.

PARAMUS – Being the No. 2 pitcher behind a clear-cut ace is not the easiest position to be in. Throw in being a freshman, celebrating her birthday and getting her chance to throw in the circle, Paramus Catholic’s Brinley Sullivan could have had a case of the jitters, and it would have been understandable. However, with a talented lineup and solid gloves all over the infield behind her, Sullivan showed the poise of a senior from the first pitch to her last. Her teammates decided to give her the ultimate birthday gift with a monster third inning.

The Paladins showed off everything in that frame from small ball to long ball. McKenna Henderson and Sullivan drove in runs on back-to-back perfect bunts. A few batters later, Jamie West stepped up and crushed a three-run homer as Paramus Catholic scored nine runs in the inning en route to a 12-0 win over Hoboken on Monday afternoon at Paramus Catholic High School.

Olivia Pierano’s RBI single put the Paladins ahead 2-0 after two innings. Sullivan came in dealing with a simple, but time-tested approach. She got ahead of batters, kept the ball down and let her infielders make the plays.

“Since I’m not able to strike everyone out, I have to rely on the fielders behind me to get the outs,” said Sullivan. “But they’re so good at making all the plays and that allows me to have more confidence in myself. I love being on this team. Knowing they have my back allowed me to relax while I was pitching. We’re a well-oiled team and everyone does their part for us to play well.”

Paramus Catholic broke the game open in the third by having the first 11 batters of the inning reach base. The safety squeezes by Henderson and Sullivan could not be placed any better, both driving in runs. Grace McGuire added a two-run single before West clouted a three-run shot over the fence in left field. By the time the inning was over, the Paladins’ lead ballooned to 11-0.

“We each have a job to do and we feel we can score runs in all different ways,” said West. “On the homerun, I was letting the ball get to me and not just jump at it. Adjust from pitch-to-pitch and follow through when I get a good pitch to hit. We’re really having a fun time out here and everyone picks each other up. We’re a team that never wants to feel comfortable. Our goal is to see progress every single day and we’re ready for whatever comes our way.”

Olivia Pierano’s RBI single put the Paladins ahead 2-0 after two innings.

Sullivan allowed just one hit with no walks and four strikeouts to pick up her first career win for Paramus Catholic (4-0). West had a day at the plate, going 3-4 with a HR and four RBIs. Sabrina Delgado, Gelissa Galeano, and Mia Fritz also drove in runs.

Mya Mellado had the lone hit for Hoboken (1-3). The Red Wings will try to bounce back today against another undefeated foe, Kearny.

Paramus Catholic not only has quietly built a solid roster with depth, but also possesses one of the top pitchers and most dangerous batters in Bergen County, DiLynn Jefferies-El. With a hot start to the season, the Paladins are thinking big things for this season. A measuring stick will come on Friday when they travel to face defending Passaic County champion and Big North rival DePaul Catholic. Regardless of the outcome there, first-year head coach Melissa Phelan is confident in what her team can accomplish this season.

“We’re having good approaches at bat and we’re making the routine plays in the field, which is a big key being successful,” said Phelan, who starred at Saddle Brook before going on to play at Division 1 Stony Brook. “It’s easy to keep playing well when we’re feeling good. But we’re going to play teams that will apply pressure on us. We trust the work we’ve put in and trust our approach at the plate. We don’t stray from the game plan by throwing strikes, making plays, and attacking good pitches. We’re excited for what is ahead and hopefully the start we’re on gives us a little more confidence running into Dumont on Wednesday and then the DePaul game on Friday.”

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