(Photo by Henry Gray) caption: EYE OF THE TIGER: Sarah Eisenach of the Tigers in the Princeton Girls Softball Association’s (PGSA) majors division delivers a pitch last Saturday in title game action. Eisenach struck out 13 in pitching the Tigers to a 10-7 win over the Bears in the championship contest held at Grover Park.

Thunder Comes From Bats, not Sky as PGSA Holds Championship Day

Bill Alden

The weather forecast last Saturday called for possible rain showers, putting the Princeton Girls Softball Association (PGSA) championship day in jeopardy.

Fortunately, the storms never came with the bats supplying the thunder around Grover Park as four PGSA divisions held their title games.

In the opener, the Panthers defeated the Buckeyes 20-7 in the rookies division (players ages 7 and 8 as of January 1). Leading the offensive charge for the Panthers was Samantha Singer, Olivia Corrodi, Virginia Venizelos, Bridget Lawn, and Samantha Campisi together with Letson and Kendall Nehlig. As for the Buckeyes, Carolyn Schwart, Ashley Evans and Cameron Davis provided strong efforts in a losing cause.

In the minors division (9 and 10-year-olds), the Gators edged the Yellow Jackets 10-7. Sydney Dubin and Devon Lis sparked the Gators as they each went 3-for-3. Samantha Davis also had a big game for the champions, as she was the winning pitcher and helped her cause by going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Sydney Parker, Ji Visconti, and Kelly Bowman also chipped in offensively in the win.

For the Yellow Jackets, Angela-Rose Quinn went 2-for-3 while Bronwyn Hines was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Brooke Smukler, Elena Kotsen, Kathryn Frawley, and Julia Knigge each chipped in RBIs.

The day’s most topsy-turvy contest was produced in the majors division (players ages 11 and 12) as the Tigers outlasted the Bears 10-7 in a game that saw several lead changes.

The Tigers jumped to an early 3-0 lead, sparked by the hitting and running of Natalie Campisi, Stephanie Wu, and Sarah Eisenach. The Bears, however, came right back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first as Christina Cuomo, Nancy Gray, and Lucia Matteo led the attack.

With Eisenach getting into a pitching rhythm for the Tigers, the Bears went scoreless in the second and scored one run in the third. Bears pitcher Nancy Gray also settled down, giving up one run apiece in the second and third innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Bears took the lead as they plated three runs to go up 7-5.

With Campisi, Wu, and Meghan Wilmott coming up big, the Tigers scored two runs in the top of the fifth to knot the game at 7-7. Eisenach struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth, leaving the teams tied heading into the sixth and final inning.

Emma Campisi led off the top of the sixth for the Tigers with a walk and after two stolen bases, scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice by Emily Hancock. After a second walk, Sophie Corrodi slugged a stand-up RBI double and then scored on a base hit by Jordan Hunter as the Tigers forged ahead 10-7.

Eisenach then closed the deal in the circle, striking out two and forcing a grounder for the third and final out of the inning and the game.

John Witherspoon School seventh grader Eisenach finished the game with 13 strikeouts in earning the triumph, which was particularly sweet since she had been on the short end in the 2009 title contest. Gray ended up with eight strikeouts in a losing cause.

In the juniors division (ages 13 and above) final, the Wildcats defeated the Bearcats 9-2, avenging a 6-4 loss a day earlier.

The Wildcats were led on offense by Jessica Campisi, Chelsea Crespo, Madison Cahill-Sanidas, and Halley Costantino, who together accounted for six of the team’s nine runs in the title game. Cahill-Sanidas, Campisi, and Costantino each had two hits.

Costantino and Campisi also provided strong pitching, combining on a one-hitter with Costantino giving up no hits and striking out eight in four innings pitched and Campisi giving up one hit and fanning four over two innings. Charlotte Gray and Taylor Rinehart combined to strike out 11 in a losing cause for the Bearcats. Princeton High sophomore Rinehart also scored both Bearcat runs.

Editor’s note: results and statistics were provided by Joseph Campisi and Paul Gray.

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