Now that chip has turned into a boulder as the Lions are just one game away from winning their first ever H/W/S championship.
Pope John (19-9), the No. 4 seed from Sussex, will get that chance Saturday night at Diamond Nation in Raritan Township as it will square off against the No. 2 seed from H/W, North Hunterdon (18-8), for the toruney title at 7:30 p.m.
Pope John owns a 12-2 win over North Hunterdon on April 3 but North Hunterdon’s stud pitcher Mason Spichiger did not pitch as Carly Severini took the loss for North.
The baseball final is also Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Diamond Nation and pits upstart No. 6 Vernon (11-10) against second-seeded Hunterdon Central (16-8).
For a preview of that game check out Mike Weilamann’s blog Open Mike.
So why do the Lions have a chip on their shoulder, you may ask? It is very simple. When the seeds were released the Lions were voted the No. 4 team in Sussex and that didn’t sit well with PJ coach Frank Canning.
The reason being was that Lenape Valley, the No. 3 seed, had a similar record and the teams that Lenape Valley lost to, the Lions had beaten, including North Hunterdon.
Since then the Lions have used it as a rallying cry all the way to the championship game, their first appearance ever.
Pope John knocked off No. 5 Belvidere 6-2, top-seeded Warren Hills 7-2 and crosstown rival No. 2 Sparta 7-2, its second win in three tries against the Spartans, to gain the final.
The Lions are playing their best ball of the season and have won seven of their last eight with the loss coming to the top team in the American Division Morris Knolls 1-0 on Thursday.
Pope John’s strengths all season have been hitting and defense. The Lions hit 1-through-9 and the meat of the Lions’ order is as good as any in the state, believe me.
Slap hitter Julia Engdahl gets things going at the top of the order. Alyssa Bolger is the perfect No. 2 hitter as she does a great job of moving runners over and she also can hit when called upon.
Then it’s the sluggers. Kaylee Powers, Chrissy Marinaro, Toni Santonstasso and Kate Morrison. All them are an extra-base hit waiting to happen and all have the power to go yard at the artificial turf field at Diamond Nation.
And if you get past them, Adrianna Barone, Mary Ullmann and Julia DePuyt can and will hurt you with the bat.
The Lions can also pick it on defense. Going around the horn, Marinaro, Powers, one of the best shortstops around, DePuyt and Santonstasso have been airtight as Pope John pitching has only averaged about two strikeouts per game.
In the outfield, Engdahl, Bolger and Ullmann can go get it.
But here is the issue for the Lions--playing on the turf. For contact pitchers like Mary Adams, who has really come on as of late and Barone, defense is paramount.
The turf changes the game and we will see how the Lions react to the hard-hitting North Hunterdon.
North, under coach Jeff Steele, comes into the game on a high note after outlasting defending champion High Point 4-2 in 11 innings in a rematch of last year’s final.
Pitcher Mason Spichiger out dueled Ally Frei and exacted some revenge after losing to the Wildcats 1-0 in last year’s final.
Spichiger also had three hits and an RBI in the win and is one of the Lions’ top hitters.
Severini makes them go at the top of the batting order, while Lauren Martino is a very solid No. 2 hitter.
Then its Kayla Parker, Spichiger and Kristen Cheesman who can all swing the bat. Taylor Knoble, Jen Inamoto, Isabella Many and Caitlin Inamoto round out the lineup.
The key will be if Pope John can hit Spichiger and my guess is yes. I don’t think they will lump her up, but the Lions are too deep to shut down.
Plus Pope John has played a terrific non-league schedule with wins over North, Pequannock, Jefferson and Morris County champ Whippany Park, so it has seen great pitching.
So who will win? Well, after predicting High Point would defend its title I have to select a new champ. I’m going with the hot hand and Pope John will complete its mission and avenge its perceived slight with the victory.
That’s it for now see you on the sidelines.
SOFTBALL PAIRINGS
NORTH 1 GROUP IV
16-Montclair at 1-Livingston; 15-Passaic at 2-Morris Knolls; 14-Belleville at 3-North Bergen; 13-Clifton at 4-Fair Lawn; 12-West Orange at 5-Bloomfield; 11-Hackensack at 6-Randolph; 10-Memorial 7-Ridgewood; 9-Kearny 8-Bergen Tech.
NORTH 1 GROUP III
16-Bergenfield at 1-Indian Hills; 15-Northern Highlands at 2-Passaic Valley; 14-Demarest at 3-Ramapo; 13-Wayne Hills at 4-High Point; 12-Pascack Valley at 5-Paramus; 11-West Milford at 6-Jefferson; 10-River Dell at 7-Sparta; 9-Montville at 8-Old Tappan.
NORTH 1 GROUP II
16-Kinnelon at 1-Ramsey; 15-Walkill Valley at 2-Pequannock; 14-Newton at 3-Pascack Hills; 13-Lodi at 4-Lakeland; 12-Elmwood Park at 5-Mahwah; 11-Westwood at 6-Lenape Valley; 10-Hawthorne at 7-Dumont; 9-Hopatcong at 8-Glen Rock.
NORTH 1 GROUP I
16-Bogota at 1-Saddle Brook; 15-Wood-Ridge at 2-Midland Park; 14-Verona at 3-New Milford; 13-Boonton at 4-Park Ridge; 12-North Warren at 5-Pompton Lakes; 11-Morris Tech at 6-Hasbrouck Heights; 10-Emerson Boro at 7-Sussex Tech; 9-Butler at 8-Cedar Grove.
NON-PUBLIC A NORTH
9-Mother Seton at 8-St. Dominic, winner at 1-Immaculata Heart; 5-DePaul at 4-Pope John XXIII (quarterfinal); 6-Holy Angels at 3-Paramus Catholic (quarterfinal); 10-Kent Place at 7-Union Catholic, winner at 2-Mount St. Dominic
BASEBALL PAIRINGS
NORTH 1 GROUP IV
16-Paterson Eastside at 1-Wayne Valley; 15-West Orange at 2-Belleville; 14-Passaic Tech at 3-Randolph; 13-Clifton at 4-North Bergen; 12-Memorial at 5-Fair Lawn; 11-Livingston at 6-Montclair; 10-Morris Knolls at 7-Bloomfield; 9-Union City at 8-Ridgewood.
NORTH 1 GROUP III
16-Ramapo at 1-Montville; 15-Northern Highlands at 2-Old Tappan; 14-Vernon at 3-Paramus; 13-Passaic Valley at 4-Demarest; 12-Mount Olive at 5-Jefferson; 11-Morris Hills at 6-Indian Hills; 10-Sparta at 7-Teaneck; 9-River Dell at 8-Wayne Hills.
NORTH 1, GROUP II
16-Lodi at 1-Mahwah; 15-Pascack Hills at 2-Lakeland; 14-Elmwood Park at 3-Newton; 13-Dumont at 4-Pequannock; 12-Lenape Valley at 5-Hawthorne; 11-Wallkill Valley at 6-Glen Rock; 10-Westwood at 7-Kinnelon; 9-Mountain Lakes at 8-Ramsey.
NORTH 1, GROUP I
16-Saddle Brook at 1-Park Ridge; 15-Wallington at 2-Pompton Lakes; 14-Boonton at 3-Emerson Boro; 13-Cresskill at 4-New Milford; 12-Sussex Tech at 5-Hasbrouck Heights; 11-Midland Park at 6-Cedar Grove; 10-Palisades Park at 7-Waldwick; 9-North Warren at 8-Wood-Ridge.
NORTH NON-PUBLIC A
9-Don Bosco Prep at 8-Paramus Catholic winner at 1-Seton Hall Prep; 10-DePaul at 7-Pope John, winner at 2-St. Joseph (Mont.); 6-Union Catholic at 3-St. Peter's Prep; 5-Bergen Catholic at 4-Delbarton.
