April 20, 2012

Secaucus catcher Jessie Koerner hit a homer in the sixth inning and had three RBI. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Hasbrouck Heights at Secaucus Softball Photo Gallery

SECAUCUS – Recent losses to Lyndhurst and Rutherford had taught Secaucus the damaging effects of on-field errors and giving the opposition extra outs. So when Secaucus was given second chances with the bat, it knew full well to make the most out of them.

The Patriots took full advantage of three fifth inning errors, scoring three times in the frame to pull ahead and defeat Hasbrouck Heights 8-3.

Against Rutheford (Wednesday) and against Lyndhurst last week we were the ones making the mistakes and we were getting taken advantage of," coach Cheryl Bott said. It was actually nice to put the ball in play and make things happen. We really needed this win.

With the game tied at 3-3, Jessie Koerner led off the fifth with a single then advanced to the third after an error in centerfield. Danille Roesing drove Koerner in with a sacrifice fly which was dropped by the second baseman. Roesing would come around to score on another dropped sacrifice fly, this one off the bat of Julia McClure.

Kendall Caruso capped off the rally four batters later with a sacrifice fly as Secuaucs (7-3) made it 6-3. They sent eight batters to the plate with the help of just one hit.

"You have to take advantage of it," Koerner said. "You definitely have to. It's like getting another life on the bases and then someone else can bring you in."

Koerner added some insurance in the sixth when laced a pitch to right-center for a two-run inside the park homer.

"I think it was a fastball inside," Koerner said. "Maybe it was a screwball that didn't have any movement, but it came inside. It seems like every really good hit I've gotten has come on an inside pitch."

Koerner was 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and two runs. After falling behind on a Swati Shivkumar homer in the top of the first, Koerner tied the game in the bottom half of the frame with a RBI ground out to score Lauren Guillen.

In the second, Ariana Simon put Secaucus on top when she singled, stole two bases and came around to score on a wild pitch. The junior first baseman reached base all four times on the day, going 2-for-2 with two walks.

McClure and Guillen also stole two bases apiece in the victory, with McClure scoring a pair of runs. Secaucus stole six bases as a team.

"We want to try to take the extra base when we can so we can get to a position where we can bunt a run in or get a couple of sacrifice flies," said Bott. "We want to move the runners around so we have the opportunity to do that."

Winning pitcher Danielle Roesing shook off the first inning homer to retire 11-straight Hasbrouck Heights (4-6) batters. Roesing's streak ended with a single by Jordan Anderson and a two-run homer from Diana Torres to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth.

Roesing limited the Aviators to just three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Julie Sheridan allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits, she struck out four.

Secaucus' Julia McClure (right) slides safely into home before the tag of Jordan Anderson. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Hasbrouck Heights at Secaucus Softball Photo Gallery