May 11, 2012

St. Dominic Academy sophomore Taylor Seibel delivered the game-winning hit in the sixth. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Bayonne at St. Dominic Academy Softball Photo Gallery

JERSEY CITY – From afar it might have seemed like St. Dominic Academy's Jaimee Laurie enjoyed having runners on base while in the circle. While it may not have been her preferred way to pitch, the Blue Devils' senior not only managed the obstacle, she seem to thrive.

Laurie successfully navigated her way out of trouble and gave her St. Dominic team a win it desperately needed, a 4-3 victory over Bayonne yesterday at Lincoln Park. The Blue Devils (5-14) had lost four-straight games and 11 of their last 12.

"You get really used to it," said Laurie about pitching with runners on base. "In the beginning its really difficult because you don't know how to calm yourself down. But once you get used to it, it's so much easier."

Pitching with runners on was second nature for Laurie as Bayonne (8-10) had two or more base-runners in each of the first five innings yesterday. Most of the time, she was able to fight through it with minimal damage.

She struck out the side in the first inning, stranding runners on second and third. While the Bees touched her up for two runs in the second, Laurie recovered in the third, using a strikeout to escape a bases-loaded jam and keep Bayonne off the scoreboard. With the score tied in the fifth, Laurie induced a pair of infield pop-ups to strand runners on second and third and keep it a one-run game.

"Jaimee's got nerves of steel on the mound," St. Dominic coach Jim Murduca said. "She'll have bases loaded and she'll get out of it. The defense played great. We made all of the plays."

"We just didn't hit the ball and that was the difference in the game," said Bayonne coach Sam Maggio. "We just didn't hit."

Laurie issued nine walks in the complete game victory, but scattered just three hits with eight strikeouts, enabling her to allow just three runs.

Fortunately for the Blue Devils Laurie's propensity for walks carried over to her offense as the leadoff hitter walked all three times she came to the plate. She came around to score each time.

"As a leadoff hitter your job is to get on base," said Laurie. "That's my job and I have to do that and that's what I work on."

Trailing 3-2  in the bottom of the fifth, Laurie drew a one-out walk and advanced on a wild pitch. She came around to score one batter later as Amanda Rivera's single to right field tied it at 3-3.

St. Dominic would take the lead for good in the sixth when Liz Tolentino led off with a single. Caitlin Cannito kept the rally alive with a two-out walk and sophomore Taylor Seibel followed with a bloop single to left for the winning run.

"She wasn't even supposed to be a starter this year," said Murduca about Seibel. "But she hustles all the time and she's aggressive. She attacked the ball and got the hit that we needed."

Laurie slammed the door shut in the seventh for her only 1-2-3 inning of the afternoon. Tolentino was 2-for-3 and senior Kate Zubicki had a RBI double in the third inning.

The Bees took the lead in the second with a run-scoring sacrifice from Tatiana Toro and a RBI double from Juliann Sosa. Freshman shortstop Mackenzie Brown put Bayonne in front with a RBI single in the fourth inning. Kara Coletta reach base three times and scored a run. Haley Johnson struck out two over the first four innings with Lizette Cruz pitching the last two innings in relief.

Freshman shortstop Mackenzie Brown had a RBI single in the fourth inning. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Bayonne at St. Dominic Academy Softball Photo Gallery