Wild Win Sends Lady Rebels into Group IV Finals

When Steph Grainger knocked a single to center in the top of the third inning of her team's Group IV semifinal game against Washington Township at Neptune Tuesday, she had no way of knowing how big the hit would be. 

Not only was it the first hit the Lady Rebels recorded in the game, but it also led to the only run of the contest as Howell prevailed and advanced with a 1-0 win.

Grainger's hit came after the first six Howell batters struck out against Washington's Alyssa Schoelkopf. Whether it was the fact that she had given up a hit, or the hot weather, but the Washington hurler went wild for a brief period of time which the Lady Rebels took full advantage of.

The first slip up helped Grainger move to second on a passed ball before successive wild pitches allowed her to come in to score what ended up being the game winning run. 

Not only was Grainger's hit the first of the game for her team, but it was also one of only a handful the team got all game. After winning the Central Jersey Group IV title by the score of 12-10 over Rancocas Valley with an incredible 12-10 rally, the game on Tuesday could not have been more different.

One similarity was the stellar pitching of junior Carsin Conner. Having come in as a reliever the past few games, Conner appeared fresh even in the heat as she kept control of the opposing hitters. Whether it was her curve ball dipping out of the way at just the right time, or her fast ball fooling the hitters, Conner had solid stuff throughout the course of the game.

The junior was also helped by a stellar defense that helped back her up every step of the way. That included cat like reflexes by first baseman Kelly Hardiman. Especially in the third inning she made two nice scoops while stretching as far as she could to put the ball in the glove. 

Lady Rebel Coach Elissa Connell said she and co-head coach Sandra Hempel are very happy with what the team has accomplished. "The coaching staff is extremely excited and proud of these girls for all of their hard work to get to this point," she said.

It may not have been a pretty win, but the coach said her team did what they needed to come out on top. "Yesterday's win was all about cashing in on opportunities when they were awarded to us. That's what a championship team does, and that's how we managed to squeeze out the win."

Whether they have been down early or fighting to hold their lead late, the coach said the girls have kept the same mindset throughout the state tournament. "The 'Never say die,' attitude of these 13 girls keeps them in every game."

With the win the team advances to their first Group Championships on Saturday. The Lady Rebels will take on the squad from Hunterdon Central. The Red Devils are an impressive 31-2 so far.

As the top seed in the North Jersey II bracket, Hunterdon almost seemed to cruise through the first few rounds of the tournament. They started the bracket with a 15-0 drubbing of Piscataway before handing Woodbridge a 9-0 pounding in the second round. The games got closer in the sectional semifinal with a 4-0 win over Watchung Hills before edging second seeded Edison in the finals. 

Their closest game of the tournament was yesterday in the Group semifinals when they were barely able to squeak out a 1-0 win over North Jersey Group I Champion Morris Knolls.