South Jersey Softball:
Pennsauken Wins Series In Extra Innings

Sunday, July 18, 1999

By Gary Steiner
SJSports Staff Writer

Haddon Township and Pennsauken were tied one game apiece in their best of three SJGSA Junior American Division championship series. The third and final game was played at the home field of top seeded Haddon Township on Crystal Lake Avenue. Everyone knew this game would be a tough one, but no one expected it to go 10 innings to decide the champion.

Haddon Township scored first in the bottom of the 1st when Alisha Davy came home on an error after hitting a single and then stealing second. It was 1-0 until the top of the 3rd, when Pennsauken's Christina Tofani hit an RBI single. Krystal Wilhelm then hit a 2 RBI triple to send Pennsauken up 3-1.

In the 4th, Haddon Township's Aileen Fallon hit an RBI single to pull her team back to within one run. Pennsauken responded in the top of the 5th with an RBI single from Vanna Wortham to go up 4-2. Haddon Township then rallied for 4 runs to take the lead, first when Melissa Williams came home on an error after hitting a single. Then Davy singled and then scored off of Jessica Johnson's triple. She was followed by an RBI single from Felina Sachetti, who then scored when Traci Golub hit a double. The score was now 6-4 Haddon Township.

Pennsauken crept back to within one in the 6th when Stephanie Sylvia came home on a fielder's choice after having walked and advanced on an error. Sylvia then tied the game in the 7th with an RBI single that scored Wilhelm who had walked.

Now in extra innings, both teams were unable to score though both teams left a runner on third in the 9th inning. Then, in the 10th inning, Pennsauken's bats came alive. First Stephanie Sylvia hit a lead off single, followed by a single from Kerry Hanson. Eileen Gottshalk struck out, then Megan Figueroa walked to load the bases. Krissy Rup and Christina Tofani both hit into misplayed fielder's choices, which scored Sylvia and Hanson. Then Annie Bilinsky singled to score Figueroa, and Wortham singled to send Rup home. Wilhelm flyed out to short for the second out. Ashley Keich stepped up and hit a 2 RBI single. Finally, Sylvia came up for the bat around, and flied out to short to end the top of the inning. Pennsauken was up 12-6.

In the bottom of the 10th, down by 6, Haddon Township tried to start a rally of their own. To lead off, Lindsay Gilligan walked. Felina Sachetti then stepped up and crushed the ball to deep left for a home run. But the rally fell short for Haddon Township, as they left two base runners stranded in the inning with a final score of 12-8.

Congratulations to both teams on exceptional seasons, Pennsauken (15-3-1) and Haddon Township (17-2). Good Luck the rest of the summer. Are you ready for next season?

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Photos by Boog Williams