MARLBORO — It took a long time for the action on the diamond to heat up on a frigid Wednesday afternoon, but the final inning was filled with fireworks in an early-season matchup between the Shore’s top two public softball teams.
The A North divisional duel between No. 4 Marlboro and No. 5 Middletown North stalled in the elements through the first four innings. That defensive stalemate was to be expected as it was a matchup of two Division I recruits in the circle in Marlboro pitcher Emily Gaudio (Charleston Southern) and Midd North pitcher Madi Boyce (Seton Hall).
But it was the Lions who found the decisive surge of offense, first in the top of the fifth on a two RBI single by sophomore Hailey Plath and again in the top of the seventh with three more runs that was capped off with an RBI single from Boyce. Middletown North held a four-run lead going into the final inning and withstood a spirited Marlboro comeback effort to prevail in the 5-4 road victory.
“This year, we have a really tough schedule,” Boyce said. “In the past, the ten inning games and 1-0 wins have really just driven us to be better. And I think with our division this year, we definitely have to keep working hard and keep going. And the RBC game the other day was a tough loss. We were in that game for the entire game. I think this game was a win that we needed as a team.”
It was the Lions’ first win of the season after they faced a road gauntlet of divisional foes to start the year. Middletown North battled No. 3 Red Bank Catholic on Monday and lost 6-2 after a late surge by the Caseys. The team bounced back with a gritty victory against the two-time reigning sectional champ Marlboro. It’s a sign of what’s to come in the reorganized Shore Conference that will more frequently pit the best teams against each other.
The Lions have shown early adjustments and have come ready to play. The offense is already showing a lot more juice after opening the season against two D-I level pitchers. And the team showed plenty of toughness as they got the road win in brutally cold conditions.
“One of the things I keep in my head is the other team is facing the same cold,” senior catcher Adrianna Lisotto said. “You really just have to work with it and do what you can. I know catching 60 mile-per-hour fastballs isn’t fun as a catcher in the cold, but you really have to persevere and push through.”
Perseverance is going to be key for the Lions this season as they have their sights set on returning to the state championship after winning the Group 3 title in 2019. The record certainly won’t look as pristine as it has over the previous two seasons when Midd North finished 20-6 and 21-6, but the team is going to be better for it come playoff time.
“We’ve always kind of go to the postseason and kind of been shocked by some of the pitching that we see,” Boyce said. “Seeing the better pitchers this year will definitely prepare us a lot better for the postseason.”
And naturally, the experience against challenging pitching needs to translate to runs. The early returns on that front have been very promising and Lisotto has led the way for the Lions. The senior went 1-2 with an RBI double against Red Bank Catholic and was 2-4 with another RBI double against Marlboro on Wednesday.
