BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT SWEET 16 PREVIEW
Eight games, eight Bergen County Tournament quarterfinal spots up for grabs tomorrow. In case anyone has been confused/misinformed by today’s paper (it mixed up the Old Tappan and Emerson sites), HERE is the correct schedule with the correct dates, times and locations.
We’ve got two remaining undefeated teams playing tomorrow (Indian Hills and Immaculate Heart), one team that has one loss, but is undefeated against New Jersey competition (Immaculate Conception), two 20-plus seeds vying for this year’s distinction of tournament Cinderella (Dumont and Demarest), one team looking to regain the magic it found late last year (Mahwah), a pair of Group 1 schools still alive (Saddle Brook and Park Ridge), a rematch of one of the best regular season games this season (Ridgewood and Paramus), a couple of dangerous sleepers (Paramus Catholic and Pascack Valley) and two teams out to prove they are worthy of the seeds they received (Fair Lawn and Ramsey).
If you missed how these teams got here, here is a Round of 32 recap.
Below is a breakdown of all eight matchups. Note: All stats used are what has been reported to us throughout the season. There may be some minor discrepancies in the numbers. If you notice any, feel free to e-mail me at conrad@northjersey.com and the necessary changes will be made.
THE INDIAN HILLS BRACKET
No. Indian Hills (24-0) vs. No. 17 Park Ridge (18-5) – at Old Tappan, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Indian Hills’ Devin Durando vs. Park Ridge’s Erica Huber
Notes: This will be the second meeting between these two teams, after Indian Hills defeated Park Ridge, 4-0, back on April 12 at the EDSAF Tournament. Devin Durando had a big two-way day, firing a complete game, one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and adding two hits and three RBI at the plate. … The top-seeded Braves enter undefeated, winners of their first 24 games to start the year (most recently defeating Mount Olive today in the state tournament opener), and are one of the two favorites to reach the BCT final. … Indian Hills pitcher Devin Durando is 22-0 with 270 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched and has allowed just 10 earned runs this season. In addition to her pitching prowess, Durando’s bat in the middle of the Braves’ lineup has continued to be an added bonus this year, as the Albany-bound senior is hitting .443 (35-for-79) with 17 doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI. … Sophomore second baseman Nicole Mellone has been one of Indian Hills’ hottest hitters as of late, recording at least one hit in the Braves’ last 17 games and is batting .519 (27-for-52) during that stretch. She’s batting .411 for the year and leads Indian Hills with 17 stolen bases. She’s also second on the team in total hits with 30, behind only Durando. … Leadoff hitter Nicole Leocata has also been hitting well lately, batting .438 (14-for-32) with 11 RBI in the month of the May (nine games) and leads the teams in runs scored, with 23. … Shelby Allen has 10 doubles, four HR and 32 RBI. … And, as always, Indian Hills is one of the top defensive teams in North Jersey. … As for Park Ridge, the Owls enter on a four-game winning streak, which started on Monday with a convincing 10-1 win over No. 16 Old Tappan in the first round and was fueled by three RBI from freshman KellyAnn Rubino and two RBI from Angela Rivera. … Pitcher Erica Huber, who has really done a great job replacing the injured Emily Kline for the majority of this season, will likely be in the circle — and pitched well against Indian Hills the first time around. … Offensively, Park Ridge has a pair of players with over 100 career hits in shortstop Alexis Criscuolo and right fielder Lindsay Beer, and Rivera, Rubino, Mel Dulberg and Cam Layne have all been consistent run-producers for the 18-win Owls, who are closing in on the NJIC Patriot division title at 13-1 in league play.
No. 8 Ridgewood (18-5) vs. No. 9 Paramus (17-7) — at Old Tappan, Sunday, 11 a.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Ridgewood’s Nicole Parks vs. Paramus’ Tori Petruzzella
Notes: The pair of Big North Freedom division rivals are squaring off for the third time this season after Ridgewood swept the two-game regular season series. In the first meeting, on April 11, the Maroons won, 7-2, getting two RBI from Nicole Parks and one RBI from Kelly Skettini, Lindsay Gray, Emilie Morse, Zoe Singer and Mia Barbera. In the second meeting, on May 5, Ridgewood won, 1-0 in eight innings, getting a no-hitter from Parks, who struck out 14 and walked none. Alexis Biagi provided the game-winning RBI with two outs in the eighth after Rachel Pizzuti and Singer each singled earlier in the inning. … Ridgewood is 14-2 in its last 16 games, suffering only a 2-1 loss to IHA and an 8-6 loss to Indian Hills during that stretch. The Maroons led both those games, including being one strike away from defeating the Blue Eagles on April 23. … Parks, our most recent Athlete of the Week, has emerged as one of the top pitchers in the state (0.91 ERA, 196 Ks) and has Ridgewood thinking it can make a deep run in this year’s BCT. She fired a 15-strikeout one-hitter in the Maroons’ first round win over Becton. … Offensively, Parks is probably the most dangerous threat in the lineup (she has 6 doubles, 3 HR, including one off Indian Hills’ Devin Durando, and 21 RBI), but the Maroons, one through nine, can all make things happen. According to our database, seven Ridgewood regulars have at least 9 RBIs, led by Parks with 21 (.397 average), Biagi with 18, Singer with 15 (.400 average), Barbera with 12, Skettini (.403 average) and Morse with 11, and leadoff hitter Lindsay Gray with 9. And Kali Wolfer, who has six RBIs, has gone 4-for-7 with two runs scored against IHA’s Steph Thomas and Durando this year. … As for Paramus, the Spartans are led offensively by Kelsey Settecasi and Noel Hodgins at the top the lineup — a pair coach Brian Hay says with confidence are the best middle infield tandem in Bergen County. Both have offensive styles predicated on speed, and give opponents problems once they reach base with their aggressive baserunning. In Paramus’ opening round win, Settecasi had two hits, two runs and four steals in a 4-1 win over Glen Rock. … Like Ridgewood, Paramus also has a balanced offense with seven players with double-digit RBI totals, led by Sally Li with 16, Hodgins with 15, Alexa Salinardi and Ani Avanesian each with 12, Tori Petruzzella with 11 and Settecasi and Alex Ehrenberg each with 10. … In that 4-1 win vs. Glen Rock in Round 1, Petruzzella threw a two-hitter with seven strikeouts and allowed no earned runs. In the Spartans’ 2-0 state tournament win over Ramapo on Thursday, Petruzzella fired a no-hitter with six strikeouts. And in the last meeting vs. Ridgewood, she went toe-to-toe with Parks in an eight-inning pitchers’ duel before surrendering the go-ahead run in the eighth. This could be the best game of the day.
THE FAIR LAWN BRACKET
No. 5 Ramsey (18-3) vs. No. 21 Dumont (13-10) – at Emerson, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Ramsey’s Jess Juhlin vs. Dumont’s Lindsey Gray
Notes: Despite not being in the same division, Ramsey and Dumont still met twice in the regular season, with the Rams prevailing in both meetings, though both games were very competitive. In the first meeting, on April 19, Ramsey beat Dumont, 7-4 in nine innings. The Rams scored the game-tying run with two outs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Holly Cook to score Deven Hadeler and went ahead in the ninth when Nicole Mazzella scored on a passed ball. Christina Esposito tacked on some insurance runs with a two-run home run later in the inning, and Jess Juhlin went all nine innings for Ramsey, allowing four hits and struck out five. In the second meeting, on May 14, the Rams prevailed, 2-0. Katie Olson got the win for Ramsey and Mazzella and Alexa Colon each had solo home runs for the Rams’ only runs. Dumont left-hander Lindsey Gray, one of our Athlete of the Weeks this season, did not pitch in the second meeting. … Ramsey won the outright Big North Patriot division title and is 13-1 in its last 14 games, with that lone loss coming against Immaculate Conception, 4-3. Mazzella, who recently was moved into the leadoff spot, and Abby Triglia are two of Ramsey’s biggest power sources, combining for nine home runs and 37 RBI this season. … Dumont shared the Big North American division title with Fort Lee, and though the Huskies are entering just 2-5 in their last seven games, they’ve made those wins count, with an 8-1 upset win over No. 12 Pascack Hills in the first round of the BCT and a 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the first round of the state tournament. In the win over Pascack Hills, Paige Godlewski homered and drove in two, Gray added two RBI and Jennifer Sweeney and Courtney Deloughery each drove in one. Gray allowed just one run on three hits. … Offensively, Gray and Sweeney have been Dumont’s top two run-producers, as Gray has 10 extra base-hits (7 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR) with 25 RBI and Sweeney has added 18 RBI.
No. 4 Fair Lawn (16-6) vs. No. 13 Mahwah (13-8) — at Emerson, Sunday, 3 p.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Fair Lawn’s Brittany Meerholz vs. Mahwah’s Danielle Iacovo or Nicole Curley
Notes: The scenario is nearly identical as it was one year ago for Mahwah, when the 13th-seeded Thunderbirds upset fourth-seeded Saddle Brook, 6-2, in this round on their way to the BCT semifinals and eventual North 1, Group 2 sectional championship. Mahwah’s Danielle Iacovo had 14 strikeouts and allowed just four hits that day and could be in the circle again on Sunday, though she was removed after three innings (four runs allowed) in Thursday’s state tournament loss to Old Tappan after taking a line drive off her pitching arm in the first inning. Nicole Curley (9-5) came on in relief and tossed four innings allowing one run on four hits, and is certainly capable of getting the job done if Iacovo, who had recently recovered from tendonitis in her knee, can’t go. … Prior to the shutout loss against Old Tappan, Mahwah was 7-2 in its previous nine games, losing only to Immaculate Conception (5-0) and Ramsey (1-0). Anna Nielsen has been the Thunderbirds’ top run-producer with 22 RBI, while Dominique Maio and Mara Senchak have each driven in 14. … Fair Lawn isn’t without injury in the circle either, as Emily Klion hasn’t appeared in a box score since April 23. She was 7-0 before getting injured. Brittany Meerholz has since taken over full-time pitching duties after sharing time with Klion earlier in the season. … After an 11-1 start, the Cutters are 5-5 in their last 10 games, with losses to West Milford, Lakeland, Glen Rock, Ridgewood and IHA during that stretch. … Fair Lawn features one of the top scoring offenses in North Jersey with Danielle Sibilio, Sam Colca, Nicole Hegybeli and Sam Dypko all having at least 18 RBI on the year. … The Cutters’ three best wins this season have come against Paramus Catholic, New Milford and West Milford.
THE IHA BRACKET
No. 2 Immaculate Heart (23-0) vs. No. 15 Paramus Catholic (12-11) – at Saddle Brook, Sunday, 12 p.m.
Expected pitching matchup: IHA’s Steph Thomas vs. Paramus Catholic’s Victoria Soohoo or Kaitlyn Begler
Notes: Immaculate Heart is four BCT wins away from making history, as the Blue Eagles are attempting to become the first program in tournament history to win four straight county titles. They have North Jersey’s all-time winningest pitcher in Steph Thomas, who has 105 career wins and is seven shy of tying the New Jersey state record of 112. Thomas has recorded every decision for IHA this season, racking up 206 strikeouts in 134 innings pitched and has walked just 12 batters all year. … IHA will be meeting Paramus Catholic for the third time this season, sweeping the season series against their Big North United rival. On opening day, the Blue Eagles beat PC, 5-0, getting a two-hit shutout from Thomas with nine strikeouts and two hits (3B, HR) and three RBI from Angelina McGuire. IHA won the second meeting, 8-0, on April 25, getting a three-hit, 13-strikeout performance from Thomas and two RBI each from Rachel Pollard, Jaina Sharma and Emilie Cieslak. … IHA has seven starters batting .426 or higher, led by Thomas (.526, 41 hits, 18 RBI), McGuire (.500, 36 hits, 33 R, 6 HR, 45 RBI) and freshman Reese Guevarra (.478, 32 H, 30 R, 24 RBI). Daniella Ibarra (.471), Sharma (.468), Reagan Jones (.439) and Pollard (.426) give IHA the deepest and most dangerous lineup in the tournament. … But Paramus Catholic is an interesting opponent, especially after the emergence of freshman Kaitlyn Begler, who came out of nowhere and fired a complete game, four-hit shutout against Lyndhurst in the first round of the county tournament. It’s unknown whether it will be Begler or Victoria Soohoo who gets the start on Sunday. Offensively, the Paladins have some weapons, though putting up runs on Thomas is always tough. Steph Triola leads PC in RBIs with 20, while Heather Ronchi and Julianna Longo each have 16. Those three, along with Olivia D’Amato, Alyssa Neal and Samantha Held give PC a solid top-half of the order, though the bats have gone quiet at times this year against upper-tier pitching. PC’s 11 losses this year: IHA (twice), DePaul (twice), High Point, Old Tappan, Fair Lawn, Immaculate Conception, Pequannock, Northern Highlands and Ridgewood. They are battle-tested, that’s for sure.
No. 7 Saddle Brook (22-4) vs. No. 10 Pascack Valley (17-6) – at Saddle Brook, Sunday, 10 a.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Saddle Brook’s Danielle Archibold vs. Pascack Valley’s Alex Pleasic
Notes: Here we are again in mid-May and Saddle Brook has already surpassed the 20-win plateau for the 17th straight season. That’s an incredible run for any program, let alone a Group 1 school… and it’s the longest such streak in North Jersey. At 22-4, it’s hard to understand why, but it seems Saddle Brook is flying a bit under the radar in this year’s tournament. Remember, the Falcons’ four losses are to Pequannock (11-10, in a wild game), IHA and Immaculate Conception twice. … Senior shortstop Lorena Alvarez, bound for Hampton next season, recently became Saddle Brook’s all-time hits leader (with over 175) and already has 50 hits this season, while batting .532 with 29 runs and 32 RBI. … Senior catcher Katie Garbarino, who recently picked up career hit No. 100, is batting an even .500 (41-for-82) with 41 runs, five home runs and a North Jersey-best 49 RBI. … Angela Ferrante is batting .471 (33-for-70) with 32 runs scored and Darian Kraeuter leads the Falcons in home runs, with six, while driving in 28 runs. … As for Pascack Valley, the Indians have been a tough team to read recently. They’ll enter Sunday’s contest 2-3 in their last five games, including a loss to lower-ranked Ramapo, but with a win against higher-ranked Paramus. The Big North National division champions were also eliminated from the state tournament as a No. 5 seed on Thursday, falling to No. 12 Sparta, 4-1. … Sophomore Alex Pleasic is the Indians’ two-way star and has the potential to fire a gem to lead Pascack Valley into the quarterfinals. She’s also PV’s top offensive threat with a team-best 20 RBI, six doubles and one home run. … Olivia Beattie leads the Indians with four home runs and has aded 17 RBI, tied for second on the team with Carly Parenta.
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION BRACKET
No. 3 Immaculate Conception (21-1) vs. No. 14 Rutherford (15-5) — at Saddle Brook, Sunday, 2 p.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Immaculate Conception’s Sarah Piening vs. Rutherford’s Amanda Pendleton
Notes: Immaculate Conception fought its way to the No. 3 seed after weeks of hovering in the 8-20 range. The Blue Wolves, who were BCT semifinalists one year ago (lost to Indian Hills), are undefeated against New Jersey team this season, suffering only a 4-1 loss to Delaware’s Caravel at the Mount St. Dominic Invitational. Sophomore Sarah Piening continues having an excellent year in the circle, entering Sunday’s contest with a 15-1 record, 179 strikeouts in 99 innings and has allowed just seven earned runs allowed all year. Offensively, junior center fielder and leadoff hitter Gabby Slade is batting .548 (40-for-73) with 24 RBI and 13 extra-base hits, while Andee Lupica has been equally as impressive, batting .574 (35-for-61) with 16 RBI. Catcher Lea Georgatos (.459, 34 hits) and freshman Ali Moran (.459, 34 hits) have been the Blue Wolves’ top two run producers, with Georgatos driving in a team-best 29 runs and Moran right behind her, with 27 RBI. Two others, Nikki Kupersmith and Amanda Zielinski have combined for 40 hits and 39 RBI, giving IC one of the deepest lineups in the tournament. … In Round 1, Rutherford defeated River Dell, 11-7, in a back-and-forth game. Katie Walsh led the way offensively with five RBI, while Meghan Whitney added two RBI and Kristen Wernicki and Katie O’Sullivan each added 1 RBI for the Bulldogs, who trailed, 7-5 in the fifth, before scoring three runs in the both the fifth and sixth innings. Natalie Else, one of the team’s top hitters, is coming off a 5-RBI performance in Rutherford’s 11-0 state win over Harrison today and leads the Bulldogs with 22 RBI on the year. Amanda Pendleton fired a five-inning perfect game in today’s win against Harrison for Rutherford, the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 2 and tied with Hawthorne at 12-3 atop the NJIC Colonial.
No. 6 Northern Highlands (18-3) vs. No. 22 Demarest (11-10) — at Saddle Brook, Sunday, 4 p.m.
Expected pitching matchup: Northern Highlands’ Katie Duncan or Sarah Gunderson vs. Demarest’s Stefani Antoshak
Notes: Under first-year coach Chris Broking, Northern Highlands has catapulted itself into the upper-tier of teams in Bergen County, entering Sunday’s contest at 18-3 overall — with the three loss coming to Indian Hills (twice, including once 1-0) and Ridgewood. The Highlanders have also beaten Ridgewood this season (on opening day, 3-0), 10-runned Ramsey, beat Paramus Catholic and swept Paramus. … Northern Highlands has a great lineup, really from 1 through 9, and a dominant 1-2 punch in the circle with Katie Duncan and Sarah Gunderson. Broking can really go with either on Sunday, or both if he wanted to. As good as they both have been on the mound, they’ve been equally as impressive at the plate. Duncan and Gunderson have both driven in 16 runs a piece this season and combined for 24 extra-base hits in the middle of the Highlanders’ order. … Three of the top run-producers for Northern Highlands have been freshman second baseman Fiona Walley (26 RBI), catcher Sasha Brown (5 HR, 24 RBI… and one of the team’s clutchest hitters) and third baseman Madison Bialkowski (20 RBI). If Highlands advances and meets No. 3 Immaculate Conception in the quarterfinals, the Highlanders would have the potential to make that one very interesting. … As for Demarest, the Norsewomen are the unofficial Cinderella (maybe sharing it with No. 21 Dumont) of this tournament as the lowest-remaining seed still alive. They got here by upsetting No. 11 New Milford, 13-8, getting a go-ahead two-RBI single in the top of the seventh from junior Caitlin Rueter to score Victoria Corcoran and Haley Pontillo. The hit capped a career game for Rueter, who finished 3-for-4 with five RBI. … After a 3-7 start, Demarest went on an 8-1 run, though will enter Sunday’s matchup on a two-game losing streak after falling to Ridgewood, 10-0, and West Milford, 3-0, in the first round of the state tournament. … Demarest has no seniors on its roster and is two years removed from a two-win season, but now finds itself in the BCT Sweet 16. … The Corcoran sisters, Victoria and Veronica — both sophomores — are two of the catalysts which spark the Demarest offense.