Sprofera stellar as IHA picks up season opening win over PC by Chris Iseman of The Record
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – Immaculate Heart Academy picked up where it left off last season.
Olivia Sprofera pitched seven stellar innings and the Blue Eagles’ new-look lineup supplied her with some run support as IHA defeated Paramus Catholic, 3-0, in a season-opening Big North United matchup on Saturday.
Many teams across North Jersey were forced to postpone their season openers after rain on Friday saturated their fields, but IHA’s turf field was playable.
And it didn’t take long for the Blue Eagles to pick up their first win.
“It’s just nice to have that first one under your belt,” Sprofera said. “The first game is in the books, it’s over and we can just keep focusing on the next game one by one.”
Sprofera yielded just five hits – four of them were infield singles. The Providence-bound left-hander finished with eight strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.
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It was the type of performance IHA has become accustomed to after watching Sprofera pitch the Blue Eagles to Non-Public A titles in each of the past two seasons.
“She’s lights out,” coach Diana Fasano said. “There were a few hits early, infield hits. But she settled down. She’s focused. She did a great job.”
Paramus Catholic had baserunners in each of the first three innings, but they were all left stranded at first.
Having Sprofera back dominating in the circle is particularly crucial this season since IHA’s lineup is filled with young players settling into new roles.
But one of those young players came through quickly for the Blue Eagles on Saturday.
Freshman first baseman Catherine Thomas hit an RBI single in the second off Paladins starter Katie Kudlacik, who transferred from IHA last year, to give the Blue Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
Kudlacik did a nice job of working out of trouble in the fourth, getting a strikeout and a groundout to leave runners at second and third.
The junior lefty finished with six strikeouts.
“Katie’s very good,” Fasano said. “She was focused, and she was in the zone, painting the corners. She did a very good job. Hats off to her.”
But the Blue Eagles padded their lead in the fifth.
Reese Gueverra and Danica Yatko each singled to start the inning, and Ally Dudek drove them in with a two-run single to give IHA a 3-0 lead.
So it was a freshman and a senior who provided the damage for IHA.
“That’s huge for Cat Thomas to come up with a big-time hit,” Fasano said. “Building that experience in the younger kids is great. For Ally Dudek, a senior, to come up with a big-time two-run hit, it’s all good stuff.”
Immaculate Heart might have some new faces in the lineup, but the Blue Eagles started their season with a solid-all around division win.
“The names will change, but our tradition will continue,” Sprofera said. “As long as we get one run, then they’re doing their job and I just have to focus on doing my job, and the defense makes the plays, as you could see.”