JERSEY SHORE– Jersey Shore and Central Mountain have made for quite the rivalries over the years. Not just because the teams are separated by 16 miles, but because the two teams refresh quite the talent in both programs. Although it was mainly one-sided, the strengths and flair were on display when the Wildcats (10-4, 7-2 HAC-I) visited the Bulldogs (11-3, 7-2 HAC-I) Saturday morning.

Jersey Shore cobbled 11 hits, including nine in the first four innings, to defeat cross-country rival Central Mountain, 11-0 at home in five innings in what was an all-around stellar performance for the streaky Bulldogs.

“We just wanted to come out here and do what we needed to do. Yesterday at practice we had a big group talk about how we need to make the little things happen so we could go out and kill it,” Pfirman said.

Jersey Shore sophomore phenom hitter Lynna Clark led the charge for the Bulldogs with a perfect 3 for 3 day one run while senior Emma Pfirman went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and freshman Lexi Frey went 2 for 2 with one RBI and one run. On the hill, Frey pitched a brilliant and clever, one-hit shutout, striking out four batters and walking just two.

Frey, Jersey Shore’s first-year pitcher, pitched her first start of the year without much hesitation. She only needed 70 pitches in what was a near no-hitter up until the final inning where the Bulldogs closed the door. She mixed in various pitches and worked her fastball and changeup well.

“I just wanted to hit my spots because I had a good defense behind me,” Frey said about her approach in the circle.

Central Mountain’s scoreless day was capped by a one-hit effort by junior Ava Doyle, who went 1 for 2 at the plate with one stolen base. On a higher note, Central Mountain senior ace pitcher Adalynn McKeague, who pitched just one inning, pitched just one strikeout, which was all she needed to complete the 500 career strikeouts milestone with three regular season games and playoffs remaining.

Beating a crosstown rival gives bragging rights, but this win served as more than that. Jersey Shore’s victory puts the Bulldogs, Central Mountain and Shikellamy in a three-way tie in the Heartland Conference standings.

The last time Jersey Shore and Central Mountain met on April 23 in Mill Hall, the Wildcats won a 3-2 thriller on a Katelyn Bowman walk-off single and it proved to be a heartbreaker for the Bulldogs who fought every inch in that game but just fell short. It simply wasn’t their day to win but it came out with enthusiasm Saturday, knowing how important and capable they are of winning this big game, setting up a big end-of-regular-season showdown.

The little things each Jersey Shore player did to step up and make necessary plays was important throughout the game, but especially in pivotal moments. The third inning swung the momentum of the game but it was the start the Bulldogs had in the bottom of the first that gave it the confidence to keep its bats swinging in the right direction.

After Grace Russell got to first on a walk, Clark and Jaymison Stellfox both hit singles to load the bases. After a walk by Jocelyn McCracken, who scored a team-high two runs on the day, her and Frey walked two runs in before Pfirman smacked her first hit of the day which was a two-RBI single that put the Bulldogs ahead five runs in the first inning.

After a scoreless, one-hit second inning from Jersey Shore, the Bulldogs used the momentum of keeping the Wildcats at bay defensively to strong offense. McCracken walked on a good at-bat read, Frey singled and Pfirman hit another clutch, one-out RBI single as Katelyn Stover hit a single.

She eventually scored when Dani Miller made her first hit of the game with an RBI double, where she rounded the bases after two Central Mountain miscues in the outfield.

Clark added another single but Central Mountain’s defense stranded her. Jersey Shore’s bats got going at any point of the lineup on Saturday and each player seemed unstoppable, filling the stat sheet, making the Bulldogs dangerous throughout the entirety of the game.

“We just had to take one pitch at a time and keep that rolling and keep moving,” Pfirman said.

Frey’s performance was quite the treat for a freshman pitcher but she couldn’t do it without the help of strong defense. Third baseman McCracken, Miller at shortstop and Isabelle Engel at first, were among others within Shore’s infield that made a strong presence snagging balls and making quick throws for outs so the road team couldn’t get going.

Frey had one strikeout in four of the five innings and used the last strikeout as one of the third outs to close the game.

“Just my defense behind me, I’m just so proud of these girls,” Frey said about what gives her confidence.

Central Mountain didn’t play the softball it was accustomed to playing over the past few games. The Wildcats have hit a bump in the road, dropping its third game in five. Despite Doyle’s hit and McKeague’s accomplishment, the Wildcats know it’s time to get back to the drawing board. It made contact with the ball but not enough balls to grasp some momentum.

With all of that in mind, and a hold of a three-way tie in the conference, Central Mountain is still pretty confident.

“I just told them we’re better than what we played today,” Central Mountain coach Fred Caldwell said after the defeating loss. “I don’t think any phase of our game was 100% today. Defense, hitting or pitching, we just weren’t where we should have been. We’re going to come back and practice hard Monday and get back to where we need to be.”

Weaver, the freshman pitcher who made her fifth start, held the fort down as long as she could but Shore’s bats were hot after it got rolling in the first. Weaver pitched the final four innings with one strikeout and two walks in 56 pitches.

“Cam has done more this year than I expected as a freshman. I thought she would pitch a few innings here and there and get a few at-bats and just kind of work her in slowly,” coach Caldwell said. “Because of the way things worked out we’ve had to use her a little more than I intended and she’s done a great job. For a freshman, she’s done wonderful.”

Central Mountain has just one Heartland Conference game remaining on its schedule, a bout with Danville Tuesday on the road. Against a team they beat at home earlier this season, 11-1, in five innings, the Wildcats will look to come out with a chip on their shoulder, take care of business and let the rest of the conference fizzle itself out.

“It should have been enough motivation for today, coming in knowing if we win we control our own destiny. Apparently it was not,” coach Caldwell said. “So, we’ll find a way to pick it up.”

Jersey Shore arguably played its best game of the season so far and with the Bulldogs clicking in all facets, it’s a tough team to go against right now. The Bulldogs can throw multiple pitchers on the mound, various players can make hits up and down the lineup and reach base. The Bulldogs get a streaky Shikellamy Braves squad Tuesday to close out conference play.

The rival win was a big one, but Shore can’t get its hopes too high if it has plans for a conference final, districts and possibly beyond.

“Central Mountain is probably one of our biggest games. We’re always looking forward to playing them, we know it’s going to be fun, especially because we know a lot of the girls with travel ball,” Pfirman said. “So I think this is going to help us keep the train rolling and hopefully go kill it at a couple more games.”

Jersey Shore 11, Central Mountain 0 (5 innings)

CM 00000-0 1 2

JS 5051x-11 11 1

Adalynn McKeague, Camdyn Weaver. Lexi Frey. W: Frey. L: Weaver. 2B: Dani Miller. Top Jersey Shore hitters: Dani Miller 1-2, BB; Lynna Clark 3-3, R; Jaymison Stellfox 1-2, R; Jocelyn McCracken 0-1, 2BB, 2R, RBI; Lexi Frey 2-2, R, RBI, R; Kaitlyn Herman 1-3, Emma Pfirman 2-3, 3RBI; Katelyn Stover 1-3, R. Top Central Mountain hitters: Ava Doyle 1-2, SB.

Records: Jersey Shore 11-3 (7-2 HAC-I). Central Mountain 10-4 (7-2 HAC-I).

Next game: Jersey Shore at Shikellamy Tuesday. Central Mountain at Danville Tuesday.