Breaking News
Local Sports

Friel, George help Montoursville defeat the Bulldogs in softball

By Chris Masse 6 min read

The white pants can stay.

Montoursville normally wears navy blue pants along with their white jerseys, but asked the coaching staff if they could wear white pants Friday against visiting Jersey Shore. They could, but it would be a one-time deal if the Warriors did not win.

Montoursville saved their pants and, more importantly, made a strong statement. Julie Friel threw a fantastic seven-hitter, Emily George went 2 for 3 with two runs and Montoursville used a three-run first inning to propel it to a 4-2 win against the two-time defending District 4 AAAA champions in a rematch of the last two district finals.

"This is a great game to win," Friel said after scattering seven singles and walking none. "It was amazing. We were all really hyped about it."

With good reason. Jersey Shore (1-1) brings back a strong core from last year's repeat champion, as well as some exciting newcomers. And Montoursville was coming off consecutive heartbreaking, walk-off defeats.

To get stellar pitching, strong defense and timely hitting Friday against a team of Jersey Shore's caliber reminded Montoursville that it, too, is a dangerous team.

"It was good because nobody put their heads down. Yesterday at practice we came off the Central Columbia loss and were down and had some trouble defensively and we came to practice and we were amped up," George said after belting a triple and double while thriving at shortstop. "We were ready to lock in and practice for this game and we did that and it showed in this game."

George helped it start showing early, opening the bottom of the first with a lead-off triple toward deep right field. George was behind 0-2 in the count before fouling off a pitch, taking a ball and then going the opposite way.

Lia Bozochovic followed with an RBI triple to center field, scoring on an error. Kayleigh Sheleman (2 for 3) continued her hot hitting and smashed a double down the left field line, giving Montoursville three straight hits to all three parts of the outfield. Raigan Fredericks capped the inning with a clutch two-out RBI single into shallow right field.

"I felt locked in and really good. I got up there and felt confident," George said. "I got down 1-2 and I had to choke up and it was a pitch to hit."

George kept hitting in the fifth inning, delivering another lead-off hit, this one a double to center field. She then used her legs to do damage, stealing third and taking home when the ball was thrown away while putting Montoursville ahead, 4-0.

"Emily is one of our more consistent players because she does have so many tools in her pocket. If she's not swinging the bat hard one day she knows she can drop it down the line," Montoursville coach Mikayla Arnold said. "Her job is to get on base any way, and she does a good job of that. She's out there to reach home plate. That's the only thing on her mind when she's on the bases."

Following the first inning, Jersey Shore pitcher Isabelle Engel did a good job keeping Montoursville off the bases, allowing just that fifth inning run. The senior surrendered just three hits over her final five innings, struck out four and threw just 70 pitches.

Engel kept Jersey Shore in the game and the Bulldogs fought back in the fifth, closing within 4-2 on a perfectly placed Lexi Frey squeeze bunt and Kalyssa Johns RBI single. Friel, however, slammed the door from there.

"The girls kept fighting and battled hard the whole game," Jersey Shore coach Chris Lorson said. "We have a good team and just made some mistakes that cost us but we'll go over them Monday and learn from them and get better. That's all we can do."

Johns and Lynna Clark both had two hits for Jersey Shore, and Engel, Dani Miller and Jaymison Stellfox added singles. Jersey Shore produced a hit in each of the first four innings, but Friel never let it bunch them together and that made a huge difference in how the game played out.

"I was happy how we hit the ball," Lorson said. "We just didn't get hits back to back like we needed to get like they had in the first inning. Hat's off to them for that."

Jersey Shore had success against Friel in the past but the crafty junior had all the answers Friday, keeping a potent offense off-balance, skillfully mixing her pitches and working ahead. So accurate was Friel that not only did she issue no walks, but she also went to a three-ball count just once.

A defense which made massive strides from its two previous games backed Friel up well with Sheleman making some outstanding plays at third base and first baseman Avery Cozzi showing off some dazzling glove work.

"She just went out and played her game and didn't feel the pressure that she was out there alone," Arnold said. "She went out and trusted her defense today, and also trusted that there were arms behind her if she got in trouble."

Jersey Shore did its best to create trouble in the sixth inning when Clark and Engel opened with singles. Frey's bunt scored Clark and Johns hit a one-out single which made it, 4-2 and put the tying runners on base. Here, Friel made her best pitches all afternoon.

After inducing a fielder's choice to second baseman Avery Stahl, Friel went right at the next batter and produced a four-pitch, inning ending strikeout.

"I was thinking I need to keep the ball low so we can get an easy out, so nobody can score. It was a really good feeling," Friel said. "I was feeling pretty good. I've pitched against them most games and they've all hit off me, so I had to come in real strong this game."

Montoursville 4,

Jersey Shore 2

Jersey Shore 000 002 0--2 7 3

Montoursville 300 010 x--4 7 1

Isabelle Engel and Annika Clark. Julie Friel and Nevaeh Montoya. W--Friel. L--Engel.

Top Jersey Shore hitters: Lynna Clark 2-4, run; Kalyssa Johns 2-3, RBI; Dani Miller 1-4; Jaymison Stellfox 1-3; Engel 1-4. Top Montoursville hitters: .Emily George 2-3, 3B, 2B, 2 runs; Kayleigh Sheleman 2-3, 2B, run; Lia Bozhochovic 1-3, 3B, RBI, run; Avery Cozzi 1-3; Raigan Fredericks 1-3, RBI.

Records: Montoursville (1-2), Jersey Shore (1-1).

Starting at /week.