JERSEY SHORE–Lynna Clark spent her offseason embracing the grind, understanding this will be her last high school softball opportunity. Aubree Reichard mirrored that dedication.

But Reichard is just a freshman. More opportunities could be coming her way the next three seasons. That matters little to her, nor Jersey Shore’s other underclassmen.

And therein lies a vital reason Jersey Shore has stared so well. It certainly all showed Thursday as Clark threw a five-hit shutout, Reichard drove in three runs and every player did her part, helping Jersey Shore produce an impressive 8-0 win against rival Montoursville.

“I think what’s so special to me and (fellow senior) Dani (Miller) is we’ve waited four years to have a group of girls who are so passionate like we are; players who want to be on the field every single day and give us everything they have,” Clark said after also delivering two hits and scoring twice. “There are times high school softball can be inconsistent with all nine caring so much and we have probably 18 that care that much.

“I think that’s impressive and that speaks to the tradition we have at Jersey Shore.”

This team appears eager to build on one of the area’s best traditions, improving to 3-0. The Bulldogs collected 12 hits, scored in four of six innings, made a series of clutch defensive plays and have outscored their first three opponents, 29-2.

Thursday’s win was especially impressive coming a day after Montoursville (1-1) thumped Central Columbia, 9-2. The Bulldogs avenged last year’s loss at Montoursville and also showed why the present, and future could be equally bright.

“Our team is very well put together. It’s a nice group,” Reichard said after finishing 2 for 3. “We (the freshmen) do a lot of things to get ready for this. Everyone on the team is pushing for bigger things.”

“Hopefully they can learn and at the same time take it all in, how much the game means to us at Jersey Shore,” coach Chris Lorson said. “They’ve all worked hard. I’ve always been a believer in that if you take care of the little things, big things are going to happen. There’s no better example of that than tonight.”

Indeed, Jersey Shore moved runners and delivered timely hits. Clark ran her scoreless streak to 13 innings and Miller at shortstop, center fielder Sophia Wrench and first baseman Lexi Frey all made plays which prevented runs from scoring. Miller threw a runner out at third, Wrench a runner out at home and Frey’s fantastic catch on a wicked Harlee Hagemeyer liner headed toward the right-field line saved two potential runs.

Add that with Clark’s strong pitching and Montoursville went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Clark was poised, efficient and confident in her teammates, striking out four and powering through a strong lineup on 81 pitches. It was especially impressive considering Clark did not feel like she had her best stuff.

“It wasn’t a heck of a game for me. I felt like I was off, but my team showed up,” Clark said. “Even though I had more strikes and had better movement on my pitches at Southern Columbia and our scrimmages, they showed up when it mattered and that really made the difference, so the scoreboard reflected me having a great game when I really didn’t.”

Clark is a four-year starter who likely will play outfield at Mansfield next spring. She displayed her toughness as a freshman when she closed out a 4-3 district championship win against Montoursville, stranding the winning runners. She has worked on both enhancing that composure and her pitching since and is embracing what may be her last opportunity to pitch.

That goes double since her catcher is younger sister Annika Clark. And whether or not she was working at peak level or not Thursday, all that matters is Jersey Shore won, and the sisters created another memory.

“I love pitching to my sister,” Clark said. “It’s so competitive. I love that if I miss a spot, she gives me spunk back. If she throws it over my head, I give her spunk back. It’s a really special thing to play with your family.”

Jersey Shore has worked hard this season to build a family atmosphere and Reichard is one of several first-time varsity players who has felt right at home. A standout pitcher on the Jersey Shore Little League team which captured district and section championships three years ago, Reichard pitched the JV game following the varsity game, going right back to work following her big offensive day.

Also a reliable third baseman, Reichard put Jersey Shore up 2-0 in the first inning when she dropped a well-placed squeeze bunt after Annika Clark hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Miller who led off with a single. Clark followed with a single, scoring on Reichard’s bunt.

Reichard complements her small-ball skills with the ability to drive the ball deep and showed that two innings later, launching a triple to deep left field. The Clark sisters came home, Reichard hustled to third and Jersey Shore led, 4-0.

“That felt great. That felt like it was very big. I felt like I accomplished a really big thing as a freshman,” Reichard said. “I feel like I have a lot of pressure on me being a freshman, but it’s fun. I’m working through it.”

She’s doing so quite well, adding a single two innings later after Amelia Thomas (2 for 2) singled and scored on Lynna Clark’s RBI single. Jersey Shore really broke things open in the sixth, scoring three times as Mya Lehman, Miller, Annika Clark and Frey all collected hits. Lynna Clark, Miller, Frey, Reichard and Frey all finished with two hits.

“I’m very happy with how they played tonight. It showed the depth and the character of the girls,” Lorson said. “They kept digging. They didn’t let the throttle up. They kept digging and trying to build every inning.”

They all continued delivering defensively. Miller cut down a runner at third in the third inning on an Emily George single before Wrench made a running catch and threw a laser home to complete an inning-ending double play. Frey created her highlight an inning, generating another double play, and Clark helped her cause when she stopped a scorched Trinity Belle grounder and took away a potential single for the third out.

Belle was one of five players who produced hits for Montoursville. Massachusetts-bound Kayleigh Sheleman reached all three times, blasting a double off the center field fence which would be a home run at most parks and adding two walks.

Montoursville consistently threatened Jersey Shore, but a tight-knit team pulled even closer when those situations came. And like Lorson preaches, all the little things done well equaled a big win.

“We were supposed to have eight seniors this year, and we ended up only having three and all three of us start. It gives our underclassmen such a chance and I think that’s such a driving thing for them,” Lynna Clark said. “We don’t have a JV and varsity; we have a varsity because every single girl earns it.”

Montoursville 000 000 0–0 5 4

Jersey Shore 202 103 x–8 12 2

Julie Friel and Dani Detata. Lynna Clark and Annika Clark. W–Clark, (2-0). L–Friel, (1-1).

Top Montoursville hitters: Kayleigh Sheleman 1-1, 2B, 2 BB; Emily George 1-3; Trinity Belle 1-3; Raigan Fredericks 1-3, 2B; Avery Stahl 1-3. Top Jersey Shore hitters: Aubree Reichard 2-3, 3B, 3 RBIs; Dani Miller 2-4, RBI, 2R; L. Clark 2-4, RBI, 2R; Lexi Frey 2-4, 2B; Amelia Thomas 2-2, 2R; A. Clark 1-3, BB, 2 RBIs; Mya Lehman 1-3, R.

Records: Jersey Shore 3-0. Montoursville 1-1.