Stories on all four MCT quarterfinals
EWING » Although the Notre Dame softball team has often struggled this year against quality pitching, it does have the potential to cause some serious damage when it gets on a roll at the plate.
All of this was on display Thursday afternoon when Notre Dame crushed West Windsor South by the score of 17-4 in a long six innings in the quarterfinal round of the Mercer County Tournament.
In addition to advancing to the semifinals Monday night against undefeated Robbinsville, Notre Dame (15-6) also avenged a loss to the Pirates from earlier in the season. The two are scheduled to play again Saturday for the CVC Colonial Division title.
Notre Dame’s bats were clicking all day against two different South pitchers. By the time it was over, Hailee Jantorno, Ashley Giampolo and Alexis Staniec had all collected three hits.
The biggest bat, however, belonged to hard-hitting catcher Rachel Zingerman, who went 4-for-5. Two of those hits were doubles and she finished with six RBIs in support of pitcher Emily Sharlach.
Sharlach struck out eight and was touched up a bit at the end when Leah Churinskas (2-for-3) hit a two-run homer deep over the left-field fence, but by that point the game was already well in hand.
Staniec and Noelle Geroso also doubled for the Irish, who lost to Robbinsville by the score of 2-1 when the teams recently met during the regular season.
Monday night’s semifinal will also be a rematch of last year’s MCT championship game that Robbinsville won by the score of 6-5 in extra innings.