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RARITAN TOWNSHIP – The Skyland Conference Senior Softball All-Star Game was played Tuesday at Diamond Nation, and, as usual, the numbers on the scoreboard and the stat book meant little for the league’s 12th graders, representing their high schools on the diamond one final time.
It was about reconnecting with past teammates, forging new relationships, and relishing what will be the last time they’ll share a field with teammates, friends and, for some, even, family.
For Ridge four-year starting catcher Kiersten Murray, the experience ran the gamut. It was her final time wearing the Red Devils’ green, she got to reconnect with people she hadn’t played softball with in years, and she got to share a dugout with her twin sister one final time.
Ridge ace Kari Murray was selected to play in the game, and attended, but was unable to pitch because of a hamstring injury suffered late in the season that forced her to miss the state tournament. It will be the final time the twins will share a dugout, with Kiersten headed to play her college ball at Arcadia University, while Kari will attend Penn State.
“I had a great time,” said Kiersten Murray, whose Team National was on the wrong end of the 4-1 final score. “I was able to play with some of my old teammates who I used to play with and I just got to have fun. There was no stress because there are no stats involved and there was no winning or losing. It was just a night to have fun.”
Kiersten had an opportunity to catch Watchung Hills’ Mia Simon and Pingry’s Casey McKeon on Tuesday, which was a blast from her past.
“I used to catch for Mia and Casey when we were 12,” Kiersten Murray said. “They went to same pitching coach as Kari. So, it was fun actually being able to see how far they’ve come and catch them one more time.”
For Mount St. Mary ace Anna Ziccardi, one of the best pitchers and hitters ever to come through the program, it was also a chance to reconnect.
“A lot of them I actually played against when I was 8-U, town travel in Metuchen,” said Ziccardi, who tossed three one-hit shutout innings, walking one and striking out three. “Like (Watchung Hills’) Mia Simon and (Pingry’s) Casey (McKeon) – and Casey and I are good friends. It was a good change of pace.
“It’s very sad. But I’m also happy a lot of my teammates came out to support, and so did my coach. I wish nothing but the best for Mount, and I think the program is going, so I’m really excited for that.”
Voorhees’ Susan Hockenbury, who was Team National’s other catcher, receiving pitches from Warren Hills ace Laney Adie, admitted to being anxious at first, but she quickly settled in, even ripping an RBI triple off Hunterdon Central ace Emily Van Cleef in the fourth inning – the only run the superstar allowed.
“It was definitely a lot more fun than I thought,” Hockenbury said. “I was really nervous at the beginning of the game, but throughout it was all fun and it didn’t matter who won or who loss.”
For Hunterdon Central’s All-Stars, it’s hard to top what happened last Friday, as the Red Devils won the Group 4 state title, before the team’s eight senior starters headed to prom – with the championship trophy.
Still, for the five seniors who represented Central on Tuesday, playing with girls from other schools was cool, but playing one more game together was even cooler.
“It was a lot of fun getting to play one last game with all my friends,” said Central center fielder Paige Seemon, who was named the game’s MVP, finishing 3-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases. “Also, girls from other teams I had played with I know out of school was fun. We all know each other. But it’s very bittersweet. I made so many good connections along the way, so I’m happy (to finish) with them.”
GAME RECAP
For the first time in four years, the Skyland Conference All-Star Game did not end in a tie, as Team National claimed a 4-1 win.
Van Cleef and Simon were the starting pitchers, and, like when they matched up in a 1-0 regular-season game the Red Devils won, Van Cleef had the slight edge Tuesday.
The Central righty went four innings, allowing just a run on four hits, walked none and struck out nine to earn the win. Simon also pitched well, allowing just two first-inning runs on four hits and no walks, fanning four in three innings.
It was the Hunterdon Central contingent that did much of that first-inning damage for Team American, which was coached by Bridgewater-Raritan’s Sandy Baranowski, in her 28th and final season at the Panthers helm, assisted by Hunterdon Central’s Kelly Rieder and Delaware Valley’s Asa Whitaker.
After Van Cleef limited Team National to just a leadoff single by Pingry’s Taylor Francis in the top of the first, before getting a flyout and two strikeouts to keep it scoreless. Simon then retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the first, before Seemon blooped a single to left, stole second and scored on Red Devils catcher Cassie Stallwood’s single to right field, taking second on the throw.
Kayla Melsky of Phillipsburg followed with an RBI single and Team American led 2-0.
Team National, which was helmed by Montgomery coach Bryan Upshaw, assisted by Watchung Hills’ Brian Figueiredo and Ridge’s Brian McCarthy, broke through in the top of the fourth. Watchung Hills’ Maddie DiSarno delivered a two-out hit, went to second when the ball was bobbled in right field, and scored on Hockenbury’s line-drive triple to left-center.
“It was crazy,” said Hockenbury, whose team played in the Mountain Division this season, where the pitching was nowhere near the level she saw Tuesday. “All I had to do was clear my head, expect the riseball, keep my hands up and let it ride.”
Team National did not score again, as Ziccardi followed Van Cleef with three shutout frames, before North Hunterdon’s Skye Cooke finished up, tossing two perfect innings for the save, fanning two.
“The defense was incredible and there were a lot of great plays,” Ziccardi said. “So, I’m glad they all had my back.”
Team American added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out single from Seemon, a stolen base and an error, with Stallwood’s grounder knocking in the run. The winners capped it in the seventh inning on a lead-off triple by Central’s Zoe Totaro and an RBI hit by Red Devils teammate Maitland Halsted.
In all, Hunterdon Central’s five All-Stars – Seemon, Stallwood, Van Cleef, Totaro and Halsted — went a combined 6-for-12 with four runs scored and three RBIs.
Adie and McKeon pitched well for Team National, with the Warren Hills righty allowing just a run on two hits in three innings, striking out four, before the Pingry lefty threw the final two frames, permitting a run on four hits, no walks, and struck out two.
Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997, and has been on the softball beat since 1999. He can be reached at CourierSoftball@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter/X @SimeonPincus
