The Alternative Press

LIVINGSTON, NJ - With star pitcher and clean-up hitter Jess Peslak sitting out, junior Jazzy Pignatello pitched four shut-out innings, giving up only one hit, to get the Lancers’ 21^st victory.

Pignatello received a lot of help from her offense especially a second inning surge where all nine starters received an at bat and recorded a total of eight runs.  Four players recorded RBIs in the inning, Rachel Wasilak, Kate Riley, Jazzy Pignatello, and Ana Chambers.

Senior Carly LaGrota opened the inning with a walk and advanced to third on Ana Chambers’ SAC bunt. After Cate Leu’s groundout, Kyle McLaughlin came to the plate with two outs and the Lancers only holding a 1-0 lead. McLaughlin reached base striking out on a wild pitch that if wasn’t misplayed would’ve ended the inning. Wasilak then smacked a hard single pass the infield scoring LaGrota and McLaughlin.

Wasilak then went on to steal second, third, and home base in a fantastic showing of her quick feat and heads up mentality. “I knew we had to play aggressive and score as many runs possible and couldn't take Millburn lightly,” she said.

Senior Reid Singer recorded a walk after Wasilaks wild play and soon reached home herself after a deep Kate Riley double. Shortstop Sam Rothenberger would reach base after being plucked hard by a wild pitch, and would be removed from the game.

Pignatello then gave herself a larger room to work with recording a single and scoring Riley. After Lagrotta reached first for the second time this inning, Chambers would then record a double and the last two RBI’s before Leu would line out to second base.

After a 1,2,3 inning Millers’ starting pitcher Samantha Abrams didn’t fare much better against the Lancers in the third, giving up four more runs, to bring the deficit to 12, this would later help institute the 10-run mercy rule in the fifth.

All nine batters would once again step up to the plate even though the Lancers could only manage three hits in the inning. The Lancers would make those three hits count with two of them coming as RBIs. Livingston overall went six for twelve, .500, in runners in scoring position, a phenomenal feat.

The Lancers look to keep this power surge up especially with the State Championship Tournament just around the corner. Head Coach Jason Daily however believes the Lancers should focus on the game at hand rather then look ahead, 

“State’s haven’t even started yet so we can’t focus on that, we have several games left, once we get past that we can start thinking of state [championship tournament]," the coach said.