Paladino Leads Toms River East to Senior Day Shutout of Toms River South
TOMS RIVER — Toms River East celebrated its seniors by delivering a strong performance. Behind dominant pitching and timely hitting, the Raiders shut out crosstown rival Toms River South, 6-0, on Senior Day. The victory extended their winning streak to three and improved their season record to 7-2.
From the start, Toms River East controlled the game with strong pitching, clean defense, and opportunistic offense. Junior pitcher Kylie Paladino set the tone, consistently staying ahead in counts and keeping the Indians off balance. She worked through early threats and ensured Toms River South never built momentum.
After a few quiet innings, the Raiders broke through in the fourth. Senior LF Addison Gallagher drew a critical two-out walk. Sophomore catcher Maya Ballaccomo then opened the scoring with an RBI double to center. A wild pitch moved Ballaccomo to third, and sophomore 3B Alexa DeMarco built on the momentum with her own RBI double. Freshman SS Brianna DeLima singled and stole second, followed by a walk from freshman DP Layla Hatton. Two wild pitches later, the Raiders led 4-0.
Toms River East’s Addison Gallagher scores the game’s first run after drawing a critical 2-out walk (Photo by Samantha Mayer)
Momentum carried over into the fifth inning, as the Raiders continued to apply pressure. Gallagher and Paladino each delivered singles, setting the table for Ballaccomo, who drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-0.
“I just wanted to hit the ball and score another run,” Ballaccomo said. “I was keeping it simple and not trying to do too much.”
Toms River East’s Maya Ballaccomo at the plate (Photo by Samantha Mayer)
Toms River East added its final run in the sixth as junior 2B Kelly Forrester hit an RBI double to left, capping the scoring at 6-0.
While the offense provided steady production, Paladino stole the spotlight in the circle. She blanked the Indians, stranding runners and recording key outs, including multiple strikeouts to halt potential rallies. Paladino allowed just three hits and three walks in addition to recording five strikeouts.
“I was just thinking to stay controlled, be positive, and just help my team out there,” Paladino said. “The coaches are giving us positive feedback and telling us to keep doing what we’re doing and not to underestimate any team. We have a great group of girls, and we all just support each other.”
Toms River East pitcher Kylie Paladino struck out five batters and allowed just three hits and three walks (Photo by Samantha Mayer)
Toms River South, now 6-5, had base runners in several innings but failed to deliver timely hits against Paladino and the Raiders’ defense. Sophomore Ella Fischer had a strong day at the plate, batting 1-for-2 and drawing two walks. The Indians will look to rebound with road games at Barnegat on Thursday and Central on Friday.
With this win, Toms River East continues to build momentum as the season progresses. The Raiders will look to keep their three-game winning streak going when they host Brick Memorial on Thursday.
