Freehold Township Plays Spoiler, Tops No. 9 Holmdel 7-1 in Division Race Shakeup

FREEHOLD —With several division races tightening as the regular season winds down, teams across the conference are embracing the opportunity to play spoiler and ruin title celebrations. That was the case in the Colonial Division on Monday, as Freehold Township handed No. 9 Holmdel a 7-1 loss, forcing the Hornets to hope for outside help in order to clinch the outright division title.

Freehold Township set the tone early by breaking through against Holmdel ace Julia Henderson in the second inning. The Patriots erupted for five runs with two outs, capitalizing on timely hitting and aggressive baserunning. Sophomore Marissa Barbera sparked the momentum with a ground-rule double to left field and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Junior Kiana DeMonte followed by attacking the first pitch she saw, delivering an RBI single to score Barbera.

“We wanted to attack early, stay focused and bring a lot of energy,” DeMonte said. “This is a very big win for us, and it was really important that we play as a team and support each other.”

Taylor Garze, the Patriots’ lone senior, drew a walk, and freshman catcher Victoria Medina singled to center field to load the bases for freshman Taegan Stone. In her first full at-bat of the season, Stone delivered a line drive that plated DeMonte and Garze, extending the lead to 3-0.

“Yes, Yes, Yes, No,” said Stone about her approach in her first full at-bat. “I really wanted to hit the ball, but I have to lay off of it if it is not close.”

Stone entered the game in the first inning after leadoff hitter Alissa Chavez exited due to injury. She went on to produce a strong performance, collecting two singles and adding two more RBI’s in the fourth inning by once again driving in DeMonte and Garze.

“She [Stone] is in her second game and was a JV player that has been swinging for us this year,” Clyne said. “She is new to the roster, but she definitely has potential. She was one of our players of the game. She settled in nicely in a not-so-easy situation to do that in.”

Freshman Madeline Musante, who finished 2-for-3, added to the two-out rally in the second inning with a two-run single to right field, scoring Medina and Stone to push the lead to 5-0.

“It is huge putting those hits together, especially with two outs,” Clyne said. “It is one of those things you try to ingrain as a coach that you’re never out of the game. Even if you have two strikes on you or you have two outs, it takes just one hit. I think their belief and trust in themselves has shown today.”

In addition to their timely offense, the Patriots were sharp defensively, playing error-free softball and shutting down Holmdel’s late-game push. Freehold Township sealed the win with a decisive double play in the seventh inning.

With the bases loaded and Holmdel attempting to rally, freshman shortstop Francesca Svoboda made a key defensive play, catching a line drive off the bat of Amanda Tuccillo and firing to third base to double off Delaney Savage, who had driven in Holmdel’s lone run earlier in the inning.

“A lot of them are not playing positions they have ever played before, and they believe in the process,” Clyne said. “My shortstop, who made that double play to end the game, has settled in nicely there, and they have so much confidence now.”

Pitching has been a driving force behind Freehold Township’s strong second half, and DeMonte delivered another standout performance in the circle. She limited Holmdel to just one inning with more than a single baserunner — which came with a 7-0 lead — while recording nine strikeouts and issuing just one walk.

DeMonte has consistently excelled against Colonial Division opponents this season, recording six double-digit strikeout performances. She struck out 17 batters against Howell in her season debut, fanned 12 without allowing a hit in a 1-0 loss to No. 8 Raritan, and recorded seven strikeouts while allowing one earned run in a 2-0 loss to Holmdel earlier this year.

“She [DeMonte] is our driving force,” Clyne said. “Although she is a junior, she hasn’t really been able to have a season on the mound. She came off an injury last year, and she hit the ground running this year. She works really hard , but she is just a force and a presence for the young girls and such a good person to lead this team.”

“It is a really special thing, but it is not just me, it is all my teammates playing great defense behind me,” DeMonte said. “Our bats are going right now, and it is special that we are all working as a team. We have a lot of freshmen this year, so they are all learning, and it is a good experience right now.”

For the season, DeMonte has compiled 124 strikeouts over 71 innings with a 1.87 ERA. During the Patriots’ current three-game winning streak, she has allowed just two earned runs while striking out 41 batters, including a career-high 18 against crosstown rival Freehold Boro.

Holmdel entered the matchup needing a win to secure the outright title and improve to 8-1 in divisional play, with No. 10 Raritan close behind at 6-2. The outcome now shifts the pressure to Raritan, which defeated Matawan 12-6 to move to 7-2. The Rockets must beat Wall on Saturday to share a co-championship with Holmdel.