St. John Vianney Erupts for 15 Hits in 13-0 SCT Semifinal Victory
HOLMDEL —St. John Vianney continued their dominant season with another explosive performance at the plate, rolling to a 15-hit, 13-0 victory over Middletown South in the Shore Conference Tournament Semifinal. The win sets up a heavyweight title match between the top-ranked Lancers and second-ranked Donovan Catholic in the championship on Thursday night.
The Lancers have outscored opponents 252-22 this season, including 36-0 in the Shore Conference Tournament, showcasing the most dangerous offense in the Shore Conference. And judging by their recent stretch, the Lancers have no intention of slowing down.
Junior third baseman Brynn Utter set the tone early, blasting a home run over the right-field fence to give St. John Vianney immediate momentum. The Lancers broke the game open in the bottom of the second inning, plating six runs behind a relentless offensive attack. Senior pitcher Madison McDougall, senior shortstop Gabby Gonzalez, and sophomore catcher Olivia Lombardi each delivered RBI doubles, while freshman Olivia Haslacher added an RBI single to keep the pressure on.
St. John Vianney’s Olivia Lombardi (Photo by SidelineSamsShots)
The third inning brought more of the same as SJV erupted for five additional runs. Gonzalez drove in another run with a line drive to center field, while junior center fielder Mia Favato reached on a hard-hit ground ball to right. Lombardi then put an exclamation point on the inning with a towering three-run homer over the left-field fence.
St. John Vianney’s Mia Favato (Photo by SidelineSamsShots)
While the offense stole the spotlight, McDougall continued to dominate in the circle. The ace pitcher recorded her fifth consecutive shutout. She also contributed offensively, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. McDougall currently holds a staggering 0.22 ERA and leads the team with a .620 batting average.
Head coach Kim McDougall spoke after the game about keeping her team focused during a season filled with lopsided victories.
“It’s just about getting the job done every inning,” McDougall said. “We have to come out there and stay focused because we know anyone in our lineup, one through nine, can get a hit at any time.”
St. John Vianney’s Peyton McDougall (Photo by SidelineSamsShots)
McDougall also acknowledged the challenge ahead as the Lancers prepare for the Shore Conference Tournament Championship against a Donovan Catholic team that is currently ranked number three in the state in the latest NJ Advance Media poll, just two spots behind the Lancers.
“Debbie Schwartz does an awesome job with Donovan and gets the most out of her kids,” she said.
The Lancers (24-0) will face the Griffins (25-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Count Basie Field in Red Bank.
