Central Turns Howell Error Into Momentum-Shifting Victory in SJG4 Tournament
BERKELEY —Central took advantage of a key opportunity and used a seven-run third inning to defeat Howell, 11-6, in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 Tournament.
Seventh-seeded Central advances to face second-seeded Cherokee in the South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals on Thursday.
Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the third inning, the Golden Eagles appeared headed to the dugout still behind after Howell nearly recorded the final out. Instead, a fly ball was lost in the sun and misplayed in the outfield, allowing Central to extend the inning and spark a two-out rally that completely shifted momentum. By the end of the inning, the Golden Eagles had turned a two-run deficit into a 9-4 lead.
“It’s important to take advantage [of other teams’ mistakes] because you never know what will happen during the game,” senior Sianna Valverde said. “One little mistake can cause a lot of runs so it is very important to pay attention in the game.”
The rally began with a weakly hit ground ball up the third-base line that senior Jaelynn Witte beat out for a single. Central then sent eight more batters to the plate and scored seven runs.
Witte finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Golden Eagles. The senior captain is batting a career-high .320 this season with six doubles while serving as one of the team’s vocal leaders in the dugout.
Jaelynn Witte from Central hitting against Jackson. 4/9/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“She [Witte] leads by example,” Central head coach Steve Stout said. “She has come through in big spots before and you can tell she has been in these predicaments before. That is what is nice when you have a senior that shows themselves in these kinds of situations. In the state games is where the younger girls can watch her coming through, getting a little base hit here and there. That sparks the whole team, and she has been doing that the whole season.”
Witte later scored on the misplayed fly ball off the bat of junior Kayla Fedor. Senior Annarose Torres followed with a double into the left-center field gap to score Fedor and extend the lead. Valverde then lined a hit into the right-center field gap to plate Torres and give Central a 5-4 advantage.
After senior Mackenzie Lowden added an RBI single to make it 6-4, sophomore Kayla Rasmussen delivered the biggest hit of the inning with a bases-clearing double to right field to push the lead to 9-4.
Sianna Valverde playing third base against Southern in the Ocean County Tournament. 4/18/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“I told the girls that’s heart when you’re down with two outs and never give up,” Stout said. “That comes from their heart inside and they showed that here today. I knew I had the bats this season and it was whether these girls would perform in key situations, and these girls have stepped up in these key situations. That is the name of the game. You need to score runs when you need to, and we did that.”
Central added two more runs in the fourth inning when Torres delivered another clutch hit, a two-run double that scored Witte and Fedor to make it 11-6.
The game started quickly in Howell’s favor as the Rebels scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Katelyn Murphy opened the game with a double and later scored after back-to-back walks and a single by senior Alyssa Morales. Junior Nicolette Caronia capped the inning with a bases-clearing double to give Howell a 4-0 lead.
“I told them they have to keep doing what they were doing all season,” Stout said. “We have been down before and they know what to do and they just kept fighting. These girls have been resilient all season long. We have been in these spots before and they keep coming through.”
Central responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases loaded, Fedor singled to center field to drive in two runs and cut the deficit to 4-2. Fedor finished the game 3-for-3 with three RBI’s.
Kayla Fedor batting against Jackson. 4/6/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“We had a rough start, but we have good bats and all nine of us can contribute,” Fedor said. “He [Stout] was not worried at all when we went down. He wanted us to give it our all and make sure we had a good approach and a good mindset.”
Sophomore pitcher Hailey Craddock settled in after the opening inning, retiring six of the next seven batters she faced. Craddock has pitched well over the last two weeks against strong lineups, including holding Ocean to one run on May 13 and keeping Central competitive against fifth-seeded Red Bank Catholic in the second round of the Shore Conference Tournament.
Hailey Craddock pitching against Jackson. 4/6/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“She is still a sophomore, so she is still growing,” Fedor said. “She has done so good and without her we would not be the team we are today. She is our backbone and she helps us grow as a team and brings us all together.”
After overcoming an early four-run deficit, Central now turns its attention to Thursday’s South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals against Cherokee with momentum firmly on its side. Cherokee defeated Toms River North 10-0 in the opening round and enters the matchup with a 19-4 record. Senior pitcher Cali Taylor threw a no-hitter in Cherokee’s first-round victory.
