The Pirates softball team knew coming into the 2016 season that it had the talent to compete with the top teams in the Patriot and in South Jersey this season, but it hadn’t shown until recently.
Cinnaminson opened the season with a 2-7 stretch, but has played 5-1 ball over the last six games, including a 17-5 win over Florence on Thursday to move to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in the Patriot Division.
“I knew from the beginning of the season this was going to be a great year,” senior Brooke Figiel said. “Everyone is hitting, pitching, fielding now. We had some injuries, but we have some people who can play all positions.”
To cap off today’s win, in the Pirate’s 15th game of the season, Cinnaminson picked up valuable power points. The Pirates grabbed a ton of power points in their 4-3 win over Bordentown in the second round of the BCSL Tournament on Monday.
“We’ve never beaten Bordentown,” Figiel, who recorded her 100th career hit in the win, said. “We’ve never come close. It was so overwhelming. Bunts got down. Plays were run well. We played like we should be playing. It was unreal that we beat them.”
The Pirates got off to a fast start today with a run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead and never looked back, scoring in all four of the team’s at-bats.
“We’re showing a lot of character,” head coach Tracy Bart said. “Most teams, when you’re 2-7, would shut down the season and call it quits. The girls come out to practice and work hard every day. It started slow, but we’re starting to get it one win at a time.”
Brooke Figiel hit a two-out double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from catcher Olivia Pestridge to open the scoring.
Florence answered in the top of the second with two runs to take a brief, 2-1 lead.
In the bottom half, the Pirates answered with two runs on RBI groundouts from Maddison Godwin and Tori Robinson as Cinnaminson took a brief, 3-2 lead.
Florence answered again, the final time, by scoring twice in the top of the third to take a 4-3 lead.
Cinnaminson put the game away in the bottom of the third by scoring nine times on just three hits. The Pirates scored twice in the inning on bases loaded walks.
“We’re seeing the ball better,” Bart said. “They’re focusing on it at practice. When you get a couple wins and score a couple runs, everything starts to flow together.”
Florence added their fifth and final run in the top of the fourth before the Pirates scored five more times in the bottom half of the inning to take a 17-5 lead.
“It’s really nice to see the younger players step up because most of them are freshman and sophomores and they’re going to be in this program for the next two-plus years, which is really nice to see,” Bart said.
The Pirates scored all five runs in the bottom of the fourth without registering a hit. Two runs scored on a wild pitch, one scored on a sacrifice fly, one scored on a bases loaded walk and one scored on a bases loaded hit batter.
“We have a lot of people who can play several positions,” Figiel said. “Everyone is stepping up. That’s all we can ask for. It’s relieving that we have so many people who can play multiple positions and do it well.”
Rebecca Martino got the start in the circle on Thursday going 2.2 innings. Martino allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits and struck out six for the win.
Chelsea Price went 2.1 innings for the save. Price allowed one earned run on two hits. She struck out five and walked two.
“Chelsea has done an outstanding job this season,” Bart said. “Her ERA is under 1.00. Rebecca Martino is gaining confidence. Rebecca Proctor is gaining confidence.”
Cinnaminson does not play again until Monday, May 2 when the Pirates travel to Burlington Township for a 3:45pm contest.
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