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Sports

East Brunswick Softball Keeps Winning

Teams reaches semis in two tournaments

With two tournaments going on at the same time, the pressure has been on the East Brunswick High softball team on an almost daily basis.

Come to think of it, East Brunswick is the top seed in both the Central Jersey Group IV and Greater Middlesex Conference tournaments. The team is 22-1. Maybe most of the pressure is on the opposition.

"It is a little nerve-wracking, but it's not like any of us has to do it alone," Bears Beth Ann Hyland said. "I depend on my teammates and they depend on me. I know if the ball is hit off of me, they're going to make the play. It's all nine of us out there working together."

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As a result, East Brunswick won its first two games in both tournaments.

East Brunswick's toughest game was in the opener of the GMC. Based on the records and seeds, this didn't figure to be much of a challenge. Instead, East Brunswick had to work hard to defeat Sayreville, 4-3, on May 22.

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Sayreville scored two in the first. East Brunswick took the lead with a three-run double by Dallas Ostin in the fourth. Shannon Costello (two hits), Catlin Hertel and Jackie O'Connor each had a hit and run scored.

East Brunswick opened play in the Central Jersey Group IV Tournament with a 5-0 win over Marlboro on May 24.

The following day, East Brunswick also defeated JP Stevens, 5-0, in the second round of the GMC.

"It's not like I went into the games thinking I was going to have back-to-back shutouts," Hyland noted of her 11th and 12th shutouts of the season. "I'm not thinking about that stuff too much. I just want to win it for my teammates. We're all in this together."

Hyland only allowed Marlboro three hits. She allowed JP Steven just two hits.

Against Marlboro, Lauren Pensaville and Alex Krantz (RBI) had two hits each. Hertel added two RBI.

Against JP Stevens, Dewitt, O'Connor and Costello (two) had RBI.

"We're just trying to keep up the intensity and the energy level," Hyland said.

In the second round of the state tournament, East Brunswick defeated Middletown North, 7-2, on May 26.

Gabrielle Kelliher and Sarah Gunia both homered in the win.

East Brunswick will play Monroe in the GMC semifinals on May 28. It will face Howell in the CJ Group IV semis on May 31.

"Our team has never won both the GMC and the state sectionals in the same year before," Hyland said. "Now that we have gotten further along in both tournaments, we want to win them even more. We never want to let up." 

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