Cougar Sports Struggle in Cold, Tough Outings for Baseball and Lacrosse Squads

April 10, 2025

Nicholas Mistretta MHS

’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

It was a chilly and challenging day for Montgomery Cougar athletics, as three varsity teams saw action—and all three came up short on a brisk spring afternoon.

Baseball: Cold Bats and Costly Errors in Shutout Loss
Fans bundled up to brave the cold, but the Cougar baseball team couldn’t warm up their offense, falling 9-0 to Phillipsburg at home. The loss drops Montgomery to 1-3 on the season, while the visiting Stateliners improved to 3-1.

Phillipsburg came out swinging, putting up a 5-run first inning that set the tone. Mason Nuefeld took the loss, tossing 71 pitches over 3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 6 runs. Liam McDonnell came in for relief, throwing 3 solid innings while giving up 2 hits and 2 runs—only one of them earned. Alex Bender pitched the final inning, giving up a pair of hits and another run.

Offensively, Montgomery couldn’t get much going. John Donahue stayed hot at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, while Shay Cheskis, Evan Puleio, Saiyuj Kobla, and Alex Bender each chipped in with a hit. In the field, the Cougars struggled, committing 8 errors—mistakes that proved costly.

Girls Lacrosse: Slow Start Sinks Cougars Against Bernards
Montgomery’s girls lacrosse team suffered their first loss of the season, falling 14-10 to an undefeated Bernards squad (3-0). The Mountaineers came out firing, opening the game with five unanswered goals in the first quarter—an early deficit the Cougars couldn’t overcome.

Montgomery settled in through the second and third quarters, playing even with Bernards and dominating the fourth. But the early hole proved too deep despite a strong offensive push.

Sophomore Sophia Soron led the way with 4 goals, 4 ground balls, and 7 draw controls. Ellie Pizzulli added 3 goals and an assist, along with 4 GBs, 6 DCs, and 2 forced turnovers. Kennedy Dexter contributed 2 goals and an assist, while Emma Scrudato scored once and added 2 GBs, 3 DCs, and 2 forced turnovers. In goal, Reagan McCoy recorded 6 saves while allowing 14 goals.

The loss drops the Cougars to 4-1 on the year.

Boys Lacrosse: Late Push Falls Short vs. Pennington
The boys lacrosse team also fell short on a cold, windy day at Cougar Stadium, dropping a 9-6 decision to Pennington. The loss brings Montgomery’s record to 1-4 on the season.

Matthew Cudmore led the scoring effort with 2 goals, while Finn Jaworovich added a goal and an assist. Patrick Petrozinnini, Jack Sentman, and Zach Mutton each found the back of the net once. Despite solid goalkeeping from Xander Mancilla—who posted 14 saves on the day—the Cougars couldn’t mount a complete comeback.