Cougars Edge Bridgewater-Raritan in Thriller; Softball Falls to South Hunterdon

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Girls Lacrosse Rallies Late in 12-11 Thriller

Montgomery High School’s girls lacrosse team continued its strong season with a hard-fought 12-11 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan, while the Cougar softball team dropped a 12-2 decision to South Hunterdon.

In girls lacrosse, Montgomery improved to 9-1 after rallying from a 9-8 halftime deficit and holding Bridgewater-Raritan scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Cougars outshot the visitors 20-14 on goal and got a big offensive performance from Elliana Pizzulli, who led the way with five goals. Emma Scrudato added four goals, while Kennedy Dexter contributed two goals and an assist in a well-balanced attack.

Montgomery also received one goal from Mollie Little, two assists from Lexi Lopez, and an assist from Carson Benedict. Sophia Soron helped on the draw with three draw controls, while Kennedy Dexter added two and Emma Scrudato had one. Elizabeth Andes made four saves in goal for the Cougars.

Bridgewater-Raritan was paced by Giada Catanzaro’s six goals and Ashley Ciufo’s three goals and one assist, but Montgomery’s defense tightened late to secure the win. Bridgewater-Raritan goalie Brooke Pino kept her team in the game with an impressive 13-save effort, turning aside repeated Montgomery chances and delivering one of the strongest individual performances of the afternoon despite the loss.

Softball Drops Road Contest to South Hunterdon

In softball, Montgomery fell to 7-5 after South Hunterdon used a fast start to take control. South Hunterdon scored four runs in the first inning and added five more in the second to build an early cushion.

The Cougars collected solid offensive contributions throughout the lineup. Ryane Riddell and Matilda Suh each had two hits, while Maggie McGlynn also finished with two hits. Nicolette Shackelford doubled and scored a run, Alex Winer added a hit, scored once, and stole a base, and Allison McKnight drove in a run while also drawing a walk. Grace Gandolfo chipped in a hit as Montgomery continued to battle despite the deficit.

In the circle, Matilda Suh took the loss, while Ryane Riddell worked 2 2/3 innings in relief and struck out two.

South Hunterdon was led by winning pitcher Elsie Scheetz, who allowed two runs over five innings while striking out six. At the plate, Anika Balog drove in three runs, while Hailey Brown and Carin Gallagher each had multi-RBI performances as South Hunterdon improved to 9-3.

Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomry.com