Montgomery Cougars Battle Through Packed Week of Spring Sports 

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Softball splits four games, baseball grabs a win, girls lacrosse dominates, boys struggle at Immaculata

Montgomery High School’s athletic teams powered through a busy spring week filled with highlights, comebacks, and a few tough losses across softball, baseball, and lacrosse action.

Softball: A Week of Highs and Lows
The Cougar softball team endured a demanding stretch of four games in five days, finishing the week at 2-2. The week began on Monday with a bittersweet Senior Night as the team fell to Manville, 13-6. But the Cougars bounced back in emphatic fashion just 24 hours later, avenging the loss with a 21-9 rout of Manville in the second game of the home-and-home series.

Ryane Riddell went the distance Tuesday night, pitching seven solid innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, with five walks and two strikeouts. At the plate, the Cougars exploded. Connor Fogartycontinued her hot streak, going 4-for-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Charlotte Spina and Isabella Malek each went3-for-4—Malek contributing 3 RBIs and 3 runs, while Spina added 2 RBIs and a run. Maggie McGlynn was clutch as well, finishing 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored.

On Wednesday, Montgomery made it back-to-back wins with a dominant 20-4, run-rule victory over Perth Amboy. Riddell again led the charge, giving up just one hit over three innings while also going 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Spina chipped in with a 1-for-2 day, walking twice and scoring twice, while Emma McKnight added two hits and a run scored.

Thursday brought a humbling conclusion to the week as the Cougars were shut out 12-0 in a run-rule shortened game. Offense was hard to come by, with only two hits—one each from Spina and McGlynn.

Baseball: Late-Inning Surge Secures Win
The Cougar baseball team picked up a solid 5-2 road win over Manville on Wednesday night, improving to 4-11 on the season. The game was tight through six innings, with Montgomery holding a slim 3-2 lead before tacking on two insurance runs in the seventh to seal the victory.

Girls Lacrosse: Offensive Onslaught
The girls lacrosse team showed no signs of slowing down Thursday, blowing past Rutgers Prep 17-4 at Cougar Stadium. Montgomery blitzed Rutgers Prep with 10 goals in the first quarter alone, dominating possession with 24 shots on goal and 28 ground balls. Lexi Lopez led the charge with 3 goals, 3 assists, and 4 ground balls, while Emma Scrudato notched 3 goals and an assist. Mollie Little added two goals, and a balanced team effort rounded out the scoring. In goal, Victoria Formica made six saves and Reagan McCoyadded four

Boys Lacrosse: Struggles Continue
The boys lacrosse team faced a tough challenge at Immaculata on Wednesday, falling 14-2 in Somerville. The Cougars’ 

Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com