SOFTBALL: Washington Twp. gets 13 knocks, Hughes' milestone 100th
MEDFORD – Washington Township junior shortstop Jess Hughes knew she needed three hits to reach 100 for her high school career.
However, her main focus on Thursday was on getting the victory over Shawnee. She figured the hits would take care of themselves.
They did. Hughes was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI in the Minutemaids' 11-1 Olympic Conference American Division victory over the host Renegades in a game that ended in five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Her third-inning RBI double was her milestone 100th career hit.
"I was very nervous," said Hughes, a Fordham recruit. "I knew I couldn't get it the first game, so I was trying to get it the second. I knew it was going to be really hard, but I was determined to get it.
"We're really powerful this year, just like last year. I didn't really expect it, but I knew that we would be good hitters. I didn't think we would be this good of hitters, but we practice hard."
The Minutemaids, the defending Group 4 state champions, racked up 13 hits against Shawnee. They've outscored their first two opponents 33-1.
Pretty impressive numbers for a team that graduated All-South Jersey players Taylor Coroneos, Kylie Mulholland and Kristen Turner from last year's roster. Coroneos, the team's pitcher, was the 2013 Courier-Post Softball Player of the Year.
"I tell you, they're doing a really nice job at the plate the last two games," Washington Township coach Tracy Burkhart said. "I'm very happy with their pitch selection, and they're hitting the ball hard.
"How impressive is that, that Jess got her 100th hit second game of the season as a junior? I think that says a lot. She's the real deal. Great shortstop, great hitter. Sees the ball very well."
Washington Township (2-0), ranked No. 5 in the Courier-Post Preseason Top 15, got on the scoreboard real early. Hughes had a leadoff single in the first inning, followed by a walk by Kellianne Gaffney. Then, Lauren Sandelier sent a ball over the left-field wall for a three-run homer.
"She actually made a comment that she swung like a field hockey swing, because the pitch was a little low," Burkhart said. "She actually got all of it, even though it was low, probably a ball."
"It was great," Sandelier said. "Jess and Kelli got on, so that was a great start. The team cheered us on. It was just a big team effort. That hit was a part of the big party. It was pretty awesome.
"It's really big shoes to fill. It's really hard to compete with them (the graduated seniors), but we have been working really hard in the offseason. It's really helped us and played a big role. We all work together and have fun."
After Sandelier's blast, Shawnee starter Connor Gilligan struck out the next batter but hit the next batter, Dominique Fiorentino, with a pitch. She was relieved by third baseman Sabrina Scott. Later in the frame, Jenna Mills' RBI single made it 4-0.
Washington Township went up 6-0 in the second on an RBI double by Sandelier and an RBI groundout by Fiorentino. The Minutemaids punched in a run in the third and two apiece in the fourth and fifth.
The way the Minutemaids were hitting, they were extremely tough to pitch to and to defend. They had six extra-base hits, including doubles by Dominique Palagruto, Sandelier, Hughes, Alyssa Cudeyro, a triple by Fiorentino and a homer by Sandelier, who was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Mills got the victory for the Minutemaids, scattering six hits. She had two strikeouts and a walk.
Shawnee's Taylor Gilligan had two doubles in the defeat for the No. 6 Renegades (1-1), who were eliminated by Washington Township in the South Jersey Group 4 final last season. Her second double, which came in the fifth inning, plated her team's lone run.
"They came off the bus firing on all cylinders, and we didn't," said Shawnee coach Paula Escudero, whose team lost All-South Jersey pitcher Jackie Pezzato to graduation. "Kudos to them. They did a great job. They came ready to play. They're a very good hitting team.
"We just said to the girls, 'We can't let this game define our season'. We have them three times in three weeks. Our season isn't about Washington Township. We're not going to just concentrate on Washington Township. We have a lot of other games to play. We'll prepare."
Reach Celeste E. Whittaker at cwhittaker@cpsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @cp_CWhittaker
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Washington Twp. 11 Shawnee 1
• Player of the game: Township's Jess Hughes was 3-for-4 with a double, which was her 100th hit.
• Play of the game: Lauren Sandelier's three-run home run in the first inning.
• Well said: "How impressive is that, that Jess got her 100th hit second game of the season as a junior? I think that says a lot. She's the real deal. Great shortstop, great hitter. Sees the ball very well." —Township coach Tracy Burkhart.