ROXBURY — It took nearly a year, but Morris Catholic avenged a tough loss.
Twelve months ago, almost to the day, Roxbury shut out the Crusaders, denying them a chance to repeat as Morris County champions. On Saturday, they got back to the top of the county, knowing that their journey back was fueled by that loss.
“That semifinal loss is why we won this year,” Morris Catholic coach Nick DeGennaro said. “We learned to not be afraid and to be a good team and be aggressive.”
There was no fear and plenty of aggressive play for the Crusaders in a 9-1 win over Roxbury in Saturday’s final, their second title in the last three years.
DiGennaro noted that Roxbury standout pitcher Hailey Errichiello controlled last year’s semifinal with precise pitches and Crusaders batters being too patient. That changed on Saturday as Morris Catholic racked up 13 hits on the night, including four straight hits in the fourth inning to build an 8-1 lead.
“We work every day in practice with a station about knowing your zone,” DiGennaro said. “Know where that pitch is that you can be successful with and then work on expanding that zone. It builds confidence and you know where that pitch needs to be.”
Senior Hannah Streicher took the loss in the circle during that game and came back to the third county tournament game between these two schools in the last three years.
“It was the rubber game,” Streicher said. “We beat them in the final two years ago, they got us in the semis last year. We’ve worked so hard this year for this game and because of this opponent, so standing here with the championship now, I’m just so proud to be a part of this team and be here with this group.”
What it means
Saturday was a moment of redemption for Morris Catholic, which was on its way to defending the Morris County title last season before being shut out by Roxbury in the semifinals. The Crusaders won four games in the tournament by a combined total of 24-4.
Morris Catholic won the following eight games after suffering that county semifinal loss, winning Non-Public B and reaching the final Tournament of Champions in state history. A loss fueled a state championship run for Morris Catholic last year, but a championship will be used this time around in hopes of the same result.
As for Roxbury, the moment will have to wait. The Gaels have now reached three consecutive county finals but are still looking for the first championship in program history. (Montville won the county title last year.) Roxbury has taken the loss in a county final as motivation in each of the last two years, winning a sectional title in 2021 and taking the Group 3 state title in 2022.
Key play
In the bottom of the second, Morris Catholic broke through for the game’s first run and was continuing to threaten with two runners on. Leadoff hitter Jess Brown was intentionally walked to load the bases for Reisinger, who cleared the bases with a three-run double to give the Crusaders a 4-0 lead.
“After they walked Jess, I knew I had to make it hurt,” Reisinger said. “I was really excited. It was a 3-2 count and that outside pitch is my pitch.”
Reisinger is finding a groove at the right time of her freshman season. She has hits in four straight games this week, including the first two three-hit games of her high school career.
“I told Sophia last week that she isn’t a freshman anymore,” DiGennaro said. “She has played 20 games against some top talent. Jess is the best offensive player in New Jersey, so when she gets walked, Sophia understood but she knew she had to make them pay and she did exactly that.”
Game ball
Streicher made her final county tournament game a memorable one. The senior struck out 10 on Saturday, including five straight batters after Morris Catholic grew a big lead.
“When the pressure is on, she is at her best,” DiGennaro said. “She’s just big in the clutch. It’s who she is.”
Streicher appeared surprised to be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, but the stat line spoke for itself. Across three starts, Streicher allowed three runs (none earned) on eight hits, striking out 27 and allowing one walk across 21 innings. Streicher’s season earned run average is now down to 0.75
What’s next
After Morris Catholic and Roxbury clashed in last season’s semifinals, both teams went on to win group titles. Both teams are strong favorites to repeat and are expected to be top seeds in their respective brackets when the cutoff date hits this week.
“We just need to keep this confidence we have earned,” Reisinger sad. “We need to go into the state tournament with the same confidence we had here that we can win every game and keep that success going.”
They said it
“The biggest thing we struggle with sometimes is the young players we have and not being able to keep the confidence from game to game and even inning to inning. A win like this one shows us how to carry that confidence.” − Morris Catholic coach Nick DiGennaro.
“I love being a part of this group and getting to play in this tournament. I’m gonna miss being here next year, but I’ll be in the stands. This is one of the best tournaments around and it shows when you see the talent playing in it.” − Morris Catholic senior Hannah Streicher.
