EHT defeats Southern; will play top-seeded Kingsway in SJ Group IV semifinal (2024)

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Madison Dollard was nearly unhittable Friday.

The Egg Harbor Township High School standout pitcher is always a threat in the pitching circle, but that’s never been more true than now because of her mindset.

Dollard pitched a complete game, gave up just one hit and walked two and struck out nine to lead the fourth-seeded Eagles to a 6-0 victory over fifth-seeded Southern Regional in the South Jersey Group IV softball quarterfinals.

EHT will play at top-seeded Kingsway Regional in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The Eagles (19-9) are ranked seventh in The Press Elite 11. The Rams finished their season 19-8.

Last season, EHT lost in the sectional semifinals. In 2022, when Dollard and catcher Payton Colbert were sophom*ores, the Eagles lost in the state Group IV final on a walk-off homer.

“As a senior (winning a state title), that’s the only thing I can think about right now,” Dollard said. “I wake up, I think about it. I go to sleep, I think about it. It’s definitely something I have been looking forward to and don’t want to mess it up.”

Colbert agreed.

“My mindset, after sophom*ore year when we got to states and didn’t win it all, we were so close that one year,” she said. “Like, my heart broke my sophom*ore year when it ended. So, that’s my goal this year: to win it all. Bring it for my school.”

In the third inning Friday, Kaci Velardi doubled in Laura Mack, who had singled, to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. EHT put together a five-run fourth inning, including Colbert’s two-run single to cap the scoring.

“We brought fire,” Colbert said. “I am so happy for my team.”

In the Eagles’ fourth-inning rally, EHT’s Sofia Spatocco singled and scored when Kayli McNulty reached on a fielder’s choice to extend the lead to 2-0. Laura Mack and Mary Del Re each hit an RBI groundout to make it 4-0. EHT hit four singles that inning, and Velardi drew a walk and scored.

“We always do our homework, so we kind of had some game plans going in, and the kids did really well with following that, especially Dollard,” EHT coach Kristi Troster said. “She probably does her homework just as well as I do. That helps us, especially when she is throwing.”

Southern’s Abigail Krill singled in the fifth inning to break up Dollard’s no hitter. Krill’s hit was almost caught by Dollard, but it was just a little too far behind her.

“She’s throwing really well right now, and our defense has been playing solid behind her,” Troster said. “Southern Regional is never really bad at anything. They’re always pretty much solid in every program that they have. They have Central Regional and a couple other teams they play in their conference, as well. We knew that they were going to give us a game.

“Honestly, that one inning we really broke it open, and it was on a whole lot of singles. We weren’t hitting home runs. We weren’t hitting a lot of big balls. It was bases loaded, and we were hitting the ball to the right side on the ground, and we were poking it through. That was a lot of team effort out there. A lot of people came up big with their bats”

Southern’s Kayla Riley struck out two and allowed two hits in four innings of relief.

Dollard said she and her teammates knew Southern “would be good competition, but we came out and were ready.”

“My goal was just to keep them off the bases. They can’t score if they are off the bases,” said Dollard, who is committed to play softball at Fairleigh Dickinson University. “I think I did a pretty good job with that, and I have been hitting my spots recently, trying new things. It has been working out.”

Colbert said the Rams “are a really good team and really well coached, but I think we came out to win.”

Southern reached the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and put together winning streaks of seven and eight games this season.

“They did a great job,” Southern coach Jamie Olsen said. “The girls are a great group. They just love the game, so I am very fortunate to have them. … Nothing dropped for us (Friday). Nothing you can do. We were getting the ball on the bat, just nothing dropped.”

Looking ahead

EHT senior Sienna Walterson was on that 2022 team that lost in the state final. Juniors Laura Mack and Spatocco were also on that squad. Most of the current players were on the team last year that lost in the sectional semifinals.

“We usually try to tell them to have a short memory, but in this case, I think it benefits us to not have a short memory,” Troster said. “They want it. They want it really bad. Once again, we probably did not have the smooth-sailing season that a lot of people probably thought we would, but we came together at the right time and really we picked things up, especially on the defensive side, and we have more people hitting right now in the lineup.

“If we keep staying hot and doing the right things, then we can play with anybody.”

EHT lost 2-1 in extra innings to Kingsway on April 20. The Dragons (22-2) are No. 2 in the Elite 11. Dollard struck out 16 and gave up three hits in the loss. Kingsway’s Jessa Pieters gave up four hits and struck out nine.

“It was a pitchers’ duel,” Troster said. “Dollard didn’t give up a lot. She kept a lot of dangerous people off the bases. “I am confident going in. I know it’ll be an absolute battle.”