Point Pleasant Borough softball seizing moment to shine: 'Camaraderie and morale'

POINT PLEASANT -- Point Pleasant Borough softball was riding high on a seven-game win streak coming into Wednesday's matchup with Freehold Borough, but it took only moments for the Panthers to be brought back to earth. With no outs in the top of the first, the Colonials shot out to a 4-0 lead that was punctuated by a three-run home run.

Surely this was the moment the Panthers would descend back to reality after their otherworldly start to the season. Point Boro, long a second-tier softball contender, was not going to remain the team with best record of any public school in the Shore. It was a fun run, but this was the long-awaited reality check.

But this season is not a fluke for the Shore Conference B South program, this is the new reality. And this iteration of the Panthers steadily surged back, regaining the lead in the third inning before finishing off a 9-5 victory - an eighth straight win for the 13-1 team.

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"Seeing the team from freshman year to now, there's a huge exponential difference," said senior catcher Georgia Tym. "Doesn't matter where we start, we've really just been able to come together as a team and build up some runs, get the outs when we need them. Camaraderie and morale is really big for us."

The Panthers will have the chance to avenge their lone loss next week against powerhouse Donovan Catholic. The following day, Point Boro will play Toms River East in the Ocean County Tournament final. The program toiled in mediocrity for a decade, but over the past three seasons the team has matured into a contender.

"Growth and leadership, like you can't ask for more than that. But also the way they're writing their own story," said head coach Elizabeth Russo. "Last year, getting to the finals of the (Ocean County Tournament), that was program history. We've never made it to the finals before. And now to have a lot of returners back and they get to continue writing that story."

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Adversity provided Panthers with 'chance to prove ourselves'

Freehold Boro is in the midst of their own resurgent season, and their tenacity was on display as Olivia Edmonds doubled to give the Colonials a 1-0 lead and stellar pitcher Giana Abinanti cleared the bases with a home run, all before the first out of the game. When Abinanti then retired the side in the bottom half of the first, it appeared Point Boro might be the latest Shore to befall an upset.

Instead, the Panthers demonstrated exactly why they're a serious contender with the depth in their lineup. Freshmen outfielders Tezra Kawcynski and Arden Schatzman each contributed RBIs in the second. The following inning, Tym got things started with a triple before being scored by Ashley Palmieri.

"We weren't necessarily expecting those four runs out of the gate from Freehold Boro," said Tym, who will continue her softball career at East Stroudsburg in college. "Once we saw that, we were like okay we need to really get down and dirty and start building up the runs as quick as we can."

The runs kept coming as Ashley Palmieri's clutch hit was followed by Emily Ehrmann's RBI to tie the game at 4-4. An error provided an additional edge as Point Boro took a 6-4 lead and never looked back.

"We know anywhere in the lineup, we can manufacture runs really easily," said Palmieri. "We can get back from basically anything. And then in the field too, I think we can pretty much make plays whenever we need them."

Tym finished with a single, double and triple. She also showed off her electric move with some pick off throws from the catcher spot. Meanwhile, it was the freshmen Kawcynski and Schatzman that finished with a combined five RBIs. It's that type of synergy from upper and lower classmen that underscores the team's success.

"It was a challenge and it was a chance to prove ourselves and not let the first inning dictate the entire game," said Russo. "They did just that and they were able to answer and show up when we needed to."

It was a relatively quieter day from a couple of the team's usual offensive standouts Dakota Palmieri, Cassidy Supplee and Paige Cannon, a testament to just how deep the Panthers' lineup is. This breakthrough season has been highlighted by wins like the one over Southern, but what was really telling was the 5-0 loss to Donovan as the team was still able to get five hits. If they can maximize their offense, an upset is not out of the question on Monday.

"Donovan is our toughest competition every year," said Tym. "Right now, they're our only loss. They will be our only loss, because we're just gonna win."

Point Boro still 'program that needs to earn respect'

There are still some reasonable critiques of Point Boro's success in the wake of their schedule in the B South Division. The Panthers, and their coach, welcome the skepticism and the opportunities it provides.

"I like having to play with a chip on our shoulder. And I like having to earn respect," said Russo. "Go ahead and think what you want, but watch a game of ours and these girls. Every single thing that they have earned, they've worked for."

The first year this class of seniors played, the team went 8-12 and 4-11 in Shore Conference games. Since then, they are 45-17 over the past three seasons. This season, regardless of their successes in the next few weeks, has been transformational for the long struggling program. But the Panthers didn't get to this point by being apprehensive about the challenge.

"There are for sure programs that are respected and will continue to be respected," Russo added. "And there's programs that need to earn the respect, and I have zero issues with being a program that needs to earn respect."

There will be ample opportunities for Point Boro to continue earn respect in the coming weeks. With high-leverage games against Donovan and Toms River East on back-to-back days, the Panthers will further define their postseason paths in the Shore Conference Tournament and Group 2 section playoffs. That section will feature established contenders like Manasquan and those from higher Shore divisions like Wall and Holmdel.

The path will not be easy, neither was the path to the current moment.

"I am so happy that these are doing the talking for themselves and making the noise and making people think twice," said Russo. "It's wins like today that you feel good about it, and you're proud of them."

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore softball: Point Pleasant Borough beats Freehold for 8th straight