It is not unusual to watch a softball game and the two teams could not come away with the victory after seven full innings. When that happens, most of the attention is focused on the opposing pitchers on the mound. For the Green Wave from Audubon, Kiersten Hughes has been spectacular on the mound and her counterpart Jess Goeller for Buena came up big extending this game into extra innings. With several attempts to win this game, Audubon’s efforts were finally paid off during the bottom of the thirteenth inning. The Green Wave had the game winning run on third base and Stephanie Taraschi delivered the biggest hit of the game giving Audubon not only the 1-0 victory, but also the South Jersey Group 2 title.

Both teams had their share of defensive plays in the field that stopped any rally of scoring the game’s first run. Buena has been successful all season long coming up with the big plays which have resulted in the Lady Chiefs 19-9 record. Audubon would have their chances during the extra innings but Buena would end the threat with a key play in the field. Not giving up trying to score the winning run, Melissa Baumgartner started the bottom of the thirteenth inning with a double and was sacrificed to third base. That’s when Taraschi stepped up to the plate and delivered a hard driven ball to left field and Baumgartner would touch home plate for the winning run.

Photos by Frank Crescenti