H.S. softball: It's bombs away for Fischer, Bordentown

Brianna Fischer says the Bordentown High School team really can play small ball.

But these Bombers aren’t going to be remembered for the ability to get a bunt down.

Bordentown has blasted 32 extra-base hits, including a whopping 16 home runs, in the span of 16 games so far this spring. The power game has worked as the Scotties have muscled their way to a 15-1 record and the No. 1 ranking in South Jersey.

Fischer says her approached at the plate is simple – she just wants to hit a hard line drive and get on base.

However, hidden inside that quick, compact stroke from the right side is a ton of power and she’s become one of the demolition technicians on the Bordentown Bombers this spring.

Fischer delivered a three-run homer to highlight the top-ranked Bordentown High School softball team’s 5-3 win over No. 3 Kingsway on Thursday.

It was Fischer’s fourth homer of the season – all of which have been blasted in the last five days.

“We can lay down bunts and play the small game, but we definitely have a lot of power hitters in the lineup,” Fischer said. “We’re kind of big girls and we’re able to (hit for power).”

Senior third baseman Sofie Peterson leads the team with seven homers, Kaci Benton has launched three and sisters Erin and Allison Hoppe have accounted for one round-tripper apiece.

Fischer, who hits third in the Bordentown lineup, has collected 20 hits with seven going for extra-bases and a career-high 23 RBIs. She went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored against Kingsway.

“She’s definitely a mixture of a great contact hitter and a power hitter,” Bordentown head coach Nicole O’Leary said. “She gets those home runs when we need her to, but she just makes that hard contact every time.”

Fischer has bounced around on defense, playing shortstop as a freshman before going behind the plate. She’s moved back to shortstop this spring saying “Whatever the team needs, you do it.”

“She’s definitely grown as a person and has taken on a leadership role for this team,” O’Leary said.

One thing that hasn’t changed is her production at the plate. She owns 73 career hits with 22 extra-base knocks, including 11 home runs.

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Fischer plays her club ball for TNT (Tough and Tougher) New Jersey, along with many of her Bordentown teammates. However, Fischer says she isn’t looking to clear the fence on any of her swings.

“I’m really not trying to do anything big, I’m just want to square the ball up, hit a line drive and try to get on base,” Fischer.

The line-drive strategy certainly worked on a blustery day. While the gusty conditions knocked many balls in the air down, Fischer’s liner cut through the wind in the third inning. The three-run shot gave the Scotties a 4-0 lead.

What might be even scarier for opponents is what this bomb squad will do when the warmer weather finally arrives for good this spring.

“It’s definitely been tough with the cold and windy conditions,” Fischer said. “You just have to be ready for anything and make adjustments to the conditions.”

After playing Donovan Catholic, the top-ranked team in the state, in Saturday’s Hammonton Invitational, Kingsway (12-3) faced South Jersey’s best on back-to-back days. The Dragons scored three times in the bottom of the seventh for a thrilling 5-4 win with Hannah Weismer delivered the walk-off hit against No. 2 Egg Harbor Township on Wednesday.

"These are the games we will look back upon and say got us ready for the playoffs," Kingsway head coach Jill Ward said. "This is why we are progressing the way we are. We're seeing some great pitching and it's only going to make us better. This team never quits and this stretch is going to help us in the long run."

Game balls

Bordentown starting pitcher Allison Hoppe struck out 11 – her eighth double-digit K performance of the spring. She fanned the side in the first and third innings and two in the seventh, including the final hitter with the tying runs on base.

The Scotties had 12 hits with two knocks apiece for Lillian Nucera, Angelina Marino, Erin Hoppe, Allison Hoppe and Fischer.

Kingsway recorded eight hits including two each for sisters Olivia and Brianna Sciulli and Delaney Patella.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: H.S. softball: It's bombs away for Fischer, Bordentown