Hanover Park comes from behind against Bernards, walks off with sectional softball title
EAST HANOVER — Hanover Park softball has a strict list of things that must be done before the players can even think about starting a game.
They must wear the same uniforms – black jerseys and white pants – with the same hairstyles and ribbons: either the school's black-and-gold or green-and-purple for mental-health awareness. The same people have to lay out the bases, and there'll be shouts of warning if anyone else tries to take over that chore. The Hornets have the same batting practice order. They even play the same warmup music.
None of the many superstitions seemed to be working in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 2 final on Thursday afternoon.
But new Hanover Park head coach Sergio Rodriguez had his own sixth sense. With the Hornets trailing Bernards heading to the bottom of the seventh, Rodriguez predicted a walk-off.
Junior third baseman Alyza Dooley delivered a grounder through the middle to lift Hanover Park to a 6-5, nine-inning, walk-off victory against the Mountaineers.
It is the Hornets' first sectional title since 2018.
Hanover Park will play Pequannock in a Group 2 semifinal on Wednesday. The 10th-seeded Golden Panthers toppled No. 1 Indian Hills, 6-0, in Friday's North 1, Group 2 final.
"It's a lot to process right now," Dooley said, her hair in the same fishtail braid as every other game this spring.
"It just feels amazing. Not even just for me, but for the seniors. I said (to senior pitcher Adriana Carter), 'You're not getting rid of me. It isn't over yet.' She's still stuck with me for a few more games."
Even though Hanover Park High School brings together students from East Hanover and Florham Park, most of the Hornets have been playing together since third grade, first on a two-town recreation team, then travel ball and in middle school.
"It feels good for all the effort to pay off," said junior shortstop Peyton Sward, who had braided Dooley's hair.
"We were a little nervous, but everyone's excited in a championship game. We've been playing together all our life. We know how to come back, and we wanted it. ... It feels good to win with the girls you grew up with."
Young guns
Though fourth-seeded Bernards hadn't been to a sectional final since 2015, the visitors wasted no time ensuring Hanover Park (20-7) would need to come from behind.
Mountaineers shortstop Gina Mahlik drove the second pitch of the sectional final into right-centerfield. Sophomore third baseman Maddie Rivetti doubled home centerfielder Ashley Levine – one of just two seniors on the squad – with another first-inning run.
Meanwhile, sophomore Maddie Lardieri seemed in command. She had faced just one batter over the minimum until the fourth, when Carter launched a homer into a crowd of male Hanover Park students beyond the centerfield fence.
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But Lardieri was able to escape with two on. Hanover Park tacked on one more run in the fifth, but left the bases loaded.
"She got us here," said Mountaineers coach Leslie O'Connor, who started seven sophomores and a freshman.
"She had one bad inning. The next inning, she mows them down 1-2-3. That shows maturity. ... They've never been here before. They wanted it bad. They'll be here again."
Comeback kids
Sophomore centerfielder Gina LaGravenis started Hanover Park's seventh-inning comeback with a solo homer. Sward followed with an infield single. Catcher Molly Cocco and Dooley hit back-to-back doubles, tying the game.
Bernards (16-6) knew a little something about comebacks, needing one against No. 5 Passaic Valley in the quarterfinal and squeaking out an eight-inning victory against No. 1 Madison in the semi.
Hanover Park clobbered Leonia, Caldwell and Rutherford by a combined 39 runs to six. Rodriguez was certain his team could hit, particularly as Lardieri had to throw more pitches.
That's why he made the walk-off prediction.
Sward opened the bottom of the ninth with a double. With one out, Dooley started the Hornets' celebration.
Dooley finished 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a strikeout and three RBI, including her first walk off. Sward, who made several outstanding defensive plays at short, added three hits, a RBI and two runs scored.
"From Day One, I had a good feeling with this group," said Rodriguez, who had been the head coach at Newark Academy for 12 years and an assistant at Rutgers-Newark.
"They were hungry. To win for them, it makes the 27 years of coaching special. ... It's been a dream season with a great group of kids."
Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.
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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ softball: Hanover Park comes back to beat Bernards in N2G2 final
