Dodgers Softball Wins First Game of Season

In their first away game of the season, the Madison Dodgers softball team earned their first win in 2010 against the Boonton Bombers, 12-5. Every Dodger starter found their way to base in the effort, but offense has not been a problem for Madison this year.

Through their first four games, the Dodgers have scored an average of 10.25 runs per game. The difference on Wednesday against Boonton was that the Dodgers only gave up five runs, the least yet this season. Victoria Ellis was responsible, at least in part, for motivating her team on defense.

Ellis had two double plays in the game, with the first coming in the bottom of the third, when she fielded a grounder, tagged the runner en route to second, then threw the ball to her sister Mackenzie at first. Her second double play ended the bottom of the fifth, when she caught a line drive and flicked the ball over to first, completing another double play by the Ellis sisters.

"It felt really good," said Victoria Ellis. "I was just kind of looking to go wherever I could."

The Dodgers only gave up runs in two innings, allowing Boonton to score three runs in the bottom of the first, and two more in the bottom of the seventh.

"We started off sluggish, but once we saw they weren't pushovers, we came out to play," said Madison Coach Hector Martinez.

From the second inning until the sixth the Dodgers shut down Boonton. Both the bottom of the fifth and the bottom of the sixth were 1-2-3 innings – the Bombers were struggling to hit Nicole Iannarone's pitching for much of the game.

Madison batted around and scored five runs in the second inning, their most productive of the game. It was started by singles from Nikki Caruso and Juliana Vezza, who both went three for four and hit triples in the game.

"I just have a positive attitude right now," said Vezza, who is in her first year as a starter for the varsity team at Madison. "I feel like we are really coming together. Besides a few mental errors, we are playing really well as a team, so I'm really happy."

With the Dodgers hitting so well, all they have to do to win is play tough defense.

"Our fielding was better today," said Caruso. "Everything just came together, we were in sync today."

The Dodgers' next opponent is likely to be their toughest this season. They will face the defending Group II State Champion Pequannock team on Friday in a conference match at Madison.

Highlights:

Nicole Iannarone - 1 for 4, 2 RBI, walk

Emily Klein - 2 for 3, walk

Nikki Caruso - 3 for 4, RBI triple

Juliana Vezza - 3 for 4, RBI triple

Mackenzie Ellis - 3 for 5, 2 RBI

Victoria Ellis - 3 for 5, RBI, two double plays

Kelli Scotti - 2 for 4, RBI