S. Jersey Girls | St. Joseph captures tourney crown, 1-0

St. Joseph

can add another impressive achievement to the resume of its softball program.

The Wildcats captured their first-ever Hammonton Invitational championship last night with a 1-0 victory over defending champion Washington Township at Hammonton Lake Park.

The Hammonton Invitational, which began in 1982, is regarded as the unofficial championship of South Jersey. The single-elimination, 16-team tournament brings together the area's top teams, regardless of size or conference.

St. Joseph's Nicole Pagano was scintillating again yesterday. She allowed just one hit over 14 innings of work, including a no-hitter against Bordentown in a 2-0 semifinal victory.

In four tournament games, Pagano fanned an eye-popping 63 batters.

In the final, Pagano registered 13 punch-outs and took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. Washington Township's Alyssa Maiese broke up the gem with a double.

St. Joseph got the only run it needed in the first inning off Maiese. Gina DeAnnuntis collected the decisive RBI with a single, scoring Kiersten Maser, who had doubled.

Washington Township advanced to the championship with a surprising 10-0 rout of top-ranked Lenape. The Minutemaids got revenge for a 2-0 loss to the Indians on April 10. The two teams will meet again with the Olympic Conference American Division title likely at stake tomorrow at Washington Township.

Tri-County. Jill Minix singled home Ally Smith with the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Kingsway pulled out a 3-2 victory over Williamstown.

The Dragons, who shared the Royal Division title with Clearview last spring, moved into a first-place tie with Williamstown. Both teams are 8-1 in the division.

Danielle Rice started the eighth with a double and was replaced by pitch-runner Smith.

Jamie Minix scattered 11 hits, struck out nine and didn't issue a walk. Her counterpart, Rachael Matreale, recorded 10 strikeouts.

Olympic. Rachel Knable doubled and homered as Cherry Hill West knocked off defending Patriot Division champion Shawnee with a 7-5 road win. Ali Hird had two hits and two RBIs and Sarah Penn chipped in three hits for the Lions.

Lady Braves Tournament. With pulling out a thrilling victory in the semifinal round, Holy Spirit captured the championship with a 4-2 victory over host Absegami in the final.

Holy Spirit won three games, including a 4-3 triumph over Triton in the semifinal round as Brianna Baca roped a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Megan Magee struck out 10 and wiggled out of a seventh-inning jam to lock up the title against Absegami.

Allison Gandolfi blasted a grand slam in Holy Spirit's 10-5 opening-round win over Mainland.

Spirit's Katie Bodenlos and Magee, Absegami's Devon Barber and Amber Beauchemin, Triton's Kristy Ordile, Timber Creek's Lindsay Siegman, Mainland's Kara Weiner and Oakcrest's Carly Chamberlin were named to the all-tournament team.

Ordile collected three hits and two RBIs as Triton salvaged a third-place finish with a 7-3 victory over sister-school Timber Creek.

Mainland's Weiner and Alyssa Imperatore each slugged homers in a 10-0 opening-round win over Oakcrest.

Colonial. Alyssa Knighton delivered a RBI single and Davonnae Grasty followed with a game-winning, two-run double as Paulsboro chalked up an 8-7 win over visiting Haddonfield.

Caitlin Morrison netted six goals and Vicki Roddy added four more as

Collingswood

rolled to a 13-6 victory over visiting

Mainland

in a nonleague game.