KRIPAITIS LEADS MIDDLESEX SOFTBALL TO DRAMATIC SWEEP OF BERGEN CC IN REGION 19 PLAYOFFS

Leah Kripaitis delivered a walkoff hit to cap a seventh-inning rally in Game 1 and Madison Rackett locked down Bergen CC in Game 2 as Middlesex College Softball swept Bergen CC in the first round of the Region 19 Division III Softball Tournament.

The Colts moved to 26-8 on the season and advance to the tournament semifinals which are scheduled for this weekend. Bergen fell to 8-34 with the losses.

In Game 1, Bergen took advantage of some Colts mistakes and walks and carried a lead for most of the game. The Bulldogs took an 8-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but the Colts were able to rally, as they have done all season.

With Bergen looking to nail down the win in the bottom of the seventh, Gianna Rios and Sammirah Ortiz put an end to that quickly. The pair led off the frame by belting back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game at 8.

The rally continued and the game reached a dramatic point when Middlesex had the winning run on third base for Kripaitis, who had been a .400 hitter all season. Kripaitis battling, fouling off two-strike pitches before driving a hard ground ball through the middle to plate Rackett with the winning run.

Rackett was also key in the circle, providing three innings of relief to pick up the win.

Middlesex was in control for much of Game 2, building a 5-0 lead on the way to a 5-3 win. The Colts grabbed a lead in the second when Makenzie Marsh singled in a run and Kripaitis delivered a sacrifice fly.

Ortiz added another home run and Jalena Santiago drove in a run with a single.

Bergen cashed in on a couple of Middlesex mistakes, but Rackett remained in control, going the distance for her second win of the day.

Third-seeded Middlesex advances to the Region 19 Semifinals at RCSJ-Gloucester for the fourth straight year and will take on #2 seed Brookdale CC in the first round of the double-elimination tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00PM on Saturday.