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BOUND BROOK – Senior right-hander Kari Murray tossed a two-hitter, freshman Hailey Cuyun doubled in the tying run, before what proved to be the game winner crossed on an error Tuesday and the Ridge High School softball team rallied past Bound Brook for a 2-1 win in a Skyland Conference Valley Division meeting at Tea Street Field.
Bound Brook, which won the Valley Division last year before moving up, took the opening-day lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Rachael Gurczeski drew a leadoff walk, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and then scored on a safety squeeze by Marissa Hays.
But Ridge, which is also playing in the Valley for the first time after toiling in the Raritan Division last year, found the equalizer and the winner in the top of the sixth. Freshman Kelly Ross reached on a leadoff walk, before Cuyun ripped a laser-beam double into the right-center field gap to plate the run, although she was thrown out at third base trying to stretch.
Kari Murray followed, ripping a line-drive double to left field, bringing up Gabby Price, whose grounder to second base was bobbled and then thrown past first base, allowing courtesy runner Sydney Perla to score the go-ahead run.
Bound Brook threatened in the bottom of the sixth, as Isabella Marusiak reached on a one-out walk, before Ava Dedousis drew a free pass with two outs, but Murray struck out the next hitter to squelch the uprising.
Murray allowed an unearned run on two hits – a wind-blown blooper by Dedousis in the second inning and a sinking line drive hit by Lili Caprara in the fifth inning that was nearly snagged on a dive by Price. Murray walked three and struck out 10, including the 300th of her career, which came on her first of the season to end the first inning.
Marusiak was also excellent in the circle for the Crusaders, allowing just one earned run on four hits, she walked one and fanned five.
Ridge catcher Kersten Murray blooped a single to center field in the third inning, giving her 99 hits for her career.
BOX SCORE
RIDGE (1-0) 000-002-0 – 2-4-1
BOUND BROOK (0-1) 000-100-0 – 1-2-3
WP: Kari Murray (1-0) LP: I. Marusiak (0-1)
2B: R--Cuyun, Kari Murray; BB--Dedousis. SB: BB—Cunha, ...
