NT's Harmon happy to be back
By David J. Hill E-mail David The Tonawanda News
Julie Harmon’s return to the lineup wasn’t as spectacular as it was for Alex Rodriguez. She didn’t crank a three-run homer in her first at-bat returning from hip surgery, like the Yankees’ superstar did. That’s fine, though. It didn’t have to be anything remarkable for Harmon. She’s just happy to be back in a North Tonawanda softball uniform and playing out the rest of her senior season rather than rooting her teammates on from the dugout. The cheering gig wasn’t sitting so well with the five-year varsity short stop, who’s one of the best in Western New York. “I just wanted to be out there so bad. I was pacing, I was yelling. It was hard,” Harmon said after the Lady Jacks loss to Niagara-Wheatfield earlier this week, in which Harmon hit an RBI triple. “This is my fifth season and it shouldn’t be that big of a deal (not playing) because I’ve had four other seasons,” she said, “but there’s nothing worse than having to sit out and be like, I could be playing right now. It’s great to be back.” Harmon tore her anterior crucial ligament when her leg was taken out on a layup during a preseason basketball scrimmage in November. She didn’t realize the severity of the injury right away, so she didn’t have surgery until Feb. 11. Her doctor told her it would be at least three months from that date before she could be cleared to play. With an offer to play softball at Division II Mercyhurst College, Lady Jacks coach T.K. Murphy didn’t expect Harmon to return this spring. Her teammates didn’t think so, either. “I didn’t really think she was going to come back,” said senior Natalie Hils. “We were really devastated when we heard she wasn’t going to be playing, so it’s awesome having her back.” Click the link above to continue with article.
Falls' errors spark NT comeback
North Tonawanda, NY — Niagara Falls was on its way to continuing its good play from South Carolina with an opening day Niagara Frontier League win at North Tonawanda, until the fourth inning. Ahead 3-0 going into the bottom of the frame, Niagara Falls (3-3 overall, 0-1 NFL) gave up four hits on two errors, sparking NT’s comeback to tie the game at 3-3. The Lady Jacks took the lead for good in the fifth, when Joanna Fretthold led off the inning with a triple. A clutch two-out single by Natalie Hils gave NT (3-0, 1-0) its first lead of the game at 4-3, and the Lady Jacks held for the win by the same score. Click on link above to continue reading
North Tonawanda, NY — North Tonawanda’s coaches promise they’re not trying to make things interesting because it’s their own softball tournament they’re hosting. For the second straight day, the Lady Jacks needed extra innings to win. Natalie Hils’ two-out double up the middle in the bottom of the ninth scored Joanna Fretthold and Taylor Akins, lifting NT to a 3-2 win over Dunkirk on Saturday in the second day of the NT Invitational Softball Tournament. The Lady Jacks took Williamsville East to extra innings and won Friday. Going 2-0 in the tourney, NT advances to Saturday’s championship round. Hils felt good about the hit as soon as she made contact. “It was one of those feel-good hits. It hit the good part of the bat,” the senior center fielder said, adding that she wanted to come through in the clutch because she hadn’t been hitting well in the tournament. She certainly did. “I was getting caught up on that changeup, so I just kept my head down and was ready to hit it and I knew I had to get something going, it was two outs,” Hils said.
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North Tonawanda, NY — North Tonawanda used some eighth inning dramatics to defeat Williamsville East 6-3 in extra innings Friday to close out day one of the Lady Jacks’ host tournament. Sarah Hansen’s sacrifice bunt scored Amanda Mislin for the game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning. NT held a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning before the Flames scored two runs to take a 3-2 advantage. The Lady Jacks tied it in the top of the sixth as Joanna Fretthold singled home April Walker (two triples), who reached third on a triple. Neither team scored in the seventh, sending the game to the extra frame. Mislin reached base on a bunt single and stole second. Caitlin Kirbis singled to right to put Mislin on third. After Hansen brought home Mislin, Taylor Akins’ infield double scored Kirbis. Lauren Lipinoga crossed home to make it 6-3. Junior Allie Gibson scattered six hits and two walks while striking out five to earn the win for the Lady Jacks, who play Dunkirk today at 5:30 p.m. on the New diamond at Edward J. Belbas Fields.
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High School Extra /News and notes
Host North Tonawanda opened with a 6-3 win over Williamsville East in eight innings in a first-round game at the 26th Lady Jacks Softball Tournament. April Walker had two triples and a single for NT, which tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning to force extra innings.
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By David J. Hill The Tonawanda News
When the North Tonawanda softball team arrived in Orlando last Wednesday, they were greeted by sunshine and a high temperature near 70 degrees.
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When the North Tonawanda softball team lost Lauren Lipinoga to injury last year, it altered the Lady Jacks’ season drastically. Lipinoga is back and healthy this spring, but now NT softball has to deal with another severe loss. “Having her back is going to help, but losing a player who I think is probably one of the top three players in Western New York, and that’s Julie Harmon, is going to kill us,” said veteran Lady Jacks coach T.K. Murphy. NT’s leading hitter a year ago with a .426 batting average, Harmon was the Tonawanda News’ 2008 Player of the Year, an honor she was looking forward to defending in her senior season. But the star short stop injured her knee during basketball season and likely won’t play at all this year. Harmon’s injury has created some healthy competition at the short stop position, with Joanna Fretthold, Lipinoga, April Walker and Shaina Bunker battling for it. It remains to be seen how the Lady Jacks will respond without their top player. After returning from Florida late next week, NT will slide head first into the 2009 schedule with its 26th annual tournament. Despite such a key loss, Murphy’s squad has enough talent to be competitive in the always tough Niagara Frontier League. The Lady Jacks have depth in the pitching circle, beginning with junior Allie Gibson, who pitched on varsity last year. “I like to think Gibson’s going to step up and take it to the next level for us,” Murphy said. Bunker, who has been catching for Gibson, said she's looked pretty solid thus far. “She’s throwing pretty hard. She’s got a lot more power,” said Bunker, who as a sophomore is already in her fourth season on varsity. “Our pitching’s definitely going to be better. That will determine a lot.” Also returning is Natalie Hils, who improved her pitching by attending some clinics during the offseason. The Lady Jacks also will be counting on Chrissy Hempel, who pitched on the JV team last season. “We’ve got three viable pitchers. I’d like to think we’ve got a good shot at doing something this year, but we’ll see,” Murphy said. “You never know. Last year, losing Lipinoga was a huge, huge blow for us and we just never got over it.” While NT figures to be solid defensively, scoring runs will be key, and Murphy is looking for someone to step up and fill the void created by Harmon’s absence from the lineup. “It’s going to be different,” Murphy said. And it won’t just be because of Harmon’s absence. For the first time in his three-decade long coaching career at NT, Murphy will coach this season without his father, Tom, who passed away at age 84 in September. Tom Murphy was a fixture at Edward Belbas Fields, rarely missing one of his son’s games. On a more positive note, Murphy will be joined this spring by former Wilson coach Larry Lash. Murphy and Lash are among the winningest coaches in New York state softball history. THE SCOOP • KEY RETURNERS: Lauren Lipinoga, Allie Gibson, Shaina Bunker • 2008 RECAP: Lost to Will. North in sectional quarterfinals • COACH’S QUOTE: “We’ve got three viable pitchers. I’d like to think we’ve got a good shot at doing something this year, but we’ll see.” — T.K. Murphy
2009 Varsity Lady Jacks
Lexi Akins
Taylor Akins
Brittany Booth
Shaina Bunker
Joanna Fretthold
Kimberly Garbus
Alexandria Gibson
Julie Harmon
Sarah Hansen
Natalie Hills
Chrissy Hempel
Catilin Kirbis
Lauren Lipinoga
Amanda Mislin
Meghan Malone
Ashley Walck
April Walker
Haylei Wilmot
