HOUNDS OPEN UP PRESEASON WITH WIN€¦  · Web viewThe last several years, the Hounds opened their preseason against Seneca amidst snow and cold weather. Not so this day as the Hounds

HOUNDS OPEN UP PRESEASON WITH WINThe last several years, the Hounds opened their preseason against Seneca amidst snow and cold weather. Not so this day as the Hounds played with temperatures in the upper 60's. Ashley Zulla hit a two run homerun in the first to give the Dawgs all the runs that they would need. The game was shortened by threatening rain.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E

Seneca 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

Date: March 16, 2016     Time: 4:00pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25   

HOUNDS LOSE TO SOUTH BRUNSWICK 7-5NBC jumped out early against South Brunswick but were not able to continue their offensive surge. A late rally fell short for the Hounds.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

South Brunswick 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0

Date: March 17, 2016     Time: 4:00pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25 

HOUNDS DEFENSE AND PITCHING HOLD OFF PLAINSBOROBecca Cundif and Julie Veneziale combined to shut out West Windsor Plainsboro-North. Alex Zulla reached base three times in the win.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

West Windsor Plainsboro-North 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0

Date: March 21, 2016     Time: 4:00pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25 

HOUNDS IMPRESSIVE IN LOSS TO HUNTERDON CENTRALNBC lost to Hunterdon Central 1-0 but showed a lot of positive signs in the loss. Hunterdon is a perennial power in the state and has a lot of state championship banners in their gym. The Hounds stood toe to toe with the Red Devils and outhit the Devils by a 7-5 margin. Both Becca Cundif and Julie Veneziale were outstanding on the mound as the Dawgs have only one more scrimmage prior to opening day.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Hunterdon Central 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Date: March 23, 2016     Time: 4:00pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25 

LIONS TAME DAWGSNBC opened up their 2016 season on the road against Cherry Hill West. Two years ago, the Hounds traveled to the lions den and tamed West. Early in the day, it appeared that the game would not be played as it rained early in the day and forecasters called for continued rain throughout the day. The sun came out during mid day and the game was actually played under sunny but windy conditions. The dawgs put two runners on in the first but were not able to bring home a run. This would be the template for the entire day offensively for NBC. They had runners on in 6 of the 7 innings but were only able to score two runs. The dawgs fell behind 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth as the Lions were able to parlay their baserunners into runs. With two outs in the fifth inning, LM deposited a ball over the leftfield fence to narrow the gap to 3-1. In the top of the sixth, after leading off with a base hit, Ashley finally scored on a passed ball making it a 3-2 game. The Lions brought home 2 more in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-2. The hounds continued to claw their way back into the game loading the bases in the top of the seventh but the dawgs fell short. NOTES- The hounds seemed anxious and out of sync all day. It appeared that opening day took a collective nervous toll on the hounds. On the day, NBC stranded 11 base runners. The Lions continued to test the arm of Ashley Zulla all day. Bad mistake. Zu threw out four runners trying to steal. On one, sis Alex had enough time to listen to Toe's new meditation song before the runner got

to third and on another LM had enough time to devise new pitching lessons the rec ball team that she is coaching. Ash was hunnits, M.I.T.B. The dawgs have little time to lick their wounds or to feel bad for themselves as they host Cherokee on Saturday morning. Perhaps, LM summed it up best in the post game talk when she said that this should not be a wasted loss but one that as a team the hounds can learn from and use as a means to grow. -JV ACTION-Amanda Gonzalez hit two homeruns and Jessica Peter had three hits including a homerun in a 9-4 loss to Cherry Hill WestBOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 1Cherry Hill West 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 5 7 0

Date: April 1, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: TBA

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KJessica Kimball 1 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 2 1 1 1 1 0Tori Bowen 2 0 0 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 3 1 1 0 1 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 1 0 0 1Alex Zulla 3 0 0 0 1 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 2 0 0 0Shaye Santos 3 0 0 0 0 2Lauren Tomei 1 0 0 0 2 0Sarah Falco 1 0 0 0 0 0Totals 23 2 5 1 5 32B: Taylor, CundiffHR: MayernikHBP: Bowen (2), TaylorSH: MayernikSF: FalcoNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 5.2 7 5 2 2 2 0Julie Veneziale 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0

HOUNDS FALL TO RENEGADES 1-0The Hounds hosted Shawnee in a game that had showers sprinkled prior to the game and by the end of the game the downpour was steady. Rebecca Cundiff started for NBC in the circle. The score was 0-0 until the top of the second when the leadoff hitter in the inning hit a homerun over the centerfield fence. Who knew at that time, that the score would remain the same throughout the rest of the day. Cundiff continued to pitch out of trouble for 4 1/3 innings. In the top of the fifth Julie Veneziale came in to pitch and blanked the Renegades for the remainder of the tilt. The dawgs were never able to break into the scoring column through seven innings. Their best opportunity was in the 6th inning when they loaded the bases but were not able to score a run. NOTES-The hounds start the season in unfamiliar territory as they are 0-2. This game was played with more energy then the Cherry Hill West game, but the results were similar. The hounds dugout was loud and positive for the entire game. This team doesn't give up and will continue to fight in their games to come. The senior leadership is evident and the team has no quit in them. Patience, communication and continued positivity are the ingredients for their success in the games to come. Cinnaminson is on the docket for Tuesday with a high of the 40's in the forecast. This is followed by a division game on Thursday against Moorestown.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Shawnee 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 1NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

Date: April 4, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25  

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KJessica Kimball 2 0 0 0 0 1Alex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 3 0 0 0 0 0Tori Bowen 3 0 0 0 0 1Ashley Zulla 2 0 1 0 0 1Rachel Taylor 3 0 1 0 0 0Alex Zulla 2 0 1 0 1 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 0 0 0 0 0Shaye Santos 3 0 0 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 3 0 0 0 0 1Sarah Falco 1 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 25 0 3 0 1 4HBP: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 4.2 7 1 1 4 4 0Julie Veneziale 2.1 1 0 0 0 4 0HB: Veneziale

HOUNDS SINK PIRATESAt the beginning of the day, Cinnaminson called to see if the weather was too cold to play. Excuse me, are you talking to the hounds who breathe fire and belch out snowballs. Puhllllease. The weather at game time was actually not as frigid as advertised although truth be told Coach Corcoran set a record with 7 seven layers of garb. The hounds were looking for their first victory of the season. Early on the game was a scoreless tie as Becca Cundiff allowed only one hit through four innings. The dawgs loaded the bases in the second but couldn't push across a run. In the bottom of the fourth, Rachel Taylor led off with a double to the base of the fence in leftfield. Alex Zulla followed with a scorcher that brought Rachel home and sent Zu into third with her second hit of the day. With one out Lauren Tomei hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Zu with what would prove to be the winning run. The Pirates scored once in the top of the sixth but Cundiff denied the Pirates any more runs and retired the side in order in the seventh to procure the first win of the season for the Dawgs. NOTES-A day after being only able to get three hits, the dawg pound broke out with nine hits on the day. Alex Zulla had three hits for the game and Shaye Santos had two hits. Lauren Tomei had the winning RBI on a great at bat. Cundiff pitched a four hitter on the day. Santos claimed that she felt a mystical force prior to the game that gave her a confidence boost. The Hounds will practice on Wednesday to tighten things up in preparation for their league game on Thursday against the Moorestown Quakers.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Cinnaminson 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 1NBC 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 9 3

Date: April 5, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KMegan Mayernik 4 0 0 0 0 0Tori Bowen 3 0 0 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 3 0 0 0 0 1Rachel Taylor 3 1 1 0 0 0Alex Zulla 3 1 3 1 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 0 1 0 0 0Shaye Santos 2 0 2 0 1 0Lauren Tomei 2 0 1 1 0 1Sarah Falco 3 0 1 0 0 1Totals 26 2 9 2 1 32B: Taylor3B: ZullaSF: TomeiNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 4 1 0 1 4 0

OUNDS FALL TO DEVILS 2-0NBC played against RVRHS on a meeting that was originally scheduled for Tuesday but rain moved the game to Wednesday where sunny skies and 60 degrees greeted the opponents. The red devils entered the game with a 2-0 mark while the hounds were 1-2. The devils were retired in the top of the first. In the bottom of the first with two outs, Ashley Zulla stroked a line drive to centerfield for her 100th hit of her career. Ashl wound up on second base with a double. She was greeted by the team as they cheered for Zu and presented her with flowers and a poster highlighting her four year career. That would be the highlight of the day for the hounds as they managed only two other hits on the day. The red devils were held scoreless until the 5th inning when they scored two unearned runs. Hardluck pitcher, Becca Cundiff only gave up four hits in 4 1/3 innings but took the loss. Julie Veneziale, once again came on in relief and held the devils scoreless for the rest of the game. NOTES- Rebecca Cundiff waffled a double in the bottom of the fifth for the only other extra base hit for the dawgs. Ashley Zulla has been the terminator of would be baserunners as she threw out her fifth runner

attempting to steal in the second. Alex Zulla recorded a nifty double play in the top of the seventh as she fielded a grounder stepped on third and fired to Rachel Taylor at first to complete the play. Next up for the hounds a Thursday travel to meet the Delran Bears.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

RVRHS 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 8 0NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2

Date: April 12, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25 

NBC

HRBIBBKHittersJessica KimballABR 1 0 0 0 0 0Alex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 1 0 0 0 0 1Megan Mayernik 3 0 0 0 0 0Tori Bowen 3 0 1 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 3 0 1 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 0 0 0 1Alex Zulla 3 0 0 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 2 0 1 0 0 1Shaye Santos 2 0 0 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 2 0 0 0 0 0Sarah Falco 1 0 0 0 0 0Totals 24 0 3 0 0 3

2B: Zulla, Cundiff

NBC

Pitchers IP H R ER BB K PT

Rebecca Cundiff (L) 4.1 4 2 0 1 1 0

Julie Veneziale 2.2 4 0 0 0 0 0

HOUNDS RUFFLE BEARS FURNBC journeyed to Delran to play against the bears of Delran. The hounds were coming off a loss to RVRHS on Wednesday which made the hounds reflect on the direction of their season. Coach Corcoran said it best in the post game huddle saying that this should be something to look back as the turning point of the season. The hounds seemed to heed the words of their coach as they broke out of their kennels yapping in the first inning. On the first pitch of the game leadoff hitter Megan Mayernik hit a single to right field to start the engine. This was the sight of Mayernik's first homerun of her career as a freshmen. Singles by Ashley and Alex Zulla brought home two runs and Shaye Santos topped off the scoring with a booming triple to the deepest part of centerfield. It would have been yard work at Mansfield Road. The hounds ended the inning with a 3-0 lead. On the mound for the dawgs was Julie Veneziale making her first varsity start. If fans thought that nerves would be a factor, they would be mistaken as Jules struck out two batter in the bottom of the first. The hounds continued to threaten throughout the game as they had runners on in every inning but one. Jules continued to baffle the bears as Ashley Zulla called a gem behind the plate mixing up calls against the bears. In the top of the sixth Shaye-Shaye led off with a single-stole second and rode home on Jess Kimball's hit into the gap which resulted in Kimball dusting herself off with a triple. That made the score 4-0 which would be the final as Veneziale retired Delran in the 7th. NOTES-The hounds whistled 9 hits off of Delran and were more aggressive than in any game of the year. Julie Veneziale struck out 6 and gave up 6 hits in the victory. She and Zu were in sync all day. Shaye and Jess both turned the engines into overdrive on their 3 baggers. Next up for the hounds a Friday afternoon game against Moorestown.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 9 0Delran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0

Date: April 14, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: TBA  

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KJessica Kimball 1 0 1 1 0 0

Alex Veneziale 0 1 0 0 1 0Julie Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 0 1 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 1 1 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 4 0 2 0 0 1Rachel Taylor 4 0 0 1 0 0Alex Zulla 4 1 1 1 0 0Shaye Santos 3 1 2 1 0 0Tori Bowen 3 0 1 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 2 0 0 0 0 0Sarah Falco 2 0 0 0 0 0Totals 30 4 9 4 1 13B: Kimball, SantosSB: Cundiff, Zulla, SantosSH: TomeiNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTJulie Veneziale (W) 7.0 6 0 0 3 6 0

HOUNDS CAN'T SHAKE QUAKERSNBC played their third game in three days on a rescheduled tilt against he Quakers. Temperatures hovered in the high 60's at game time on a sunny Friday afternoon. Just as in the last game, the hounds were aggressive at the outset as LM set the table in the first with a bunt single and eventually scored on a Ashley Zulla double. The dawgs added to the cushion in the second as LM and Becca Cundiff had RBI hits. The hounds held the Quakers scoreless until the bottom of the third when the Quakers closed the margin to 4-2. The Quakers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a three run mark as the dawgs were once again stung by a big inning. In the top of the sixth the hounds tied the score as Rachel Taylor hit an RBI double. In the bottom of the sixth, Moorestown took the lead for good with a run. NOTES- Offensively, the dawgs put up their biggest hit and run total of the young season. Unfortunately, they were once again plagued by defensive lapses which allowed the Quakers to continue to chip away. The hounds had three doubles and LM had three hits in the game as well as three runs scored. The hounds have to be given credit for continuing to battle as evidenced in the seventh inning. With two outs Jessica Kimball worked an important walk and Lauren Tomei followed with a single to showcase the spirit of the dawgs. NBC fell short but are taking the positives from this game to the Overbrook Tournament on Saturday where they open against Mainland at 10 in the morning. Rachel Taylor has already planned the mid morning meal.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 5 12 3Moorestown 0 0 2 0 3 1 0 6 8 2

Date: April 15, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: Moorestown High School 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 3 3 1 1 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 1 2 0 0Ashley Zulla 4 0 1 1 0 0Rachel Taylor 4 0 1 1 0 0Alex Zulla 4 0 0 0 0 0Shaye Santos 4 0 1 0 0 0Tori Bowen 4 1 1 0 0 0Sarah Falco 0 0 0 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 3 1 2 0 1 1Lauren Tomei 3 0 2 0 0 1Totals 34 5 12 5 2 22B: Cundiff, Zulla, TaylorSB: MayernikSH: TomeiNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 4.0 4 4 2 2 5 0Julie Veneziale 2.0 4 2 1 0 1 0

HOUNDS 25 BASERUNNERS NOT ENOUGH TO CORRAL MUSTANGSThe Overbrook Tournament was rescheduled from last weekend because of weather conditions. This Saturday was a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the upper 60's. The Hounds faced Mainland High School who they defeated in the second round of last years' tournament. In the top of the first

inning, Megan Mayerik led off the game wit her 100th career hit on a hit up the middle. The game was stopped as the dawgs congratulated LM. A double off the bat of Ashley Zulla scored the fast moving Mayernik. The one run advantage quickly evaporated in the bottom of the first as the Mustangs stampeded to a 4-1 lead. The margin increased to 6-1 in the bottom of the second as the Mustangs added to their lead. The top of the third showcased the resilience of the dawgs as they tied the game with five runs. Four consecutive hits started the inning for the hounds and 11 batters marched to the plate. The bottom of the fourth saw Mainland take the lead with two runs. These dawgs came to play on this Saturday as visions of Taylor hoagies danced in their heads. Three more runs in the top of the fifth put the hounds ahead in the bottom of the fifth. When Mainland put up a six spot in the bottom of the fifth it seemed that the lead was too much to overcome. This was the day that players, coaches and fans had been waiting for all year. The coming out party of the offense that had been predicted in the preseason. Three runs were scored by the hounds in the top of the sixth as once again the trifecta of Tbow to Kimball to Tomei produced three consecutive base runners. The lead was now two going into the bottom of the sixth. The top of the seventh saw the score remain the same. In the top of the seventh. the dawgs had the tying run at the plate but could just not push across the ting runs. Final score 14-12. NOTES- Ashley Zulla threw out two baserunners trying to steal from the maestro as Zu tsked-tsked the trespassers and waved a not today signal. That is seven trespassers thrown out this year. Megan Mayernik could have played the lead role in the series "To Catch A Thief" in the fourth inning. With Toe on third and LM on second a passed ball resulted in Toe racing home for a run. From second base with the brazenness of a burglar in the middle of the day, LM seized the day and slipped into fifth gear as she scored. Just a heads up, aggressive teeth bared played. Mayernik has scored six runs in the last two games as she has established herself as one of the premier leadoff hitters in South Jersey. The hounds have posted 30 hits in the past two games. This team is becoming the offensive juggernaut envisioned at the beginning of the season. Both Ashley Zulla and Lauren Tomei had four hits apiece. Toe has been classified as absolutely white hot. Do not get near "mom" because this puppy is absolutely "hunnits" MITB. Six hits in two games.No gassin. Amanda Gonzalez appeared in her first varsity game in the bottom of the sixth and retired the only batter that she faced. Gonz had to be called back into the dugout to put her facial paint on prior to entering the game. 18 hits-25 baserunner-these are pinball machine numbers, folks. Next up for the hounds Cherry Hill East in a Monday afternoon road game.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 1 0 0 5 3 3 0 12 19 3Mainland High School 4 2 0 2 6 0 0 14 13 3

Date: April 16, 2016     Time: 10:00am      Venue: Overbrook High School   

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAmanda Gonzalez 0 0 0 0 0 0Alex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 3 0 0 0 0 1Megan Mayernik 5 3 2 1 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 0 0 0 0 2 0Ashley Zulla 5 2 4 3 0 0Rachel Taylor 5 0 1 1 0 0Alex Zulla 5 0 2 1 0 0Shaye Santos 4 0 1 0 1 0Tori Bowen 4 2 2 1 1 0Jessica Kimball 5 2 2 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 5 3 4 2 0 0Totals 41 12 18 9 4 12B: Zulla, TomeiSB: Veneziale, Mayernik (4), Zulla, Zulla, Tomei (2)NBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTAmanda Gonzalez 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale (L) 5.2 9 10 4 2 2 0HB: Veneziale

COUGARS CAN'T TAME HOUNDSA Monday afternoon game after two difficult losses would reflect how the dawgs would react to adversity. NBC visited Cherry Hill East who had lost 17-16 to Cherokee earlier in the season. The top of the first had the dawgs go down in order and some may have wondered if this was an omen of how

the game would proceed. Fear not doubters. In the top of the second with Alex Zulla on first base, Shaye-Shaye vaporized a ball over the right centerfield fence. With two runners on, still in the second LM blasted a homerun over the left centerfield fence that had fans sitting in the outfield wondering if the high flying object was going to land in Philadelphia. After the dust had settled, the dawgs had racked up an eight spot on the scoreboard. Meanwhile Becca Cundiff was setting down the Cougars in order. Becca retired the first seven batters before the Cougars registered their only hit in the third. AshleyZulla was calling a great game and Becca was mixing up her pitches. After a run in the third, the gnarling visitors closed out the scoring with four runs in the top of the fourth highlighted by Rachel Taylor joining the homer fest. Raquel's four bagger was a high arching ball that picked up moisture on the way down. Taylor quite possibly could have had three home runs in three days if there was a fence on Saturday. The game was halted after five with the mercy rule. Final score 13-0 dawgs. NOTES- Not only were the hounds once again nitro up to the plate but defensively the infield played flawlessly. The left side of the infield chalked up eight of a possible fifteen putouts. Only two balls were hit to the outfield. Shaye-Shaye and toe engaged in talk about meditation and jugging as they didn't have a ball hit to them. Shaye- Shaye also recounted the high points of the musical on Friday and Saturday nightS. Alex and LM were scooping any balls hit to them. In the fourth inning, a ball was hit to tbow in right field for a seeming basehit. T picked up the ball and made a throw to the mitt, aka Rachel Taylor to make the out. In the fifth a ball hit to Jessica Kimball at second sent Jess to the canvas but Jess threw the runner out while still down for the eight count. Thirteen hits -three by Alex Zulla and two each for LM-Becca and Raquel. A very convincing win for a team who was thirsting for a sign. They got it on this day.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 R H E

NBC 0 8 0 1 4 13 13 0Cherry Hill East 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Date: April 18, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: TBA 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 1 1 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 1 2 5 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 2 1 0 0Ashley Zulla 3 0 1 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 4 2 2 1 0 0Alex Zulla 4 2 3 3 0 0Shaye Santos 3 1 1 2 0 1Tori Bowen 0 3 0 0 3 0Jessica Kimball 3 1 1 1 0 1Lauren Tomei 3 1 1 1 0 0Totals 29 13 13 14 3 22B: Mayernik, Taylor, KimballHR: Mayernik, Taylor, SantosSB: KimballHBP: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 5.0 1 0 0 0 2 0

HOUNDS COME FROM THREE DOWN TO THROTTLE QUAKERSThe first round of the BCSL was played between Moorestown and NBC. The hounds were the home team since they were the 8th seed vs. the 9th seed Quakers. The winner would go on to play against the number 1 seed RVRHS. The hounds were still smarting from a 6-5 defeat at the hands of the Quakers last Friday. Moorestown scored three runs in the top of the first to put pressure on the home team. Through 2 innings the dawgs only had one baserunner. In the bottom of the third with one out, Lauren Tomei beat out an infield hit. LM followed with her 3rd homer of the season on a high drive over the centerfield fence. In the bottom of the fourth Shaye-Shaye led off with a high fly to right field that was high enough to cause a temporary eclipse. The Shaye slid into third on the hit with a triple. Jess Kimball brought in the tying run with a single. After the Quakers once again took the lead in the top of the fifth, the hounds broke out of the pen in the fifth with three runs highlighted by LM's lead off double. Shaye brought in two of the runs with an opposite field double. The hounds closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth with two more runs. NOTES-Probably the best game of the season for a couple of reasons. The hounds came back from a 3 run first

inning by their opponents. This was probably the best team so far that the hounds had defeated. Most importantly the hounds wore the pitcher down. They had smart at bats, continued to foul pitches off, ( the base umpire asked if the hounds were keeping count of the foul balls because she thought that this had to be some kind of record. Rumor was that Jessica Peter and Amanda Gonzalez who were retrieving the errant balls both had fit bits on and had each run over three miles by the end of the game.) The point is that the hounds had a game plan of being patient -wearing the pitcher down and the latter part of the game proved this out. Becca Cundiff had eight strikeouts on the day and after the first inning completely dominated the opposition. For the second consecutive game Tbow threw out a base runner who thought that she had a single. Wrong, Quaker, T on patrol. Becca and LM combined for seven hits. Shaye with two extra base hits. In two games against Moorestown this year LM is 7 for 8 with 6 runs scored and 3 RBI'S. No wonder the Moorestown coach is allegedly collecting donations to buy LM a graduation present to make sure that the varmint is done after this year. Next up for the hounds a Thursday night game under the lights at NBC.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Moorestown 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 7 0NBC 0 0 2 1 3 2 0 8 12 1

Date: April 20, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 2 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 3 4 2 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 3 0 0 1Ashley Zulla 4 0 1 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 2 1 0 1 2 1Alex Zulla 3 0 1 1 1 1Shaye Santos 4 1 2 2 0 0Tori Bowen 3 0 0 0 0 1Jessica Kimball 3 0 1 1 0 0Lauren Tomei 3 1 1 0 0 1Totals 30 8 13 7 3 52B: Mayernik, Santos3B: SantosHR: MayernikNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 7 4 4 1 8 0

HOUNDS HOWL AT NIGHT IN VICTORY OVER NEW EGYPTWOW!!!!!! 250 fans , a full moon, and an opponent who is always tough made for a great night of softball. If you had to pay money to see this one, you would have gotten your monies worth. Two adversaries who have historically battled squared off in a must win for both. A loss would mean 3 losses in the league. A win means the quest for a league title is still a reality. For those fans still trying to find a parking spot at game time, they missed New Egypt go up 1-0 in the top of the first. The hounds game back in the bottom of the second as Alex Zulla hammered a homerun on the first pitch from the pitcher, Faith Weber. The ball literally exploded off Zu's bat. Several fans reportedly ran for cover at the sound of BAM resonating from the Full Moon Assassain. New Egypt may have wanted to see if the Zu bat was coated with gun powder. The Warriors responded in the top of the third with three runs. Gulp, down three going into the bottom of the third. Here's the thing, folks. In the dugout the chatter was one of confidence. Yo, dawgs was the chant, it is only the third inning. We got this. Sure enough, the dawgs scored three runs in the bottom of the third as Toe reached base on an error, LM followed with a single as did Becca and Alex Zulla,once again in the middle of the rally and Shaye-Shaye drove in 3 runs to tie the game. Ladies and Gentlemen, notch your belt a smidge tighter because this is now going to be a toe to toe ( no pun intended toe) match with fans cheering wildly at every turn. Both teams had baserunners in the ensuing innings but the game entered the 7th inning with the score still knotted. This was a classic battle. New Egypt started the 7th with the top of their lineup up to bat. A base hit to start the inning, a bunt to advance her to second, the number three and four hitter up to bat but Becca induced a grounder to third and when Tbow cradled the third out into her glove, the dawgs had the top of their lineup up in the bottom of the seventh. The radiantly hot LM led off the bottom of the seventh. Her words to coach prior to coming to bat, "Hey, I'm just having fun." LM drilled a pitch to the deepest part of center that just

barely missed clearing the fence and landed at the base of the fence for a double. When New Egypt dawdled in getting the ball in, the alert and aggressive LM slid into third. Becca followed with a fly ball to right that was not deep enough to score the pesky LM. Ashley Zulla walked and Rachel Taylor came up and grounded a ball up the middle that scored LM. Final score, NBC -5 New Egypt -4. NOTES-This was a game that showed the toughness of the hounds. Down 4-1 and they clawed their way back into the game. A family relying on each other. A pulsating win. So many high points. Alex Zulla and LM had 10 putouts between them. Becca Cundiff pitching against Faith Weber who many believe is one of the premier pitchers in South Jersey. Becca didn't give in at all against the more publicized opponent. Becca is one feisty, grizzly and gnarly person. This is meant as the highest compliment. When Becca is pitching as she did on this evening, she will and can do battle with any pitcher. She will not quit. She had no walks and time and again, challenged the New Egypt hitters. Becca will continue to dig and claw her way into a game. A real gamer. The fans at the game were pulsating with their energy and passion. This writer as many who witnessed the game will have trouble toning the energy level down prior to bedtime. Sleeping may be difficult coming down from this adrenaline rush. A crowning touch to the game, actually after the game, the hounds were in their usual post game talk in leftfield when the hound cart with Dan Uzaski at the helm motored past the team with a passenger on the back with a placard asking LM to the prom. Bro, she said yes, and you are one lucky hombre because this dawg is a big time keeper. You are one lucky dude to be going to the prom with the Real Deal. Great night to be a HOUND.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

New Egypt 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 8 3NBC 0 1 3 0 0 0 1 5 8 2

Date: April 21, 2016     Time: 7:00pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 2 2 0 0 1Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 2 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 2 0 0 0 2 1Rachel Taylor 4 0 1 1 0 2Alex Zulla 3 1 2 3 0 0Shaye Santos 3 0 1 1 0 2Tori Bowen 3 0 0 0 0 1Jessica Kimball 3 0 0 0 0 3Lauren Tomei 3 1 0 0 0 2Totals 29 5 8 5 2 122B: MayernikHR: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 8 4 2 0 5 0

HOUNDS POLISH OFF GARNETSThe Hounds welcomed back the seniors from the senior class trip. The seniors arrived home at 10 on Tuesday night and had a game on the road on Wednesday afternoon at Haddon Heights. There did not appear to be any sunscreen violators on the team. The hounds started the game with three runs in the top of the first. The big hit of the inning was a double on the first pitch by Shaye-Shaye. Becca Cundiff started the game for the dawgs and did not appear to have any ill effects from the long layoff. She breezed through three innings with only giving up two hits. Meanwhile, in the top of the third the hounds were out of the cage again scoring a season high eight runs in one inning. The big hit of the inning came off of the bat of Becca as she drove a ball over the leftfield fence. It was a grand slam for Bec as she rounded the bases on her line drive shot. The garnets scored three unearned runs in the next two innings before NBC put the game away for good as the Zu's hit two doubles in the top of the sixth to push the final margin to 13-3. NOTES- This was the first of three consecutive games for the dawgs as they play Burlington Township in a league game on Thursday and the next round of the BCSL against RVRHS. Alex Zulla was three for three and sis Ash had two hits. Becca had two hits with the big hit being the grand salami. In the bottom of the fifth the garnets threatened with two runners on and one out when the

cleanup hitter scalded a drive to right center that had extra bases branded all over it. What should appear streaking over from centerfield but Shaye-Shaye who made a diving catch to rob the hitter of a sure fire double. Remember old jedi saying "two-thirds of the earth is covered by water the other third by Shaye." BOX SCORE R H E

NBC 13 11 3Haddon Heights 3 6 2

Date: April 27, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: TBA

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KSarah Falco 1 0 0 0 0 1Alex Veneziale 1 0 0 0 0 1Julie Veneziale 1 1 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 3 2 1 1 1 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 1 2 4 0 0Ashley Zulla 4 2 2 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 3 2 1 0 1 0Alex Zulla 3 2 3 3 1 0Shaye Santos 3 0 1 2 0 0Tori Bowen 3 1 1 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 2 1 0 2 0 0Lauren Tomei 2 1 0 0 0 0Totals 30 13 11 12 3 22B: Zulla, Taylor, Zulla, SantosHR: CundiffSB: Mayernik, ZullaSF: SantosNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 6.0 6 3 0 3 4 0

DEVILS FEEL WRATH OF HOUNDSThe second round of the BcSL was supposed to be played on Friday at RVRHS but the rain changed the site to NBC. A poor field didn't allow for the game to be played. So the game was rescheduled for Monday and once again the venue was changed to NBC because of poor field conditions. The day was actually clear and with the sun peeking through and it turned out to be a nice day. Thank the NBC grounds crew for once again proving that the home field of the dawgs is the best in South Jersey with the best field crew to go along. The hounds were actually seen on the scoreboard as the home team so that RVRHS would not have the greyhounds name by their score. The hounds put baserunners in the first three innings but were not able to advance a runner home. Becca Cundiff was meanwhile holding the devils hitless through 3 innings. In the top of the fourth Rahel Taylor hit a ball that looked as if it was going to clear the fence but it landed at the base of the fence and Rachel wound up on second with a double. Shaye-Shaye followed with a double of her own to right center and the hounds broke the scoreless deadlock. NBC added another run in the top of the fifth as LM laid down a picture perfect bunt, advanced to second and scored on Ashley Zulla's double. The devils threatened in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out. The next batter hit a ball to LM who fired home to get the runner. When the next batter lofted a shallow fly ball to centerfield the Minister of Defense aka Shaye Santos raced in to record the third out. RVRHS went down in order in the seventh to close the game. NOTES- Becca Cundiff pitched, perhaps her finest game of the season as she gave up five hits and racked up 6 punch outs. Bec seemed to get stronger as the game went on and Ashley Zulla's glove was poppin as the game wore on. This was also a great defensive game by the dawgs. In the first Lauren Tomei glided toward center and made an over the shoulder catch to close out the inning. In the third the RV batter hit a line drive that had lookin for trouble written all over it. Shaye-Shaye put the jets in overdrive and tracked it down for an out. The sixth inning was a clinic on how to play defense. LM has the nerve of a high stakes riverboat gambler as she defied RVRHS to score on her watch. Do not play guts with this varmint. She is Real Deal. Santos closed out that sixth with having played the batter perfectly to catch the ball. Great pitching, Big Time defense and timely hitting. Great day to be a dawg. The hounds move on to the semifinals of the BCSL. Next up for the hounds Moorestown on Tuesday.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 8 0

RVRHS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0

Date: April 29, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: RV Eastampton Sports Complex

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 1 2 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 0 1 0 0 1Ashley Zulla 3 0 1 1 0 1Rachel Taylor 3 1 1 0 0 1Alex Zulla 3 0 1 0 0 0Shaye Santos 3 0 1 1 0 1Tori Bowen 3 0 0 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 3 0 1 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 3 0 0 0 0 3Totals 28 2 8 2 0 72B: Zulla, Taylor, SantosNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 5 0 0 2 6 0HB: Cundiff

HOUNDS CAN'T SHAKE SCOTTIESNBC journeyed north on Rte. 206 to play Bordentown in a Thursday night game under the lights. Prior to the game the hounds saw that the normal starting pitcher from Bordentown was not in the circle and thought that they would have a strong offensive game. That was not the case on a night when NBC was finally able to play after having to cancel games because of the weather. The Scotties scored in the bottom of the first and that would be all that they would need in this quick moving tilt. The Hounds continued to struggle offensively as they had difficulties handling the changeup of the Bordentown pitcher. Eight straight batters went down for the dawgs until Lauren Tomei reached first base on a hit with two outs in the third. LM followed with a double but Toe was erased trying to score on the hit. The Hounds threatened again in the fifth as they had two runners on with no outs but couldn't score. The Scotties added an insurance run in the sixth to make the final 2-0. NOTES- The Hounds struck out 11 times against Bordentown and had three hits and five total baserunners. As ineffective as they were offensively, the dawgs were outstanding defensively. LM stifled a rally in the second with a double play while making a backhand grab and throw to erase a runner in the fifth. Jessica Kimball recorded a nifty double play in the fourth inning on a fly ball hit to her. Ashley Zulla showed her catlike moves in the fifth as she threw out a runner on first who wandered too far off the base as Rachel applied the tag. Becca Cundiff pitched well as she only allowed five hits. The Hounds play home on Friday against the Tartans of Highland.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1Bordentown Regional 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 0

Date: May 5, 2016     Time: 6:00pm      Venue: Bordentown Regional High School 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KMegan Mayernik 3 0 1 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 0 0 0 0 2Ashley Zulla 3 0 0 0 0 2Rachel Taylor 3 0 0 0 0 3Alex Zulla 2 0 1 0 1 0Shaye Santos 2 0 0 0 1 1Tori Bowen 2 0 0 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 2 0 0 0 0 2Lauren Tomei 2 0 1 0 0 1Totals 22 0 3 0 2 112B: MayernikNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 6.0 5 2 0 2 0 0

HOUNDS DEFEATED BY NEW EGYPT IN BCSL TOURNAMENT GAMENBC visited New Egypt on a rare Saturday afternoon game starting at 2:30 because of the administration of the SAT'S in the morning. The Hounds had defeated New Egypt earlier in the year

5-4 in a league game. This was the third round of the BCSL with the winner taking on Burlington Township in the semifinals. After LM drew a walk to open the game Ashley Zulla hit a double. Rachel Taylor drove both runners in with a double of her own. In the bottom of the first New Egypt put four runs on the board with a grand slam home run. This writer is not one to point fingers or make excuses but on two different pitches, Becca appeared to have the third strike on the batter who hit a grand slam homerun. Coach Corcoran made it known after the game to make sure that the plate umpire is never on the hounds schedule. Enough about the strike out that was not called. The Warriors put up two more runs in the bottom of the second inning. The dawgs answered with a run in the top of the fourth as Jess Peter reached base and eventually came home on a single off of the bat of LM. That would be all of the scoring on the day as the Hounds had opportunities but were not able to get any closer. NOTES-The Hounds outhit the Warriors and had more baserunners but were not able to capitalize on their opportunities. Becca Cundiff only allowed five hits to the Warriors. The Hounds have a busy upcoming week with games throughout the week. Next up is Burlington Township on MondayBOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 6 1New Egypt 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 5 0

Date: May 7, 2016     Time: 2:30pm      Venue: New Egypt High School 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KTori Bowen 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 3 1 2 1 1 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 1 0 0 1Ashley Zulla 4 0 1 0 0 0Alex Zulla 3 0 0 0 0 1Rachel Taylor 2 0 1 2 1 0Shaye Santos 3 0 0 0 0 2Jessica Peter 3 1 0 0 0 2Jessica Kimball 3 0 1 0 0 2Lauren Tomei 2 0 0 0 0 2Totals 27 2 6 3 2 102B: Cundiff, Zulla, TaylorHBP: ZullaSH: TomeiNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 6.0 5 6 6 2 2 0

HOUNDS CLIP FALCONSNBC hosted Burlington Township in what was supposed to be senior night. Transportation difficulties made it impossible for the Falcons to play at night so the game was played at 4 in the afternoon. This was the first time that the two had played this season as the game was one of seven postponements of this wet spring. The Falcons got two runners on in the first inning but were unable to score as Becca Cundiff struck out the fifth batter in lineup to end the inning. In the bottom of the first LM led off with a single- went to second on a base on balls and eventually scored on a passed ball. Ashley Zu's sacrifice fly gave the Hounds a 2-0 lead after one. Becca continued to impress as the game wore on stranding two runners in the third by striking out the next two batters. In the top of the fifth the Falcons threatened by loading the bases with one out. Coach Corcoran strode to the mound and handed the ball to Julie Veneziale. One out- bases loaded - GULP it doesn't get more intense. Julie went to 3-1 to the next batter before striking her out. With two outs Julie went to a 2-0 count before striking out the hitter. Bases left loaded as the Ice Queen walked into the dugout. In the sixth inning Burlington Township had two base runners on with the top of their lineup up, whereupon the Queen of Ice retired the next two batters. Seventh inning 3-4-5 up for the Falcons and they are declawed in order. Final score 2-1 Dawgs. NOTES- The Hounds managed only three hits and five total baserunners against Burlington Township. In games like this you need to have someone step up and the pitching certainly was the story on this day. Becca Cundiff with 6 punch outs in 4 1/3 innings with only 4 hits given up and one run stifled the Falcons and then the absolutely breathtaking performance by the young but confident Veneziale. After the 5th inning the home plate umpire shook his head in admiration and said, "Coach that pitcher was really good. No, she was great." Totally

unfazed by the pressure with the nerves of a diamond cutter, Veneziale pitched a gem. Next up for the Dawgs a visit to RVRHS on Tuesday.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Burlington Township 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 1NBC 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3

Date: May 9, 2016     Time: 4:00pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KTori Bowen 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 3 1 1 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 2 0 1 0 1 0Ashley Zulla 2 0 0 1 0 1Alex Zulla 3 0 1 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 0 0 0 0Shaye Santos 2 0 0 0 0 1Jessica Peter 2 0 0 0 0 1Jessica Kimball 2 0 0 0 0 1Lauren Tomei 1 0 0 0 1 1Totals 20 2 3 1 2 5SB: Veneziale, Mayernik, TomeiSF: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 4.1 4 1 1 2 6 0Julie Veneziale (S) 2.2 1 0 0 0 4 0HB: Cundiff

HOUNDS UNLEASHED IN VICTORY OVER RED DEVILSNBC visited RVRHS in an important league game. A win still kept them in the hunt for a league title, but a loss virtually eliminated them from consideration. The forecast called for possible rain, but the sun was out during the entire game. In the first inning LM reached on an error and reached second with two outs. When RVRHS did not keep track of the Energizer Bunny rather than stopping at third on a ground ball hit by Zu the ever aggressive and elusive LM continued home rather than stopping at third. The bedazzled devils must not have had the app. which said that LM does not brake at third. 1-0 dawgs. The devils were retired in the first and in the top of the second Shaye-Shaye led off with a single and the Hounds continued to put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense. LM drove in the second run of the game and the barking Hounds were up 2-0. The top of the third saw Ashley Zulla rope a double into ccnter followed by a booming triple off of the bat of the Chocolat Kid a.k.a. Rachel Taylor. When Shaye-Shaye followed with a double the Hounds had upped their lead to 4-0. The devils scored a run in the bottom of the third but time and again the pitching of Becca Cundiff and the outstanding defense throttled the devils. The devils scored a run in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Down two runs with a runner on first and third and the coach decides to send the runner to second on an attempted steal. Lady, have you read about the catcher for NBC. She goes by the moniker gunslinger or Ashley Zulla. Going into the game she has already thrown out seven would be runner trying to steal second. Also picked a runner off first. So you are going to try to test Zu. Puhhhhlease be my guest. Game over. Final score 4-2. Nine notches on the gun belt of Ashley Zulla. Reallly?????????? NOTES-Becca Cundiff was once again, just a tough kid who knows how to win. She has no quit in her and will keep challenging the opposition. The Hounds came out flying today, playing aggressively offensively and forcing the devils into mistakes. Do me a big, go to a clinic- buy a video on how to play the infield and see if it is any better than the Alex Zulla and LM performance at Eastampton on Tuesday.Fans and players alike were treated to the best left side of the infield in South Jersey. It seemed as if the replay button was pushed because what appeared to be a base hit turned into an out. Rumor has it that Dyson is trying to develop a new vacuum cleaner using the pick up techniques of Zu and LM. Look for it to appear in time for Christmas under the name ZULM. Guaranteed to pick up all loose debris. Next up for the Hounds the third league game of the week against Moorestown on Wednesday at home for what has now become senior day.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 4 8 2RVRHS 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 9 5

Date: May 10, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: RV Eastampton Sports Complex 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 1 1 1 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 0 0 0 1Ashley Zulla 3 0 1 0 1 0Alex Zulla 4 0 1 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 4 1 2 1 0 1Shaye Santos 4 0 2 1 0 0Tori Bowen 3 1 1 0 1 0Jessica Kimball 4 0 0 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 3 0 0 0 0 0Totals 33 4 8 3 2 22B: Zulla, Santos3B: TaylorNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 9 2 1 0 3 0HB: Cundiff

HOUNDS CELEBRATE SENIOR DAY WITH VICTORYSenior Night became senior Day due to scheduling difficulties and postponements. In spite of having to coordinate the festivities at the last minute, the final result was a ceremony that was heartfelt and celebratory for 11 seniors who catapulted NBC once again onto the map of stellar programs in South Jersey. Prior to the game the seniors were introduced and accompanied by loved ones. The sheer number of seniors honored reflected the commitment these individuals had to building a legacy for others to follow. This was a day to celebrate the achievements and to also be thankful for the path that had been forged by them. The starting nine featured a senior at every positon for the Hounds. Very few programs can boast that as freshmen nine players would stay the course for four years. The game was scoreless for 3 1/2 innings. Shaye-Shaye tripled to right field in the third but was not able to score from there. In the bottom of the fourth Alex Zulla singled - reached third and scored on a single by Shaye-Shaye. In the bottom of the fifth after LM singled Ashley Zulla powered a ball to left centerfield for a homerun. The Hounds held a 3-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth when a Quaker's two run home run closed the gap. Becca Cundiff stranded runners on second and third in the seventh to finish the game 3-2. NOTES-Becca stuck out five of the first six batters she faced and finished with eight strikeouts. She limited the Quakers to six hits. LM had three hits on the day with Alex Zulla and Shaye-Shaye with two each. The win kept the Hounds one game behind RVRHS and improved their league record to 4-2. It was a must win game for the Dawgs as they had to keep pace in the league. The Hounds face Burlington Township on Friday for another must win game.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Moorestown 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 6 1NBC 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 10 1

Date: May 11, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KMegan Mayernik 4 1 3 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 0 0 0 0 2Ashley Zulla 3 1 1 2 0 0Alex Zulla 3 1 2 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 0 0 0 0Shaye Santos 3 0 2 1 0 0Jessica Kimball 2 0 1 0 0 0Alex Veneziale 1 0 0 0 0 1Tori Bowen 2 0 0 0 0 0Sarah Falco 1 0 0 0 0 0Lauren Tomei 3 0 1 0 0 0Totals 28 3 10 3 0 33B: SantosHR: ZullaSB: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 6 2 2 1 8 0HB: Cundiff

HOUNDS RISE FROM "ASH"ES IN VICTORY OVER FALCONS

NBC played at Burlington Township on Saturday morning after the rain stopped the two teams from playing on Friday. As much as the rain eliminated a game on Friday, Saturday morning turned out to be a beautiful day. The game had interesting subplots. Burlington Township was anxious to play the game as they still had not played the 15 games which are part of the formula for determining seeding for state playoff games. Interestingly enough, the Falcons are in Central Jersey Group III and at one time were a possible opponent for the Hounds in first round actions. As a result of New Egypt defeating RVRHS last week, the Hounds needed to win this game to stay in the chase for the League title. A loss would make this difficult to accomplish, a win would place the game next Wednesday against New Egypt as pivotal. The game started off with a double off of the bat of LM followed by a single by Becca Cundiff placing runners in excellent position to score in the first inning but the Dawgs were not able to seize this opportunity. In the third inning the Hounds were able to crack the scoreboard with a run, as once again, LM was the straw that stirred the drink as a bunt single eventually resulted in LM scoring the first run of the game. In the bottom of the fourth, the Falcons scored two runs and tacked another in the bottom of the fifth. The Hounds were getting runners on base but were not able to bring any more runners across home plate. For the game, the Hounds had runners on in every inning except one but were still not able to take advantage of situations. In the top of the 7th, down 3-1, it appeared that the Hounds would suffer a defeat which would have varied implications. Toe led off the 7th with just missing getting on base via a bunt and when LM flied out the Hounds were down to their last gasp. Becca Cundiff worked the count and got onto first base via a walk. Ashley Zulla came to bat and Zu on the first pitch took matters into her own hands as she crushed a pitch to right field over the fence to tie the game at 3-3. The crowd went wild as Ashley circled the bases. The momentum had gone from the Falcons believing that they had eaten up the Hounds to the Dawgs knowing that they had seized the day. Becca had pitched worthy enough to get the win as she only gave up five hits over 5 2/3 innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Coach Corcoran once again seemed psychic as she intuitively knew when to bring in Julie Veneziale. The Queen of Ice entered the game and struck out the first batter she faced to retire the side. For the next three innings Ice did not allow a hit and struck out five. The 9th inning proved to be the decisive one for the Dawgs as the pesky Energizer Bunny, a.k.a. LM led off with a base hit and continued to aggressively attack as she slid into second base before the throw reached second. A bunt single by Julie, a walk to Ashley and LM scored on a passed ball before Rachel Taylor expanded the lead to 6-3. Ice retired the side via K land to end the 9 inning battle royale. NOTES-Alex Zulla became the third member of the team to reach the magic 100 number as she doubled in the third to register her 100th hit. The fans and players alike congratulated the star third baseman. The Hounds reeled 13 hits off the Falcons pitcher on the day. Earlier in the week, the Falcons lost 2-0 to New Egypt and the New Egypt team praised Township in the Burlington County Times. On Thursday the Falcons had beaten Moorestown in a rather one-sided game. The Hounds managed to rack up 13 hits against the Falcons including 5 extra base hits. What a game for the Zus' Alex with her 100th hit made it special for her. To make sure that it was a totally happy day for sis, Ashley drove a dagger into the hearts of the Falcons. Trailing 3-1 with two outs and a runner on first, Ash came up having been frustrated in her first three at bats. Some would have wondered if Ash would have encountered a similar fate in this at bat. Word is Bond on this. Don't bet against Zu with the game on the line. Girlfriend is Big Time. She is as sure a thing as you get. Not goin to let this game slip away. On the first offering, Ash totally destroyed the ball. Look at Roy Hobbs in the Natural and see what happens to the ball and you will get an idea of the damage from Ash. The ball left the bat majestically to right field. It was the high fly variety where air traffic space had to be cleared because this was an aircraft that was in the same flight plan as aircraft from neighboring airports. The fence at Burlington Township is about 230 feet. Interested to know how many balls have cleared this fence. By the way it is an 8 ft. fence as well. The ball did not just clear the fence. It soared over the fence and reached into the ravine in right. Rumors are that there is a tribe of hostiles who were barbecuing in the ravine in right field when the ball exploded onto their grill. Not sure how many balls this writer has ever seen hit that far, but if you are using thumbs to count

you may not get to both of them. At the end of the game, the veteran home plate umpire said that in all of his years as an umpire, LM is the smartest base runner he has ever seen. The Hounds were continually aggressive in this contest and put pressure on the Falcons all game long. In JV action Coach Reale, she also known as the Riverside Rumbler improved to 8-6 on the year. Reale is a competitive rascal who has instilled this same mind set into the team. Gonzo did some early yard work on the day as she went 5 for 5 with a diinger.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

NBC 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 6 13 1Burlington Township 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 5 0

Date: May 14, 2016     Time: 10:00am      Venue: Fountain Woods Elementary School 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KMegan Mayernik 5 2 3 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 0 3 1 1 0Julie Veneziale 1 2 1 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 4 1 1 2 1 2Alex Zulla 5 0 2 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 5 1 1 2 0 1Shaye Santos 5 0 1 0 0 0Tori Bowen 5 0 1 0 0 1Sarah Falco 2 0 0 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 3 0 0 0 0 1Lauren Tomei 4 0 0 0 0 1Totals 42 6 13 5 2 62B: Mayernik, Zulla (2), BowenHR: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff 5.2 5 3 3 1 5 0Julie Veneziale (W) 3.1 0 0 0 1 6 0HB: Veneziale

HORNETS STING HOUNDS IN 7TH INNING TO WINNBC had been on a run of late and looked to continue with a win over Pemberton in the Military Ball. The Hounds had been winners in all of the previous Military Ball games but were playing at Pemberton rather than at home and also this was Senior Day for the Hornets. The game was played under rainy conditions and it appeared to some that the game was going to be postponed because of the weather. Never the less, the game started with the Hounds getting two runners on in the first inning on a single by Becca Cundiff and a double by Ashley Zulla. This would be the recipe for the day as the Hounds had runners on in 6 of the 7 innings. That being said, the runners were stranded. In the third the Dawgs broke through by scoring with Alex Zulla having the big hit which was a double that scored LM with the first run of the game. Pemberton answered in the bottom of the third and the game remained deadlocked until the fifth when Rachel Taylor brought home a run with a line single. The Hornets went ahead in the bottom of the 5th 3-2. The see saw game was tied again in the top of the 6th on a sacrifice fly by Ashley Zulla. In the bottom of the 7th with one out, Pemberton scored with the bases loaded on a single that ended the tight contest. NOTES-Ashley Zulla threw out her 10th base runner of the year erasing a runner trying to go from 2nd to 3rd. The Dawgs stranded 12 base runners in the game. The Hounds need to have a short memory as they visit New Egypt on Wednesday. A win by NBC would guarantee them a tie for the league title as they are 5-2 in the league -tied with RVRHS who still needs to play Burlinngton Township in league play. The Hounds have split so far this season with the Warriors. In JV action, NBC improved to 9-6 as Amanda Gonzalez had two home runs and pitched a no-hitter against PembertonBOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 7 2Pemberton 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 4 4 3

Date: May 17, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: TBA  

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0

Megan Mayernik 3 1 1 0 1 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 1 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 2 0 2 1 1 0Alex Zulla 4 0 1 1 0 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 1 1 1 2Shaye Santos 4 0 0 0 0 2Tori Bowen 4 0 1 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 3 0 0 0 1 1Lauren Tomei 4 0 0 0 0 2Totals 31 3 7 3 4 72B: Zulla, ZullaSF: ZullaNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff 4.1 3 3 0 5 2 0Julie Veneziale (L) 2.1 2 1 1 3 0 0

HOUNDS FALL SHORT AGAINST NEW EGYPTNBC went to New Egypt with the league title on the line. A victory would mean a tie for the League Championship. A loss would mean that RVRHS had to lose to Burlington Township to create a 3 way tie. It was finally a sunny day as the temperatures were in the upper 60's. The Hounds started off the first inning with a runner as Ashley Zulla drew a base on balls. The Hounds were not able to advance her. In the second inning Rachel Taylor led off with a single but again did not move around the bases. The Dawgs loaded the bases in the 4th inning but did not score. Again in the fifth the Hounds loaded the bases but did not plate a run. Meanwhile Becca Cundiff was matching Faith Weber inning by inning holding the Warriors at bay. The Warriors finally broke through to score two in the bottom of the sixth and the Hounds were not able to answer. Final score 2-0 NOTES-NBC left 8 runners on base a day after leaving 12 on base. That is 20 left on in the last two games. The Dawgs need to find a fix prior to tomorrow as they face Burlington Township in the first round of playoffs. Burlington Township is according to a newspaper article "excited to play against NBC." This is based on two narrow losses by Burlington Township to the Hounds. Given the veteran leadership of the Dawgs, they have the capability to win and move onto the next round of playoffs. Coach Reale and her JV team finished the season strong and had a final record of 10-6. Well done pups.BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1New Egypt 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 6 0

Date: May 18, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: New Egypt High School 

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 0 0 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 4 0 1 0 0 0Ashley Zulla 2 0 1 0 1 1Alex Zulla 3 0 1 0 0 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 1 0 0 1Shaye Santos 3 0 1 0 0 2Tori Bowen 3 0 1 0 0 1Jessica Kimball 3 0 0 0 0 2Lauren Tomei 2 0 0 0 0 0Totals 27 0 6 0 1 7HBP: TomeiNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 6.0 6 0 0 1 2 0

HOUNDS COMPLETE HAT TRICK FOR YEAR IN VICTORY OVER TOWNSHIPNBC played Burlington Township for the third time this season. If they had defeated New Egypt in the BCSL tournament they would be facing the Falcons for a fourth time. They had defeated the Falcons twice earlier in the season. Two days earlier Township had been throttled by RVRHS and the Falcons coach had indicated that they were excited to play NBC because even though they had lost the previous contests, they could have gone either way. So the first round of the state playoffs were against a team who seemed to feel that the Falcons were primed to swoop home with a victory. Township threatened early in the game getting runners on in the first several innings. As has been the

script throughout the year, when situations get tense and the stakes are high, Becca Cundiff seems to rise to the challenge. Cundiff has time and again kept the Dawgs in games with her gritty performances. This game was no exception as the Stockton bound senior proved to be the rock for the Hounds until they settled down. It appeared in the third inning that the Falcons had cracked through the scoreboard as a sacrifice fly drove in the first run of the game. Hold on there fly boys. An appeal play to the home plate umpire confirmed that the runner had left third base too early. This scare seemed to wake the Hounds up in the bottom of the third. Toe waked with one out and Becca Cundiff drove a pitch on a line over the left field fence to give the Hounds a 2-0 lead. The Falcons threatened in the top of the fourth with runners on first and third and no out. Gulp!!!!! LM to the rescue. A line drive headed to the outfield and extra bases was stopped in its tracks by the flying LM. Girl could have a calling in the circus in a gravity defying act. After she snared the line drive out of the air. LM alertly fired to first base to double the runner who did not realize that there was a leaping frog in the house. With there now being two outs, Becca struck out the next batter to retire the side. In the bottom of the fifth Becca had another RBI, her third of the day, on a single bringing home LM who was on second base with a stolen base. Ashley Zulla followed with a moon shot to centerfield that cleared the fans who were gathered in the outfield. That gave the Hounds a 5-0 cushion. The Falcons scored two in the top of the seventh to close the gap but Becca closed the door to keep the 5-2 margin the final score. NOTES-The Hounds were excited themselves to be able to have a home playoff game and wanted to avoid a quick exit from the playoffs. They thought that perhaps they hadn't received respect because of the previous close scores. Regardless, they defeated the Falcons three times in one year. The catch by LM in the fourth once again showcased probably the best fielding shortstop in South Jersey. The home plate umpire, who had not seen LM in action this year, marveled at the cannon residing in the arms of LM. Another fan in the roost. Although Zulla's homerun was not of the same magnitude of the one earlier in the year, she still put powder marks on the departing missile. Cundiff was the two way star of the day as she went two for three with a homerun and another terrific pitching performance. It seems that Ash and Cundiff have some kind of telepathic communication going on. The maestro seems to be tuned in to Becca's psyche and knows just when to call a timeout to calm the defense down. Next up for the Hounds the second round of the playoff against the winner of nuber two seed Steinert against 15 seed Hamilton West. BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Burlington Township 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 9 0NBC 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 5 5 3

Date: May 20, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: NBC - Field 25

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 1 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 3 1 0 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 3 1 2 3 0 0Ashley Zulla 2 1 1 2 1 0Alex Zulla 2 0 0 0 1 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 0 0 0 1Shaye Santos 3 0 1 0 0 2Tori Bowen 3 1 1 0 0 0Jessica Kimball 3 0 0 0 0 2Lauren Tomei 1 0 0 0 2 1Totals 23 5 5 5 4 6HR: Cundiff, ZullaSB: Mayernik, Zulla, Santos, TomeiNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (W) 7.0 9 2 2 0 5 0HB: Cundiff

HOUNDS LOSE TO STEINERT IN SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFSNBC played Steinert in the second round of the playoffs. Steinert was the second seed and entered with a record of 20-4. NBC was the 7th seed and came in with a 12-9 record. Many of the Hounds had played summer ball with the Steinert players. It was a rare sunny day with temperatures in the

low 80's. The Hounds started the first inning with two runners on base as Ashley Zulla singled and Alex Zulla walked. The Hounds were not able to capitalize on this and left the top of the first with no runs. Steinert came up in the bottom of the first and scored two runs. That would be the only runs that Steinert would need in this fast moving game. The Dawgs continued to get runners on base and actually had runners on in 6 of the 7 innings. That being said NBC was not able to take advantage of their base runners. Becca Cundiff was holding the Spartans at bay and was assisted by two double plays initiated by LM. LM caught a line drive in the fourth to double a runner off and again in the bottom of the sixth fielded a ground ball and fired to first to finish the inning. Final score Steinert 5 NBC 0 NOTES-The Hounds finished the season going 12-9. The Hounds will miss the leadership of the five four year starters as well as the other seniors who became part of a family unlike that of most sports teams. LM said it best in the post game talk when she said that it was not playing games that she would miss but the daily interactions with girls who had become a close knit community. Unfortunate that the season ended sooner than wished for, but thankful that this group gave so much to elevate the NBC softball program. Look at the record over the four years and it is quite impressive. Look at the legacy that is left behind and it is mind boggling. Special memories to hold onto for a lifetime. ThanksBOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

NBC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1Steinert 2 0 0 2 0 1 0 5 12 0

Date: May 25, 2016     Time: 3:45pm      Venue: TBA

NBC

Hitters AB R H RBI BB KAlex Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Julie Veneziale 0 0 0 0 0 0Megan Mayernik 4 0 1 0 0 0Rebecca Cundiff 2 0 1 0 1 0Ashley Zulla 4 0 1 0 0 1Alex Zulla 2 0 1 0 1 0Rachel Taylor 3 0 1 0 0 1Shaye Santos 3 0 0 0 0 3Tori Bowen 3 0 1 0 0 1Sarah Falco 1 0 0 0 0 1Jessica Kimball 1 0 0 0 1 0Lauren Tomei 3 0 0 0 0 2Totals 26 0 6 0 3 92B: BowenNBCPitchers IP H R ER BB K PTRebecca Cundiff (L) 5.1 12 5 3 0 2 0Julie Veneziale 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0