St. John Vianney softball finds way in marathon Shore Conference final: 'No words for it'

RED BANK -- The packed house at Count Basie Park had endured the cardiac highs and lows of a battle between two of the Shore's preeminent powerhouses Tuesday night but in the bottom of the eighth it appeared to finally be over. Losing 9-6 to Donovan Catholic, St. John Vianney was down to its final strike in extra innings. After so many twists and turns, surely this was the end for the three-hour marathon of a game.

Then Gabby Gonzalez gave the Shore classic its ultimate moment.

The Lancers' top hitter delivered a moon shot to dead center that was just behind the reach of the outfielder's glove. A three-run homer to tie the game at 9-9, and the moment that brought her team from the brink of defeat to the precipice of glory.

"No words for it," said Gonzalez. "It's just so amazing. I mean, I don't even know how to put it into words."

The Lancers delivered the finishing blow in the ninth as their victory was appropriately bookended by RBI singles from senior Isabelle Cattelona, who delivered the walk off to seal St. John Vianney's 10-9 victory over Donovan Catholic after losing in extra innings in 2023.

"After last year with a 10-inning game, that was intense," said Cattelona. "Coming back, it was definitely awesome."

It was the missing piece of the past year for the reigning Non-Public A state champions in the Vianney-Donovan rivalry. The teams will once again be positioned for a potential rematch in the state tournament.

"I'm looking forward to playing them again. Donovan is a great team in the two years we've played them," said SJV pitcher Madison McDougall. "I'm excited to play them again in states."

SJV softball coach Kim Lombardi-McDougall: 'I never count us out'

With an immense turnout as players and coaches from across the Shore were in attendance in Red Bank, this game lived up to all of the hype.

St. John Vianney struck first in the top of the second with Cattelona's single that scored fellow senior Giuliana Cardin. The Lancers' lead exploded the following inning after Cardin got an RBI single and Elisabeth Figliolino tripled and reached home on an error, giving SJV a 5-0 lead.

With McDougall on the mound, the notion of a comeback seemed unthinkable. The sophomore had not allowed more than two runs in an outing over the past 20 games.

But Donovan Catholic proved why it's also among the best teams in the state. Junior Gianna Apostolakos got the scoring started with an RBI single, and sensational freshman Isabella Cino followed that with a two-run homer over the left field fence in the top of the fourth. The following inning, Olivia Kurth gave Donovan a 6-5 lead with a three-run dinger in nearly the same exact spot. It was an unprecedented offensive outburst in a game full of broken precedents.

"I've never seen her, in 16 years, have that many runs on her truthfully," said SJV coach Kim Lombardi-McDougall of her daughter. "But we tied it up and I feel like she gets stronger in a lot of situations."

McDougall responded with a solo home run of her own in the bottom half of the fifth, tying the game at 6-6. But again the star pitcher faced an unprecedented offensive challenge in a clutch moment.

"The solo shot I had, it was not just for me, it was for my team," said McDougall. "It was for us to be pumped up."

In the eighth, an intentional walk loaded the bases and the Lancers got a force out at home, Donovan star junior Christina Ginex was up with two outs and the bases still loaded. She delivered a bases-clearing double that gave the Griffins a 9-6 lead.

"I never count us out," said Lombardi-McDougall. "I do feel like our team is never just counted out."

The final unthinkable twist came with Gonzalez's home run. The Lancers would not be denied.

"We were going to play a good game like we did last year," said Gonzalez. "This year, we just came in with a lot more strength and delivered."

What's next

The last part of the team's championship equation is still to come. Despite being the reigning state champion with a 21-1 record, the Lancers were given a two-seed in the South Non-Public A section. That means the team is on a postseason collision course with three-seed Donovan Catholic.

It also means that the Lancers will have no shortage of additional motivation as they aim to knock off top-seed Notre Dame and defend their state title. But coach Lombardi-McDougall is not one for those semantics.

"I always tell my girls that I don't care where we're ranked in the beginning or middle, it's where you are at the end of the year," said Lombardi-McDougall. "If we play our game and we win every inning, we'll be very happy with our success at the end of the season."

But this type of comeback victory did serve as a reminder for the coach about what type of team she's built at St. John Vianney. It also displayed the incredible standard that the Lancers hold themselves to, starting with their star pitcher.

"My mom always told me growing up, you have to be the best one. You're a coach's kid ," said McDougall. "If I really wanted to play here, I had to show everybody that I can be the best one out there."

Even on one of her toughest days, she was at her best.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: St. John Vianney softball finds way in marathon Shore Conference final: 'No words for it'