Stuart Two-Out, Two-Run Double, Diving Catch by Outfielder Shanley Highlight Chatham Softball's 8-2 NJAC Win vs. Mount Olive

CHATHAM, NJ -- Senior Christina Stuart came through with a pivotal two-out, two-strike, two-run double in the fifth inning to give the Cougars the lead and sophomore centerfielder Clare Shanley made the play of the game with a diving catch of a line drive as the Chatham scored an 8-2 softball win vs. Mount Olive in an NJAC National contest played Tuesday at the Chatham Middle School.

Mount Olive (3-3, 3-1 National) had scored to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning before Stuart came to the plate with two outs and runners on second and third for Chatham (3-4, 3-2 National).

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"Christina's at-bat, that was it right there," Brett Picaro , Chatham coach, said. "Two outs and runners on second and third and we're down. I said to her afterward, it was a great at-bat before she got the hit. She saw a bunch of pitches, she took close pitches and she fouled a bunch of pitches off with two strikes. It was just a really good, quality at-bat and she got a good result out of it that put us up.

"The fact that we were able to get right back ahead of them set us more at ease and we were more comfortable in the sixth inning when we had a chance to break it open. That's why that at-bat by Christina was so big."

Shanley's play in center field backed the pitching of junior Lara Thistlethwaite , who induced a popup that was tracked down by junior shortstop Avery Andres (see below) for the final out."

Shanley, who also drove in a run in the game, made a diving catch of a Mount Olive line drive in the third inning when Chatham was clinging to a 1-0 lead.

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"Honestly, one of the best catches I've seen a centerfielder make at any level of softball," Picaro said. "That's a low line drive that she full-length dove on the glove side to get. That is not an easy play. What kind of gets lost in her catch is her positioning in the game on balls that were hit pretty deep. She knows how to position herself out there and she moves really well on each pitch in anticipation of the ball being hit to one side or the other."

Christina Stuart, Clare Shanley, Katie Pignatello, Lara Thistlethwaite and Abby Bailey talk about the win

Chatham expanded its 3-2 edge with a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. Alessa Cooney reached base to start it off and Maddie Huth drew a walk before Charlie Askins had a base hit to load the bases. Abby Bailey followed with a base hit for an RBI and the lefty-hitting Katie Pignatello pulled a base hit inside the bag at first for an RBI single (see below), and two more runs scored when the ball was misplayed for an error.

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