PHOTOS, VIDEO: Romberger’s walk-off hit, Hall’s all-around play lead Middle past OLMA in Hall’s Carpet Care Game of the Week

Posted: April 26th 2025

Middle Township's Katie Creamer makes a catch in right-center field as teammate Sydnie Hunter backs up on the play during Friday's softball game against Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – When Charlotte Romberger walked up to the plate following teammate Katie Creamer’s lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning, she fully expected to be given a bunt sign from Middle Township High School softball coach Chuck Dougherty.

Romberger didn’t get it, however.

“Charlotte usually puts the ball in play and she usually hits the ball to the right side,” Dougherty explained, “so I figured she could move the runner that way.”

Romberger did more than that.

The junior first baseman laced a single to right field that chased Creamer home from second base to give Middle a dramatic 2-1 walk-off victory over Our Lady of Mercy Academy Friday afternoon.

The win, which came two days after a 9-0 loss to Hammonton, bumped Middle over .500 at 6-5.

“This is a big lift, especially after getting thumped by Hammonton,” Dougherty said. “This was a nice comeback win for us.”

OLMA took an early lead on a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. Middle tied the contest in the third inning when Grace Hall lined a single to right that scored Samantha Schaffer, who had doubled and stole third base.

Hall’s contributions weren’t only at the plate. The junior second baseman also made a handful of terrific plays in the field. She ranged to her left to field a ground ball before using a backhand flip to toss to first for an inning-ending out in the third. In the sixth inning, Hall ranged hard to her right to field a grounder and tossed to Romberger at first to beat the runner by a step. She also caught a line drive and cleanly fielded another ground ball at different points of the game.

But Hall’s best defensive play came in the fifth inning. With runners on first and second with two outs in a tie game, she darted to her right and lunged toward the ground to knock down a hard-hit low line drive before gathering the ball and flipping from her knees to shortstop Dakota Laughlin at second base for a force out that ended the threat.

“A big difference today was that we fielded the ball and got some decent pitching,” Dougherty said. “When we haven’t fielded the ball is when we’ve gotten in trouble. But we made some great plays today, especially Grace. She kind of saved us.”

Megan Turner was solid on the mound. After having some control issues early in the game, the senior righthander settled in and held OLMA without a run over the final five innings. She struck out three and conceded just three hits. Turner also had a single at the plate.

Laughlin and Tori Atwood also each added hits for Middle.

Dougherty, in his first season of his third stint as head coach of the softball program, is guiding a rather young team. Turner and center fielder Sydnie Hunter were the only senior starters in Friday’s game.

“I think we’re getting better,” Dougherty said. “I always thought we’d be better at the end of the year. We’ve made some mistakes but I think we’ve started to shore some things up with our fielding. I think we’ve improved and hopefully we keep doing that.”

Middle is next in action Tuesday when it hosts Holy Spirit, before another home game against Absegami on Thursday. The team will compete in a tournament at Oakcrest on the weekend of May 3-4.