H.S. softball: A swing for the fences, and for the ages

MICHAEL KARAS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Madison Levine getting a big hug from a teammate as others surround her after her walk-off home run.

SADDLE BROOK Madison Levine might have been the last one to know.

"I dont know what it looked like going over the fence. I rounded first and saw the [outfielder] on the ground and everyone cheering and I figured it went over," she said.

The Indian Hills catcher roped a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Braves to a 5-4 victory over Immaculate Heart in the Bergen County softball final Saturday at Smith Elementary School in Saddle Brook.

The story lines coming in were plentiful: Indian Hills sought revenge after getting blanked, 10-0, in last years county final against IHA. The Blue Eagles sought to become the first team in the events history to win four consecutive titles.

And IHA senior pitcher Steph Thomas was sitting on 112 career wins, tied for the most in state history. She could have been the first pitcher to win four Bergen titles.

It was a showdown of two undefeated teams, No. 1 vs. No. 2 in North Jersey, and the fans were treated to a classic.

And it ended with the swing of Levines 33-inch, 23-ounce CF5 Demarini bat on a 2-1 pitch from Thomas.

"She had been throwing mostly inside pitches to me," said Levine, 18. "That one was outside. I knew it was coming eventually. It was there and I hit it."

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H.S. softball: A swing for the fences, and for the ages