Freehold Township’s softball team played its final game of this summer in a manner that summed up its season.
Freehold Township won two games last week in order to remain alive to win the New Jersey Little League Junior Softball State Tournament that was played at the Ocean Township Little League Colt Field Complex.
Once Freehold Township earned victories to stay alive — it knocked out Merchantville, 14-0, July 15 and then defeated Clifton, 12-1, July 16 — the team found itself in the state finals against its nemesis, Clifton.
It was Clifton that had dealt a 5-4 defeat to Freehold Township July 12. That loss forced Freehold Township to win every game to remain alive in the tournament.
After Freehold Township gained revenge to beat Clifton, 12-1, July 16, the two teams squared off for the final time later that day in the state championship game.
Once again, Freehold Township’s never-say-die attitude came through when it rallied from a five-run deficit to score three runs in the seventh inning.
Freehold Township’s starting pitcher, Gia McKnight, blasted a three-run home run to slice the Clifton lead to 7-5. Then Freehold Township placed two runners on base and had the winning run at the plate, but a called third strike ended the season, as Clifton held on for the 7-5 victory to claim the state championship.
Freehold Township had opened with a 2-0 lead after one inning, but Clifton took command and pulled away to a 7-2 lead with three runs in the seventh.
Freehold Township’s manager, Thomas McKnight, valued his team’s spirit.
“This year has been phenomenal,” McKnight said. “There aren’t any words to describe it. Especially the way they came back right now and made it a two-run game. Incredible. Words can’t describe it.”
McKnight, the father of Gia McKnight, was very emotional describing how proud he was of her performance.
She had thrown six strikeouts in the game and hit that crucial three-run homer. She also hit a homer in the victory earlier that day against Clifton.
“I would squeeze her right now if it weren’t 100 degrees out here,” Thomas McKnight said. “I’m her father, but I can tell you the coaches on the other team vouched for her, too. They just kept telling me, ‘She’s phenomenal!’ So yeah, I’m extremely proud right now.”
An emotional Gia McKnight was firm in her beliefs.
“Our team couldn’t have played any better,” she said. “Yes, runs could have been prevented, and mistakes were made — by myself included. But we left it all out there, and that’s all that matters.”
She also had a bold prediction for next season.
“We lost this game last year, and we lost again this year,” Gia McKnight said. “It won’t happen again next year.”
