Daluise's diving catch saved the day for Braves BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer Deanna Daluise's future may be as Manalapan's starting pitcher, but she will be hard pressed to top what she did as a center fielder. In last week's Central Jersey Group IV semifinal at home, Daluise made the game-saving grab of a sinking line drive that propelled the Braves to their first-ever state sectional championship game. The Braves were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh. The Bears' Savannah Ur had led the inning off with a single and advanced to second on a pitch in the dirt, but Ashley Rampino had struck the next two batters out. Manalapan was one out from hosting the CJ final when Carrie Wan rapped a line drive to center field that was falling fast. For a moment it looked like the Bears were going to tie the game up when a diving Daluise in full stretch was able to get her glove on the ball just before it sank to the grass. As she rolled to the ground, the ball remained snug in the web of her glove and the Braves were moving on. The catch, as it turns out, was the product of a team that pays attention to every aspect of the game. "Coach [Jeannette] Bruno has had us working on our dives in practice," said Daluise. It was that, as well as Daluise's quick reflexes. "Deanna is one of our quicker players," noted Bruno. Daluise's memorable catch ended a well-played pitchers' duel between Rampino and East Brunswick's Amanda Singer. Rampino was her usual dominating self, mixing a change-up with her fastball and riser. She got defensive help not just from Daluise but shortstop Danielle Colagera, who snared a pair of line drives that were headed for base hits to center field. There was even a rare 9-6 force out, started by right fielder Jen Freda. The game's only run was driven in by Rampino in the bottom of the third. Danielle LaCugna led the inning off with a single. Courtesy runner Jodi Berger went to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Danielle Colagera. Freda's groundout moved Berger to third base with two outs. Rampino brought Berger home when she singled sharply between third base and shortstop, and the Braves were up, 1-0. In the fourth, Manalapan had the chance to break the game open, loading the bases on a single by Nicole Gurrieri, a base-on-balls and fielder's choice. But Singer was up to the challenge. She got a 1-2-3 double play and a strikeout to end the threat and keep her team one-run down. Colagera and Daluise made nice catches in the top of the fifth to keep the Bears off the base paths. With Singer in control, the game went to the seventh, 1-0. Ur's lead-off single set the stage for a dramatic finish, and Daluise provided it with her diving catch. The Braves, the No. 3 seed, went to 22-6 with the win while East Brunswick fell to 16-10. The Bears were one of the reasons that Manalapan got to host Thursday's sectional final as the No. 3 seed. The Bears, seeded seventh, knocked off No. 2 Montgomery in the quarterfinals the same day that Rancocas Valley took out the No. 1 seed, Old Bridge, and earned the right to play at Manalapan for the sectional title.