ROBBINSVILLE – When state softball powers collide, mistakes are rare and when they are made, the benefactor would be wise to capitalize. Robbinsville was smart enough to do just that, turning two first-inning errors into a Tuleen Ali grand slam that sparked a 6-1 win over Steinert on a chilly Friday night at Tantum Park. Katie Ziliani tossed a one-hitter with five strikeouts and four walks and Caroline Walls had three hits, two stolen bases and two RBIs for Robbinsville (10-1), ranked No. 1 in The Trentonian’s area rankings. The win avenged a loss to third-ranked Steinert (11-2) in last year’s Central Jersey Group III finals, as Christine Levering’s team has won eight straight since being stunned by West Windsor-Plainsboro North. It has now beaten state powers Notre Dame and Steinert within eight days of each other. “It’s a big win,’ Ali said. “We’ve been working for this since the winter. The first day of school everyone was like ‘C’mon, we have to get back at Steinert.’ That was our mindset.” Walls agreed, saying, “It’s always a close game with Steinert so this was really exciting for us. We just came out with a good attitude today, ready to give everything we’ve got.” The Fairfield-bound senior was surprised at how handily her team won. “They’re a really tough team,” she said. “They’re really competitive. We know we have to stay locked in the game with them all the way. We can never let up on them. And we came out ready to play.” Ziliani set the tone by retiring the first nine batters she faced. After a 1-2-3 first, the senior got all she would need in the bottom of the inning. Walls started the one-out rally by reaching on an error and stealing second. Ariana Tomlinson beat out an infield hit, and Sorella Gallucci reached on another error to load the bases. Walls knew her team had to convert on what it had been given. “They’re a good team and any opportunity we get we have to take advantage of,” she said. “We didn’t let up.” The Ravens especially put pressure on with their speed. “Even if you don’t hit the ball well and you hit a couple that weren’t perfect off the bat, if you just hustle into first and give it everything you have in every at-bat, sometimes it can help us out,” Walls said. “Today we used that a little more.” And after the Ravens set things up with their lightning legs, Ali supplied the thunder stick by crushing the first pitch she saw over the centerfield fence for her second home run of the season. “All I was thinking was get a base hit up the middle, move the runners over,” Ali said. “I love swinging at the first pitch, I feel like that’s the best pitch you’re gonna see in the count. I’m pretty sure I got a fastball. I knew off the bat it was gone.” Standing on third at the time, Walls was unsure what to think. “I was really hoping,” she said. “It looked pretty good to me. I was just praying. She hit it hard, so I was hoping. “I was just so happy for her. She’s an incredible athlete. She works so hard. She really deserved it. She started us off strong and it gave us a little boost.” Walls provided the exclamation point with a two-run single in the sixth that squashed any hope the Spartans may have had about coming back. Ziliani did the rest. She did not allow a baserunner until surrendering a leadoff walk to Mia Pope in the fourth. Pope stole second and scored on Ellie Miller’s single to make it 4-1. That would be it for the Spartans, who drew a walk in each of the final three innings but could not capitalize. “She’s phenomenal,” said Ali, who has caught Ziliani in travel and high school ball. “She worked so hard for this, she was awesome today. I feel so comfortable catching her. She’s one of the best pitchers I’ve ever caught.” Told that Ziliani gives Ali much of the credit for her success, the catcher shook her head and said “It’s all her. . .it’s all her.” Lately, it’s been all Ravens. Steinert (11-2) 000 100 0 – 1 1 4 Robbinsville (10-1) 400 002 X – 6 8 0 WP: Ziliani (9-0). LP: Simonka (6-2). HR: R–Ali. RBI: S–Miller. R–Ali 4, Walls 2.