The 2007 Associated Press All-State softball teams will be released Wednesday, look for it in Thursday's Courier News and online at www.c-n.com.
Softball beat writers from around the state were asked to submit nominations last week for the 2007 team, here are the players I nominated for consideration:
Capri Catalano, Sr., RHP, Governor Livingston
Jen Lapicki, Sr., C, Immaculata
Sam Pellechio, Sr., SS, North Hunterdon
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
With regret
Due to an error on my part, two very deserving players were accidentally left off All-Area.
Jillian Lusk of Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Nicole Sgromolo of Delaware Valley both made the team as honorable mention. But because they were the two final cuts among the final candidates for the first three teams, I accidentally failed to move their names to the honorable mention list once I had made my decision on the top three teams as I did for every other position.
My sincerest apologies -- and congratulations -- to Jillian, Nicole, and their families.
Jillian Lusk of Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Nicole Sgromolo of Delaware Valley both made the team as honorable mention. But because they were the two final cuts among the final candidates for the first three teams, I accidentally failed to move their names to the honorable mention list once I had made my decision on the top three teams as I did for every other position.
My sincerest apologies -- and congratulations -- to Jillian, Nicole, and their families.
Today's the Day
The 2007 Courier News Spring All-Area section is out.
For non-subscribers, grab your copy at your local news stand. It is not available online today.
For non-subscribers, grab your copy at your local news stand. It is not available online today.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
PART 7: PITCHERS
This is the seventh installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
LAST TUESDAY – Shortstops
LAST WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
LAST THURSDAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
YESTERDAY – Catchers
TODAY – Pitchers
TOMORROW, Sunday, 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Pitching wins ball games, and that is even truer in softball. Without a good hurler in the circle, teams have virtually no chance at success on the varsity level, and this year was no different. Both pitching and – to a lesser extent – hitting stats were considered for pitchers. And, once again, expect to see a pitcher or two appear in a designated hitter or utility spot on the top three teams.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
STAT KEY: SHO = Shutouts; NH=No-hitters; ERA=Earned runs allowed per 7 innings; K/7=Strikeouts per 7 innings; AvgVs=Batting average against
DANI ACCARDI, Sr., Mount St. Mary
Pitching Stats: 22-2, 13 SHO, 3 NH, 0.45 ERA, .153 AvgVs., 8.49 K/7
Hitting Stats: .538 avg., 9 2BH, 4 3BH, 4 HR, 29 RBIs
Upside: Dominant in the circle and at the plate. Was the complete package in leading MSM to the Skyland Raritan crown.
Downside: Her numbers came against the Raritan and Valley Divisions of the Skyland Conference. Didn’t play an out-of-conference schedule, though we’ll give MSM athletic director/coach Denise Materia a break on the scheduling since the Raritan and Valley Divisions teams not only had to play everyone in their own division twice, but also the teams in the other division two times. That doesn’t leave much room on the schedule for non-conference opponents.
LINDSAY BROWN, Sr., Westfield
Pitching Stats: 11-7, 5 SHO, 1.67 ERA, .203 AvgVs, 9.51 K/7
Hitting Stats: .281 avg., 3 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 9 RBIs
Upside: Great pitching numbers. Walked just 1 batter per 7 innings while striking out 9.5.
Downside: Her pitching numbers probably should have been better considering some of the opponents Westfield got to face. Her hitting stats were fair at best. Westfield was upset in the county tournament and was eliminated in the first round of states.
NICOLE CARAVANO, Sr., Union Catholic
Pitching Stats: 12-9, 2.04 ERA, .265 AvgVs., 6.21 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Decent pitching numbers. Not great. Walked just 0.74 batters per 7 innings, which is outstanding.
Downside: ERA and batting average against were fairly high.
ALEX CARISONE, Fr., Rutgers Prep
Pitching Stats: 16-4, 1.53 ERA, .275 Avg.Vs, 7.47 K/7
Hitting Stats: .400 avg., 6 2BH, 1 HR, 17 RBIs, 15 SB.
Upside: Very good hitting stats, and it is not often a pitcher steals as many as 15 bases. Her pitching numbers were also very good, overall, for the Prep B state champs and Somerset County Tournament quarterfinalists.
Downside: Her batting average against was rather high, plus Rutgers Prep’s schedule wasn’t exactly suffocating.
JENNA CARMON, Jr., Hunterdon Central
Pitching Stats: 14-6, 5 SHO, 1.17 ERA, .292 Avg.Vs., 4.09 K/7
Hitting Stats: .363 avg., 4 2BH, 4 3BH, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
Upside: Great control, walking just five batters in 143 2/3 innings. Emerged as Central’s ace during a 17-game winning streak. Was winning pitcher in semifinals and final of Hunterdon/Warren Tournament.
Downside: Very high batting average against -- but made up for that with lack of walks. Did not strikeout a lot of batters, relying on the Red Devils’ defense to make plays. Hitting stats were good, but not great.
CAPRI CATALANO, Sr., Governor Livingston
Pitching Stats: 24-1, 19 SHO, 4 NH (1 perfect), 0.14 ERA, .077 Avg.Vs., 18.95 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: The state’s all-time strikeout leader had mind-blowing numbers across the board. Allowed just six runs all season – three earned – and averaged just under 19 strikeouts per game – two less than the 21 outs a pitcher must get in a regulation contest. Won a Group II state title. Threw four no-hitters, including a perfect game in the Group II state semifinals. Shall I continue?
Downside: Did not hit.
ELORA DANIELE, Jr., Montgomery
Pitching Stats: 16-5, 1.34 ERA, .201 Avg.Vs., 8.23 K/7
Hitting Stats: .406 avg., 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 3 HR, 19 RBIs
Upside: Her pitching numbers are excellent, especially her strikeout numbers against a tough Skyland Delaware schedule. Pitched Montgomery to the Skyland Delaware East Division title. Her hitting numbers are stellar, especially against the Cougars’ schedule. The fact she drove in 19 runs while hitting leadoff half the season is also impressive.
Downside: Walked 62 in 131 innings, which is obscenely high. Some of her numbers were overshadowed by some of the other hurlers in the conference. Was blasted for eight runs in a first-round state tournament loss to East Brunswick – a significant upset -- and failed to return the Cougars to the county final.
LYDIA DEMARTINO, Jr., Watchung Hills
Pitching Stats: 9-11, 6 SHO, 0.95 ERA, .167 AvgVs., 7.8 K/7
Hitting Stats: .286 avg., 4 2BH, 2 3BH, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Upside: Excellent ERA and batting average against, nice strikeout numbers, too.
Downside: Tended to lose her cool and meltdown when things didn’t go her way in the circle. Sub-.500 record for a team that didn’t make the state tournament, though you gotta give the Warriors somewhat of a break playing in the Skyland Delaware. Her hitting stats weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great.
JOSIE DENNY, Sr., Dunellen
Pitching Stats: 17-6, 2.38 ERA, 0.333 Avg.Vs., 6.73 K/7
Hitting Stats: .450 avg.
Upside: Nice batting average. Won 17 games.
Downside: Dunellen won a share of the GMC Gold with its offense. Denny’s pitching stats were not great, especially against a Group I and Gold Division schedule, but it was enough with the Destroyers’ bats – including her own – behind her. She gave up a lot of hits and a lot of walks, though she did get her share of strikeouts.
LAUREN FITZSIMMONS, Jr., Bridgewater-Raritan
Pitching Stats: 18-6, 8 SHO, 2 NH (1 perfect), 1.04 ERA, 1.81 AvgVs., 11.17 K/7
Hitting Stats: .269 avg., 4 2BH, 0 3BH, 4 HR, 14 RBI
Upside: Arguably the most dominant pitcher in the Skyland Conference, she was downright unhittable when she was focused and had everything working. Struck out a ton of hitters and walked just over 1 batter per game.
Downside: Sometimes lost focus when facing adversity in the circle, which turned harmless hits into big innings for the opposition. Hitting stats were not good, overall, but she did come up with several clutch hits – including a couple of longballs -- in big spots for the Panthers.
ALI FREEDMAN, Sr., North Hunterdon
Pitching Stats: 10-5, 1.54 ERA, .260 AvgVs., 4.41 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Stepped up down the stretch to emerge as the Lions’ ace and pitched North to its second straight sectional title. Walked a phenomenally low 0.56 batter per seven innings.
Downside: Wasn’t dominant in terms of strikeouts, and her .260 batting average against is a bit high. A victory over Hunterdon Central with the conference title on the line would have given her a nice leg up.
LINDSAY GIBBONS, Jr., RIDGE
Pitching Stats: 11-14, 1.72 ERA, .275 Avg.Vs, 3.06 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Posted a respectable ERA, especially against the Delaware Division. Walked a mere 0.75 batters per 7 innings.
Downside: Had a losing record and a high batting average against. Struck out just 3.06 hitters per 7 innings.
JENNA GONZALEZ, Jr., North Hunterdon
Pitching Stats: 11-2, 1.48 ERA, .161 avgVs, 7.82 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Got off to a hot start before an injury forced her into a limited role for North. Great pitching numbers across the board.
Downside: Did not pitch in the state tournament.
MICHELLE JENSEN, Sr., Delaware Valley
Pitching Stats: 23-6, 11 SHO, 1.34 ERA, .231 avgVs., 9.16 K/7
Hitting Stats: .292 avg., 6 2BH, 17 RBI
Upside: Solid overall numbers. Won 23 games and pitched Del Val to sectional final. Threw 11 shutouts and struck out 9.16 per 7 innings. Hitting numbers are decent.
Downside: Failed to win the big game and got knocked around by some of the better teams she faced – not that her defense did her any favors, especially in the county semifinals against Central.
LINDSAY LEHMAN, Jr., Somerville
Pitching Stats: 14-7, 2.72 ERA, .276 avgVs, 8.2 K/7
Hitting Stats: .333 avg., 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
Upside: Hitting stats are better than her pitching stats. Remained Somerville’s ace, even with the arrival of highly touted transfer Lindsey Ciresa. Won 14 games and struck out 8-2 per 7 innings. Walked just 0.89 per 7 innings.
Downside: Her ERA was extremely high, while her batting average against wasn’t too impressive, either. While her hitting stats are solid, they aren’t good enough to set her apart.
JEN LITTLE, Sr., South Plainfield
Pitching Stats: 19-8, 5 SHO, 1.30 ERA, .265 avgVs., 6.33 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Solid numbers, overall. Won 19 games, while several of her 8 losses were the product of poor defensive play behind her. Her five shutouts against fairly solid competition is also impressive.
Downside: Her ERA is not as good as some of the top pitchers in the area, while her batting average against, strikeouts per 7 and walks-allowed – 1.30 per 7 – doesn’t separate her from the pack.
BRIANNE MAHONEY, Sr., Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Pitching Stats: 14-8, 2.13 ERA
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Won 14 games for a good Raiders team.
Downside: Her ERA was high, plus Scotch Plains-Fanwood didn’t win anything.
MEGAN McINAW, Jr., Hillsborough
Pitching Stats: 9-11, 3 SHO, 1 NH, 1.71 ERA, .235 avgVS, 9.21 K/7
Hitting Stats: .349 avg., 4 2BH, 0 3BH, 2 HR, 10 RBI
Upside: Another total package. Her pitching numbers were more than solid across the board, despite a sub-.500 record. Hitting numbers are good batting cleanup for the Somerset County Tournament finalists. Single-handily beat Mount St. Mary 2-1 in the SCT quarterfinals, pitching a three-hitter and smacking a two-run first-inning homer to account for Hillsborough’s runs.
Downside: Her ERA and walks-allowed were a bit high, especially compared to some of the other candidates, while her hitting stats were solid, but not excellent. Hillsborough failed to win a title and were ousted in the first round of the state tournament after barely sneaking in at the cutoff.
KAITLYN PIAZZOLLA, Jr., Immaculata
Pitching Stats: 11-8, 6 SHO, 0.66 ERA, .135 avgVs., 7.00 K/7
Hitting Stats: .323 avg., 3 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 15 RBI
Upside: Also a part-time catcher, her pitching numbers are phenomenal. Walked just 0.71 per 7 innings, while pitching the Spartans to their first Somerset County Tournament championship since 2000. Was an offensive threat in the middle of the Immaculata batting order, hitting behind Jen Lapicki. Delivered a key sacrifice bunt in the county final to set up the game-winning squeeze.
Downside: Lost eight games, though she gets a partial pass due to the level of competition and the fact that Immaculata didn’t score a lot of runs as a team. Couldn’t find a way to beat Mount St. Dominic and advance to the sectional final, as she gave up four runs. She also lost a lot of head-to-head battles with some of the conference’s other great hurlers.
CAITLIN ROSS, Sr., New Providence
Pitching Stats: 17-3, 14 SHO, 5 NH (3 perfect), 0.73 ERA, .131 avg.Vs, 12.15 /7
Hitting Stats: .492 avg., 4 2BH, 4 3BH, 7 HR, 31 RBI.
Upside: Her hitting stats are just as impressive as her pitching stats for the Mountain Valley Conference Valley Division champions.
Downside: Her numbers came against a Valley Division schedule. New Providence failed to make any noise in the state tournament.
DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP THE COURIER NEWS TOMORROW, SUNDAY, JUNE 24, WHEN THE 2007 ALL-AREA TEAMS WILL BE REVEALED!!
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
LAST TUESDAY – Shortstops
LAST WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
LAST THURSDAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
YESTERDAY – Catchers
TODAY – Pitchers
TOMORROW, Sunday, 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Pitching wins ball games, and that is even truer in softball. Without a good hurler in the circle, teams have virtually no chance at success on the varsity level, and this year was no different. Both pitching and – to a lesser extent – hitting stats were considered for pitchers. And, once again, expect to see a pitcher or two appear in a designated hitter or utility spot on the top three teams.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
STAT KEY: SHO = Shutouts; NH=No-hitters; ERA=Earned runs allowed per 7 innings; K/7=Strikeouts per 7 innings; AvgVs=Batting average against
DANI ACCARDI, Sr., Mount St. Mary
Pitching Stats: 22-2, 13 SHO, 3 NH, 0.45 ERA, .153 AvgVs., 8.49 K/7
Hitting Stats: .538 avg., 9 2BH, 4 3BH, 4 HR, 29 RBIs
Upside: Dominant in the circle and at the plate. Was the complete package in leading MSM to the Skyland Raritan crown.
Downside: Her numbers came against the Raritan and Valley Divisions of the Skyland Conference. Didn’t play an out-of-conference schedule, though we’ll give MSM athletic director/coach Denise Materia a break on the scheduling since the Raritan and Valley Divisions teams not only had to play everyone in their own division twice, but also the teams in the other division two times. That doesn’t leave much room on the schedule for non-conference opponents.
LINDSAY BROWN, Sr., Westfield
Pitching Stats: 11-7, 5 SHO, 1.67 ERA, .203 AvgVs, 9.51 K/7
Hitting Stats: .281 avg., 3 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 9 RBIs
Upside: Great pitching numbers. Walked just 1 batter per 7 innings while striking out 9.5.
Downside: Her pitching numbers probably should have been better considering some of the opponents Westfield got to face. Her hitting stats were fair at best. Westfield was upset in the county tournament and was eliminated in the first round of states.
NICOLE CARAVANO, Sr., Union Catholic
Pitching Stats: 12-9, 2.04 ERA, .265 AvgVs., 6.21 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Decent pitching numbers. Not great. Walked just 0.74 batters per 7 innings, which is outstanding.
Downside: ERA and batting average against were fairly high.
ALEX CARISONE, Fr., Rutgers Prep
Pitching Stats: 16-4, 1.53 ERA, .275 Avg.Vs, 7.47 K/7
Hitting Stats: .400 avg., 6 2BH, 1 HR, 17 RBIs, 15 SB.
Upside: Very good hitting stats, and it is not often a pitcher steals as many as 15 bases. Her pitching numbers were also very good, overall, for the Prep B state champs and Somerset County Tournament quarterfinalists.
Downside: Her batting average against was rather high, plus Rutgers Prep’s schedule wasn’t exactly suffocating.
JENNA CARMON, Jr., Hunterdon Central
Pitching Stats: 14-6, 5 SHO, 1.17 ERA, .292 Avg.Vs., 4.09 K/7
Hitting Stats: .363 avg., 4 2BH, 4 3BH, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
Upside: Great control, walking just five batters in 143 2/3 innings. Emerged as Central’s ace during a 17-game winning streak. Was winning pitcher in semifinals and final of Hunterdon/Warren Tournament.
Downside: Very high batting average against -- but made up for that with lack of walks. Did not strikeout a lot of batters, relying on the Red Devils’ defense to make plays. Hitting stats were good, but not great.
CAPRI CATALANO, Sr., Governor Livingston
Pitching Stats: 24-1, 19 SHO, 4 NH (1 perfect), 0.14 ERA, .077 Avg.Vs., 18.95 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: The state’s all-time strikeout leader had mind-blowing numbers across the board. Allowed just six runs all season – three earned – and averaged just under 19 strikeouts per game – two less than the 21 outs a pitcher must get in a regulation contest. Won a Group II state title. Threw four no-hitters, including a perfect game in the Group II state semifinals. Shall I continue?
Downside: Did not hit.
ELORA DANIELE, Jr., Montgomery
Pitching Stats: 16-5, 1.34 ERA, .201 Avg.Vs., 8.23 K/7
Hitting Stats: .406 avg., 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 3 HR, 19 RBIs
Upside: Her pitching numbers are excellent, especially her strikeout numbers against a tough Skyland Delaware schedule. Pitched Montgomery to the Skyland Delaware East Division title. Her hitting numbers are stellar, especially against the Cougars’ schedule. The fact she drove in 19 runs while hitting leadoff half the season is also impressive.
Downside: Walked 62 in 131 innings, which is obscenely high. Some of her numbers were overshadowed by some of the other hurlers in the conference. Was blasted for eight runs in a first-round state tournament loss to East Brunswick – a significant upset -- and failed to return the Cougars to the county final.
LYDIA DEMARTINO, Jr., Watchung Hills
Pitching Stats: 9-11, 6 SHO, 0.95 ERA, .167 AvgVs., 7.8 K/7
Hitting Stats: .286 avg., 4 2BH, 2 3BH, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Upside: Excellent ERA and batting average against, nice strikeout numbers, too.
Downside: Tended to lose her cool and meltdown when things didn’t go her way in the circle. Sub-.500 record for a team that didn’t make the state tournament, though you gotta give the Warriors somewhat of a break playing in the Skyland Delaware. Her hitting stats weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great.
JOSIE DENNY, Sr., Dunellen
Pitching Stats: 17-6, 2.38 ERA, 0.333 Avg.Vs., 6.73 K/7
Hitting Stats: .450 avg.
Upside: Nice batting average. Won 17 games.
Downside: Dunellen won a share of the GMC Gold with its offense. Denny’s pitching stats were not great, especially against a Group I and Gold Division schedule, but it was enough with the Destroyers’ bats – including her own – behind her. She gave up a lot of hits and a lot of walks, though she did get her share of strikeouts.
LAUREN FITZSIMMONS, Jr., Bridgewater-Raritan
Pitching Stats: 18-6, 8 SHO, 2 NH (1 perfect), 1.04 ERA, 1.81 AvgVs., 11.17 K/7
Hitting Stats: .269 avg., 4 2BH, 0 3BH, 4 HR, 14 RBI
Upside: Arguably the most dominant pitcher in the Skyland Conference, she was downright unhittable when she was focused and had everything working. Struck out a ton of hitters and walked just over 1 batter per game.
Downside: Sometimes lost focus when facing adversity in the circle, which turned harmless hits into big innings for the opposition. Hitting stats were not good, overall, but she did come up with several clutch hits – including a couple of longballs -- in big spots for the Panthers.
ALI FREEDMAN, Sr., North Hunterdon
Pitching Stats: 10-5, 1.54 ERA, .260 AvgVs., 4.41 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Stepped up down the stretch to emerge as the Lions’ ace and pitched North to its second straight sectional title. Walked a phenomenally low 0.56 batter per seven innings.
Downside: Wasn’t dominant in terms of strikeouts, and her .260 batting average against is a bit high. A victory over Hunterdon Central with the conference title on the line would have given her a nice leg up.
LINDSAY GIBBONS, Jr., RIDGE
Pitching Stats: 11-14, 1.72 ERA, .275 Avg.Vs, 3.06 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Posted a respectable ERA, especially against the Delaware Division. Walked a mere 0.75 batters per 7 innings.
Downside: Had a losing record and a high batting average against. Struck out just 3.06 hitters per 7 innings.
JENNA GONZALEZ, Jr., North Hunterdon
Pitching Stats: 11-2, 1.48 ERA, .161 avgVs, 7.82 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Got off to a hot start before an injury forced her into a limited role for North. Great pitching numbers across the board.
Downside: Did not pitch in the state tournament.
MICHELLE JENSEN, Sr., Delaware Valley
Pitching Stats: 23-6, 11 SHO, 1.34 ERA, .231 avgVs., 9.16 K/7
Hitting Stats: .292 avg., 6 2BH, 17 RBI
Upside: Solid overall numbers. Won 23 games and pitched Del Val to sectional final. Threw 11 shutouts and struck out 9.16 per 7 innings. Hitting numbers are decent.
Downside: Failed to win the big game and got knocked around by some of the better teams she faced – not that her defense did her any favors, especially in the county semifinals against Central.
LINDSAY LEHMAN, Jr., Somerville
Pitching Stats: 14-7, 2.72 ERA, .276 avgVs, 8.2 K/7
Hitting Stats: .333 avg., 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
Upside: Hitting stats are better than her pitching stats. Remained Somerville’s ace, even with the arrival of highly touted transfer Lindsey Ciresa. Won 14 games and struck out 8-2 per 7 innings. Walked just 0.89 per 7 innings.
Downside: Her ERA was extremely high, while her batting average against wasn’t too impressive, either. While her hitting stats are solid, they aren’t good enough to set her apart.
JEN LITTLE, Sr., South Plainfield
Pitching Stats: 19-8, 5 SHO, 1.30 ERA, .265 avgVs., 6.33 K/7
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Solid numbers, overall. Won 19 games, while several of her 8 losses were the product of poor defensive play behind her. Her five shutouts against fairly solid competition is also impressive.
Downside: Her ERA is not as good as some of the top pitchers in the area, while her batting average against, strikeouts per 7 and walks-allowed – 1.30 per 7 – doesn’t separate her from the pack.
BRIANNE MAHONEY, Sr., Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Pitching Stats: 14-8, 2.13 ERA
Hitting Stats: NA
Upside: Won 14 games for a good Raiders team.
Downside: Her ERA was high, plus Scotch Plains-Fanwood didn’t win anything.
MEGAN McINAW, Jr., Hillsborough
Pitching Stats: 9-11, 3 SHO, 1 NH, 1.71 ERA, .235 avgVS, 9.21 K/7
Hitting Stats: .349 avg., 4 2BH, 0 3BH, 2 HR, 10 RBI
Upside: Another total package. Her pitching numbers were more than solid across the board, despite a sub-.500 record. Hitting numbers are good batting cleanup for the Somerset County Tournament finalists. Single-handily beat Mount St. Mary 2-1 in the SCT quarterfinals, pitching a three-hitter and smacking a two-run first-inning homer to account for Hillsborough’s runs.
Downside: Her ERA and walks-allowed were a bit high, especially compared to some of the other candidates, while her hitting stats were solid, but not excellent. Hillsborough failed to win a title and were ousted in the first round of the state tournament after barely sneaking in at the cutoff.
KAITLYN PIAZZOLLA, Jr., Immaculata
Pitching Stats: 11-8, 6 SHO, 0.66 ERA, .135 avgVs., 7.00 K/7
Hitting Stats: .323 avg., 3 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 15 RBI
Upside: Also a part-time catcher, her pitching numbers are phenomenal. Walked just 0.71 per 7 innings, while pitching the Spartans to their first Somerset County Tournament championship since 2000. Was an offensive threat in the middle of the Immaculata batting order, hitting behind Jen Lapicki. Delivered a key sacrifice bunt in the county final to set up the game-winning squeeze.
Downside: Lost eight games, though she gets a partial pass due to the level of competition and the fact that Immaculata didn’t score a lot of runs as a team. Couldn’t find a way to beat Mount St. Dominic and advance to the sectional final, as she gave up four runs. She also lost a lot of head-to-head battles with some of the conference’s other great hurlers.
CAITLIN ROSS, Sr., New Providence
Pitching Stats: 17-3, 14 SHO, 5 NH (3 perfect), 0.73 ERA, .131 avg.Vs, 12.15 /7
Hitting Stats: .492 avg., 4 2BH, 4 3BH, 7 HR, 31 RBI.
Upside: Her hitting stats are just as impressive as her pitching stats for the Mountain Valley Conference Valley Division champions.
Downside: Her numbers came against a Valley Division schedule. New Providence failed to make any noise in the state tournament.
DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP THE COURIER NEWS TOMORROW, SUNDAY, JUNE 24, WHEN THE 2007 ALL-AREA TEAMS WILL BE REVEALED!!
Friday, June 22, 2007
PART 6: CATCHERS
This is the sixth installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
LAST TUESDAY – Shortstops
LAST WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
YESTERDAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
TODAY – Catchers
TOMORROW – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Like shortstop, there is also a ton of top-notch talent at the catching position. While there are plenty of quality players whose numbers would have made them legitimate candidates for a spot on one of the top three teams had they played another position, I left a lot of them off this list simply because their numbers don’t compare to the other catchers I have listed. But that doesn’t mean they won’t make All-Area as an honorable mention. Once again, don’t be surprised to see some of these players make a team as in a DH or utility spot.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
HEATHER BERGMAN, Sr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .435 avg., 7 2BH, 1 3BH, 3 HR, 18 RBI
Upside: Not only did she call the pitches for the state’s all-time strikeout leader -- Capri Catalano – but she was also the spark atop the batting order for the Group II state champs. Great average and pretty good power numbers, especially for a leadoff hitter. Also, not only did she strikeout just three times all season, but she failed to get at least one hit in just three of the Highlanders’ games.
Downside: You could make a case her numbers should have been better against a Group II schedule.
LAURA DUBELL, Sr., Piscataway
Stats: .408 avg., 9 2BH, 0 3BH, 1 HR, 11 RBI
Upside: Nice batting average and a good amount of doubles against a Group IV schedule.
Downside: Overall, her numbers do not compare favorably to some of the other talent at the position. Piscataway struggled, overall, winning just three games.
ERICA GAETA, Jr., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .421 avg., 1 2BH, 3 3BH, 4 HR, 15 RBI
Upside: Very nice average, especially against the competition Central played. Four homers is impressive.
Downside: Overall extra-base hit numbers are kind of low. Several players have better numbers against the same conference schedule.
MEGAN KREYLING, Jr., Dunellen
Stats: .521 avg., 56 R, 12 2BH, 5 3BH, 4 HR, 49 RBI
Upside: Led Middlesex County in runs scored and RBIs, while the rest of her numbers are just as excellent.
Downside: Once again, you’ve got to take some of these stats with a grain of salt, considering Dunellen played in the GMC Gold.
JEN LAPICKI, Sr., Immaculata
Stats: .493 avg., 10 2BH, 2 3BH, 3 HR, 16 RBI
Upside: Great average, nice power totals. Had several big hits for the Spartans during their run to the Somerset County title, including a big home run in the semifinals to get Immaculata going. Scored the winning run in the championship game.
Downside: RBI totals are kind of low, even if Immaculata managed just 4.2 runs per game.
HEATHER MENDEZ, Sr., Ridge
Stats: .410 avg., 11 2BH, 3 3BH, 9 HR, 31 RBIs
Upside: Great numbers across the board, especially against a Skyland Delaware schedule.
Downside: Ridge failed to make the state tournament.
LYNSEY ROSS, Sr., New Providence
Stats: .417 avg., 3 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 12 RBIs
Upside: Nice batting average, knocked in 12 runs hitting first and second for the MVC Valley Division champs.
Downside: Power numbers are unimpressive. New Providence played in the Valley Division.
ALEX RUSSOMAGNO, Jr., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .470 avg., 7 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 11 RBIs
Upside: Excellent batting average for the Raritan Division champs. Came within a foot of a game-tying home run in the seventh inning of the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.
Downside: Power numbers and RBI total is lacking, especially for someone hitting down in the order on a team that scored a ton of runs against an unimpressive schedule.
ANGELA SESSA, Jr., Union Catholic
Stats: .458 avg., 6 2BH, 0 3BH, 0 HR, 18 RBIs
Upside: Great average, nice RBI total.
Downside: Outside of a lofty average, the rest of her numbers aren’t anything to write home about. Team didn’t do much in the county or state tournaments.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
LAST TUESDAY – Shortstops
LAST WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
YESTERDAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
TODAY – Catchers
TOMORROW – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Like shortstop, there is also a ton of top-notch talent at the catching position. While there are plenty of quality players whose numbers would have made them legitimate candidates for a spot on one of the top three teams had they played another position, I left a lot of them off this list simply because their numbers don’t compare to the other catchers I have listed. But that doesn’t mean they won’t make All-Area as an honorable mention. Once again, don’t be surprised to see some of these players make a team as in a DH or utility spot.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
HEATHER BERGMAN, Sr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .435 avg., 7 2BH, 1 3BH, 3 HR, 18 RBI
Upside: Not only did she call the pitches for the state’s all-time strikeout leader -- Capri Catalano – but she was also the spark atop the batting order for the Group II state champs. Great average and pretty good power numbers, especially for a leadoff hitter. Also, not only did she strikeout just three times all season, but she failed to get at least one hit in just three of the Highlanders’ games.
Downside: You could make a case her numbers should have been better against a Group II schedule.
LAURA DUBELL, Sr., Piscataway
Stats: .408 avg., 9 2BH, 0 3BH, 1 HR, 11 RBI
Upside: Nice batting average and a good amount of doubles against a Group IV schedule.
Downside: Overall, her numbers do not compare favorably to some of the other talent at the position. Piscataway struggled, overall, winning just three games.
ERICA GAETA, Jr., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .421 avg., 1 2BH, 3 3BH, 4 HR, 15 RBI
Upside: Very nice average, especially against the competition Central played. Four homers is impressive.
Downside: Overall extra-base hit numbers are kind of low. Several players have better numbers against the same conference schedule.
MEGAN KREYLING, Jr., Dunellen
Stats: .521 avg., 56 R, 12 2BH, 5 3BH, 4 HR, 49 RBI
Upside: Led Middlesex County in runs scored and RBIs, while the rest of her numbers are just as excellent.
Downside: Once again, you’ve got to take some of these stats with a grain of salt, considering Dunellen played in the GMC Gold.
JEN LAPICKI, Sr., Immaculata
Stats: .493 avg., 10 2BH, 2 3BH, 3 HR, 16 RBI
Upside: Great average, nice power totals. Had several big hits for the Spartans during their run to the Somerset County title, including a big home run in the semifinals to get Immaculata going. Scored the winning run in the championship game.
Downside: RBI totals are kind of low, even if Immaculata managed just 4.2 runs per game.
HEATHER MENDEZ, Sr., Ridge
Stats: .410 avg., 11 2BH, 3 3BH, 9 HR, 31 RBIs
Upside: Great numbers across the board, especially against a Skyland Delaware schedule.
Downside: Ridge failed to make the state tournament.
LYNSEY ROSS, Sr., New Providence
Stats: .417 avg., 3 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 12 RBIs
Upside: Nice batting average, knocked in 12 runs hitting first and second for the MVC Valley Division champs.
Downside: Power numbers are unimpressive. New Providence played in the Valley Division.
ALEX RUSSOMAGNO, Jr., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .470 avg., 7 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 11 RBIs
Upside: Excellent batting average for the Raritan Division champs. Came within a foot of a game-tying home run in the seventh inning of the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.
Downside: Power numbers and RBI total is lacking, especially for someone hitting down in the order on a team that scored a ton of runs against an unimpressive schedule.
ANGELA SESSA, Jr., Union Catholic
Stats: .458 avg., 6 2BH, 0 3BH, 0 HR, 18 RBIs
Upside: Great average, nice RBI total.
Downside: Outside of a lofty average, the rest of her numbers aren’t anything to write home about. Team didn’t do much in the county or state tournaments.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Part 5: Outfielders/Designated hitters
This is the fifth installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
LAST TUESDAY – Shortstops
YESTERDAY – Third basemen
TODAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
TOMORROW – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
OUTFIELDERS
KATIE ABRUZZO, So., Westfield
Stats: .328 avg., 13 R, 4 2BH, 2 3BH, 0 HR, 14 RBI
Upside: Solid numbers. Played for a quality team.
Downside: One would expect better numbers considering some of the Blue Devils’ Watchung Conference opponents. Unimpressive power numbers
DIANA ARK, Sr., Ridge
Stats: .464 avg., 23 R, 2 2BH. 1 3BH. 0 HR, 5 RBI, 10 SB
Upside: Great average, especially when you consider the kind of pitching she saw all year in the Skyland Delaware East. Nice number of stolen bases.
Downside: Power and run-production numbers are not very good.
MEGAN BOYLE, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .354 avg., 20 R, 7 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 19 RBI
Upside: Solid average and a nice RBI count. Seven doubles is very nice, too, playing for the GMCT and North 2, Group III runners-up.
Downside: Not a ton of pop. Had as many strikeouts as hits – 20.
TORY BREEN, So., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .398 avg., 29 R, 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 5 HR, 16 RBI
Upside: Great balanced numbers across the board for the Skyland Raritan champs, especially for a sophomore.
Downside: Played in the shadow of Dani Accardi and Alyssa D’Addio.
KELLY CALAMIA, Jr., Dunellen
Stats: .423 avg., 52 R, 27 RBI, 28 SB
Upside: Some of her numbers are mind-boggling for a team that scored a ton of runs and shared the GMC Gold Division title.
Downside: You would think she’d hit for a better average against Gold Division competition, especially considering the number of runs and RBIs she tallied.
KELLY CIANCIOTTA, So., Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Stats: .587 avg., 23 R, 6 2BH, 5 3BH, 8 HR, 13 RBIs, 21 SB, .620 OBP
Upside: Fantastic power numbers, phenomenal average and 13 RBIs out of the leadoff spot is very impressive. A .620 on base percentage and 21 stolen bass, what more can one ask for from the top of the order? Oh, and she’s only a sophomore.
Downside: Scotch Plains-Fanwood failed to win a title of any kind and was upset in the county tournament.
MEGHAN EVERETT, Jr., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .425 avg., 28 R, 2 2BH, 7 3BH, 7 HR, 28 RBI
Upside: A first teamer as a sophomore, she had another stellar year for the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament and Skyland Delaware West champs. Great overall numbers, especially when you consider the quality of competition. Great power and RBI numbers for anyone -- let alone a leadoff hitter.
Downside: Trying to remember there’s an “H” in her first name can be problematic.
NICOLE KOSZOWSKI, Fr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .380 avg., 5 2BH, 4 3BH, 9 HR, 29 RBI
Upside: Solid batting average, fantastic power and RBI numbers for a freshman batting cleanup for the state Group II champions.
Downside: Struck out 16 times. Could have, and probably should have, batted for a better average against a Group II schedule.
CAROLINE MERCK, So., Gill St. Bernard’s
Stats: .445 avg.
Upside: Hit .445.
Downside: Did it for Gill St. Bernard’s, which won just three times all year
HILARY MURRAY, Jr., North Hunterdon
Stats: .323 avg., 19 R, 2 2BH, 0 3BH, 0 HR, 10 RBI
Upside: Scored 19 runs atop the North batting order. Had several big hits for the North 2, Group IV champions.
Downside: Power numbers aren’t great.
CASEY NIPER, Fr., Montgomery
Stats: .322 avg., 11 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 7 RBI
Upside: Batted for a solid .322 as a freshman for the Delaware East champs.
Downside: Did not produce many runs. Eleven doubles are nice, but that’s it as far as extra-base hits.
MITCHEL ROBERTSON, Sr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .423 avg., 19 R, 3 2BH, 4 3BH, 2 HR, 20 RBI
Upside: Great batting average and pretty good power numbers hitting third for the state Group II champs. Also stole nine bases. Had a nice bounce-back season after making first team as a sophomore and tanking last year.
Downside: You’d like a little more pop from your No. 3 hitter.
KRISTEN SHEFT, So., Rutgers Prep
Stats: .406 avg., 25 R, 3 2BH, 3 3BH, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 38 SB
Upside: Solid offensive numbers across the board for the Prep B state champs. Stole a ton of bases. Is only a sophomore.
Downside: Rutgers Prep didn’t exactly play a tough schedule. You would like an even higher average against that kind of competition.
LAUREN SINGER, Sr., Hillsborough
Stats: .341 avg., 4 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 5 RBI
Upside: Batting average is solid against the pitchers of the Delaware Division, especially in the East Division.
Downside: Power numbers weren’t anything to write home about. Hillsborough barely finished about .500.
MELISSA SOUCEK, Sr., Timothy Christian
Stats: .453 avg.
Upside: Hit .453 for Timothy Christian, which made the state tournament in its first year of eligibility.
Downside: Timothy Christian played a Non-Public B schedule.
DESIGNATED HITTERS
ANU RIMAL, Sr., MONTGOMERY
Stats: .358 avg., 15 R, 8 2BH, 1 3BH, 3 HR, 24 RBIs
Upside: A very good average in the Skyland Delaware, she hit eight doubles, a triple and three homers for the East Division champs, driving in 24.
Downside: With positions like shortstop, pitcher and catcher so deep, it’s going to be tough for her to crack one of the top two teams as a DH.
ERIN SCIALABA, Jr., Westfield
Stats: .395 avg., 24 R, 2 2BH, 2 3BH, 6 HR, 24 RBI
Upside: Her batting average is more than solid for a Group IV school, has some nice power and RBI numbers.
Downside: Her numbers pale in comparison to some of her teammates, plus Westfield didn’t win any major titles.
KRISTEN TITUS, Sr., Immaculata
Stats: .356 avg., 4 2BH, 0 3BH, 0 HR, 10 RBIs
Upside: Solid average against Delaware Division pitching.
Downside: The rest of her numbers are unspectacular, even for a leadoff hitter
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
LAST TUESDAY – Shortstops
YESTERDAY – Third basemen
TODAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
TOMORROW – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
OUTFIELDERS
KATIE ABRUZZO, So., Westfield
Stats: .328 avg., 13 R, 4 2BH, 2 3BH, 0 HR, 14 RBI
Upside: Solid numbers. Played for a quality team.
Downside: One would expect better numbers considering some of the Blue Devils’ Watchung Conference opponents. Unimpressive power numbers
DIANA ARK, Sr., Ridge
Stats: .464 avg., 23 R, 2 2BH. 1 3BH. 0 HR, 5 RBI, 10 SB
Upside: Great average, especially when you consider the kind of pitching she saw all year in the Skyland Delaware East. Nice number of stolen bases.
Downside: Power and run-production numbers are not very good.
MEGAN BOYLE, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .354 avg., 20 R, 7 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 19 RBI
Upside: Solid average and a nice RBI count. Seven doubles is very nice, too, playing for the GMCT and North 2, Group III runners-up.
Downside: Not a ton of pop. Had as many strikeouts as hits – 20.
TORY BREEN, So., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .398 avg., 29 R, 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 5 HR, 16 RBI
Upside: Great balanced numbers across the board for the Skyland Raritan champs, especially for a sophomore.
Downside: Played in the shadow of Dani Accardi and Alyssa D’Addio.
KELLY CALAMIA, Jr., Dunellen
Stats: .423 avg., 52 R, 27 RBI, 28 SB
Upside: Some of her numbers are mind-boggling for a team that scored a ton of runs and shared the GMC Gold Division title.
Downside: You would think she’d hit for a better average against Gold Division competition, especially considering the number of runs and RBIs she tallied.
KELLY CIANCIOTTA, So., Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Stats: .587 avg., 23 R, 6 2BH, 5 3BH, 8 HR, 13 RBIs, 21 SB, .620 OBP
Upside: Fantastic power numbers, phenomenal average and 13 RBIs out of the leadoff spot is very impressive. A .620 on base percentage and 21 stolen bass, what more can one ask for from the top of the order? Oh, and she’s only a sophomore.
Downside: Scotch Plains-Fanwood failed to win a title of any kind and was upset in the county tournament.
MEGHAN EVERETT, Jr., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .425 avg., 28 R, 2 2BH, 7 3BH, 7 HR, 28 RBI
Upside: A first teamer as a sophomore, she had another stellar year for the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament and Skyland Delaware West champs. Great overall numbers, especially when you consider the quality of competition. Great power and RBI numbers for anyone -- let alone a leadoff hitter.
Downside: Trying to remember there’s an “H” in her first name can be problematic.
NICOLE KOSZOWSKI, Fr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .380 avg., 5 2BH, 4 3BH, 9 HR, 29 RBI
Upside: Solid batting average, fantastic power and RBI numbers for a freshman batting cleanup for the state Group II champions.
Downside: Struck out 16 times. Could have, and probably should have, batted for a better average against a Group II schedule.
CAROLINE MERCK, So., Gill St. Bernard’s
Stats: .445 avg.
Upside: Hit .445.
Downside: Did it for Gill St. Bernard’s, which won just three times all year
HILARY MURRAY, Jr., North Hunterdon
Stats: .323 avg., 19 R, 2 2BH, 0 3BH, 0 HR, 10 RBI
Upside: Scored 19 runs atop the North batting order. Had several big hits for the North 2, Group IV champions.
Downside: Power numbers aren’t great.
CASEY NIPER, Fr., Montgomery
Stats: .322 avg., 11 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 7 RBI
Upside: Batted for a solid .322 as a freshman for the Delaware East champs.
Downside: Did not produce many runs. Eleven doubles are nice, but that’s it as far as extra-base hits.
MITCHEL ROBERTSON, Sr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .423 avg., 19 R, 3 2BH, 4 3BH, 2 HR, 20 RBI
Upside: Great batting average and pretty good power numbers hitting third for the state Group II champs. Also stole nine bases. Had a nice bounce-back season after making first team as a sophomore and tanking last year.
Downside: You’d like a little more pop from your No. 3 hitter.
KRISTEN SHEFT, So., Rutgers Prep
Stats: .406 avg., 25 R, 3 2BH, 3 3BH, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 38 SB
Upside: Solid offensive numbers across the board for the Prep B state champs. Stole a ton of bases. Is only a sophomore.
Downside: Rutgers Prep didn’t exactly play a tough schedule. You would like an even higher average against that kind of competition.
LAUREN SINGER, Sr., Hillsborough
Stats: .341 avg., 4 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 5 RBI
Upside: Batting average is solid against the pitchers of the Delaware Division, especially in the East Division.
Downside: Power numbers weren’t anything to write home about. Hillsborough barely finished about .500.
MELISSA SOUCEK, Sr., Timothy Christian
Stats: .453 avg.
Upside: Hit .453 for Timothy Christian, which made the state tournament in its first year of eligibility.
Downside: Timothy Christian played a Non-Public B schedule.
DESIGNATED HITTERS
ANU RIMAL, Sr., MONTGOMERY
Stats: .358 avg., 15 R, 8 2BH, 1 3BH, 3 HR, 24 RBIs
Upside: A very good average in the Skyland Delaware, she hit eight doubles, a triple and three homers for the East Division champs, driving in 24.
Downside: With positions like shortstop, pitcher and catcher so deep, it’s going to be tough for her to crack one of the top two teams as a DH.
ERIN SCIALABA, Jr., Westfield
Stats: .395 avg., 24 R, 2 2BH, 2 3BH, 6 HR, 24 RBI
Upside: Her batting average is more than solid for a Group IV school, has some nice power and RBI numbers.
Downside: Her numbers pale in comparison to some of her teammates, plus Westfield didn’t win any major titles.
KRISTEN TITUS, Sr., Immaculata
Stats: .356 avg., 4 2BH, 0 3BH, 0 HR, 10 RBIs
Upside: Solid average against Delaware Division pitching.
Downside: The rest of her numbers are unspectacular, even for a leadoff hitter
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
PART 4: Third basemen
This is the fourth installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
YESTERDAY – Shortstops
TODAY – Third basemen
TOMORROW – Outfielders/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
KELLY DOWNES, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .380 avg., 18 R, 11 2BH, 1 3BH, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 13 E
Upside: A nice average and extra-base hit numbers. Team went to county and sectional final.
Downside: 13 errors is a ton. While her numbers are solid, there are players with better or comparable totals against better competition at the position.
KELLY MARCHISIO, Jr., New Providence
Stats: .448 avg., 15 R, 5 2BH, 2 3BH, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 5 E
Upside: Great average, solid extra-base hit numbers. Drove in a nice amount of runs for MVC Valley Division champs.
Downside: New Providence won eight games by 10-run mercy rule, while racking up many of its other victories against less-than-stellar competition. Was not among top 1 or 2 players on her team, statistically.
CYNDIL MATTHEW, So., Westfield
Stats: .642 avg., 34 R, 11 2BH, 2 3BH, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 2 E
Upside: Her numbers are excellent across the board.
Downside: While Westfield played plenty of solid competition, the Blue Devils also fattened up against the punching bags of the Watchung Conference.
LACEY NEMERGUT, Fr., Rutgers Prep
Stats: .460 avg., 17 R, 1 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 19 SB
Upside: Great batting average and 19 stolen bases made her a fixture on the bases for the Prep B champions and Somerset County Tournament quarterfinalists.
Downside: Poor power and RBI numbers. Poor schedule.
MICHELLE PAKENHAM, JR., DUNELLEN
Stats: .415 avg., 50 R, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 24 SB, 3E
Upside: Fifty runs scored is a mind-boggling statistic, even if one’s team scored 325 runs and averaged 12 runs pre game. Her 34 RBIs and 24 stolen bases were also impressive. Made just three errors.
Downside: Played a schedule stacked with tech schools, and won 12 games by the 10-run mercy rule. Destroyers were 10-runned by the only legitimate team on the schedule.
MOLLY WARD, Sr., North Hunterdon
Stats: .325 avg., 10 R, 5 2BH, 14 RBI, 9 E
Upside: Her batting average is respectable, considering the teams North played.
Downside: Nine errors is a lot, plus she doesn’t compare, statistically, with the other players at the position, even if you consider her schedule vs. the other players.
KATIE WATTS, Jr., Ridge
Stats: .352 avg., 15 R, 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 3 HR, 12 RBI
Upside: Solid average and good power numbers for a team that played in the Skyland Delaware.
Downside: Ridge didn’t make the state tournament. Had a couple of other players on her team whose numbers eclipsed her own.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
LAST MONDAY – Second baseman
YESTERDAY – Shortstops
TODAY – Third basemen
TOMORROW – Outfielders/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
KELLY DOWNES, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .380 avg., 18 R, 11 2BH, 1 3BH, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 13 E
Upside: A nice average and extra-base hit numbers. Team went to county and sectional final.
Downside: 13 errors is a ton. While her numbers are solid, there are players with better or comparable totals against better competition at the position.
KELLY MARCHISIO, Jr., New Providence
Stats: .448 avg., 15 R, 5 2BH, 2 3BH, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 5 E
Upside: Great average, solid extra-base hit numbers. Drove in a nice amount of runs for MVC Valley Division champs.
Downside: New Providence won eight games by 10-run mercy rule, while racking up many of its other victories against less-than-stellar competition. Was not among top 1 or 2 players on her team, statistically.
CYNDIL MATTHEW, So., Westfield
Stats: .642 avg., 34 R, 11 2BH, 2 3BH, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 2 E
Upside: Her numbers are excellent across the board.
Downside: While Westfield played plenty of solid competition, the Blue Devils also fattened up against the punching bags of the Watchung Conference.
LACEY NEMERGUT, Fr., Rutgers Prep
Stats: .460 avg., 17 R, 1 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 19 SB
Upside: Great batting average and 19 stolen bases made her a fixture on the bases for the Prep B champions and Somerset County Tournament quarterfinalists.
Downside: Poor power and RBI numbers. Poor schedule.
MICHELLE PAKENHAM, JR., DUNELLEN
Stats: .415 avg., 50 R, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 24 SB, 3E
Upside: Fifty runs scored is a mind-boggling statistic, even if one’s team scored 325 runs and averaged 12 runs pre game. Her 34 RBIs and 24 stolen bases were also impressive. Made just three errors.
Downside: Played a schedule stacked with tech schools, and won 12 games by the 10-run mercy rule. Destroyers were 10-runned by the only legitimate team on the schedule.
MOLLY WARD, Sr., North Hunterdon
Stats: .325 avg., 10 R, 5 2BH, 14 RBI, 9 E
Upside: Her batting average is respectable, considering the teams North played.
Downside: Nine errors is a lot, plus she doesn’t compare, statistically, with the other players at the position, even if you consider her schedule vs. the other players.
KATIE WATTS, Jr., Ridge
Stats: .352 avg., 15 R, 4 2BH, 3 3BH, 3 HR, 12 RBI
Upside: Solid average and good power numbers for a team that played in the Skyland Delaware.
Downside: Ridge didn’t make the state tournament. Had a couple of other players on her team whose numbers eclipsed her own.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Part 3: Shortstops
This is the third installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
YESTERDAY – Second baseman
TODAY – Shortstops
TOMORROW – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfieldesr/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Shortstop is probably the deepest position, overall, so a lot of players who had good numbers and would have normally been considered serious candidates for a first-third team spots were only considered for honorable mention, and were thus not listed here. Don’t be surprised to see a couple of these players show up as a DH or a utility player on one of the teams.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
ALYSSA D’ADDIO, Sr., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .598 avg., 31 R, 49 H, 9 2BH, 9 3BH, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 4 E
Upside: Mount St. Mary’s all-time hits leader batted .545. And though, I’m sure, it was inflated against the likes of North Warren, South Hunterdon and Manville, even if you knock 20 percent off her numbers, they’re still very impressive. Had a ton of extra-base hits and slugged 1.000. Made just four errors.
Downside: Her numbers have to be deflated somewhat because of some of the less-than-impressive competition on the Mount Lions’ schedule.
ARIELLE GRAPSTEIN, Sr., Pingry
Stats: .529 avg., 13 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 8 E
Upside: Drove in 25 percent of Pingry’s runs, hit an astonishing .529, 13 doubles led the area. The unquestioned MVP of the Big Blue.
Downside: Her number also have to be deflated somewhat because of her team’s less-than-impressive schedule, plus the Big Blue did not have a great year, though they did make the state tournament.
CHRISSY GRAZIANO, Sr., Delaware Valley
Stats: .393 avg., 26 R, 6 2BH, 2 3BH, 2 HR, 20 RBIs, 4 E
Upside: Very nice average, solid extra-base hit numbers, good number of RBIs and just four errors for the Central Jersey Group II finalists.
Downside: Schedule wasn’t great. Team didn’t do much against the better pitchers it faced.
JENNY HARABEDIAN, So., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .400 avg., 21 R, 40 H, 5 2BH, 7 3BH, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 9 E
Upside: Fantastic offensive numbers across the board against top-notch competition. Team won the bi-county tournament and its conference crown.
Downside: Made nine errors. Numbers were great, but there are several shortstops whose numbers were even better.
LIZ MILLER, So., Dunellen
Stats: .479 avg., 9 2BH, 4 3BH, 1 HR, 42 RBIs, 2K, 8 E
Upside: Great offensive numbers. Struck out just twice all season. Team won co-championship of GMC Gold Division.
Downside: Team plays in the GMC Gold Division. Made eight errors. Was third-best player on her team.
SHAUNA MULKERIN, Fr., Immaculata
Stats: .411 avg., 2 2BH, 0 3BH, 1 HR, 12 RBIs, 4 E
Upside: Had a nice little season, especially for a freshman, and hit .411 against a Skyland Delaware schedule. Made just four errors after moving to shortstop because of injury to Caitlin Bay. Team won Somerset County Tournament.
Downside: Other than her average, the rest of her numbers aren’t very impressive, especially compared to some of the other players at the position.
SAM PELLECHIO, Sr., North Hunterdon
Stats: .545 avg., 33 R, 10 2BH, 1 3BH, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 4 E
Upside: Last year’s Player of the Year had another phenomenal season for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV champions. Her numbers are stellar across the board. She tied her own school record for hits in a season with 48.
Downside: Slumped in the state tournament and went hitless in North’s two final games.
KATHERINE STOLTENBERG, Sr., Montgomery
Stats: .449 avg., 25 R, 9 2BH, 4 3BH, 0 HR, 16 RBIs, 9 SB, 13 SAC, 7 E
Upside: The all-time hits leader for the Skyland Delaware East champions finished with 100 for her career. Hit an impressive .449 against a tough schedule, including nine doubles and four triples. Drove in 16 runs hitting second. Stole nine bases and notched 13 sacrifices.
Downside: Seven errors are a bit high. Her numbers would make her a prime first-team candidate at another position, but with the depth at shortstop, she will probably have trouble cracking first team.
BRITTANY WARGO, Sr., New Providence
Stats: .456 avg., 21 R, 7 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 20 RBIs, 3 E
Upside: Good numbers across the board. Made just three errors. New Providence went 19-3 and won its conference.
Downside: Even at face value, her numbers don’t compare to some of the big guns at the position. Plus, when you consider the Pioneers play a Group II and Valley Division schedule, the numbers look even less impressive.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
YESTERDAY – Second baseman
TODAY – Shortstops
TOMORROW – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfieldesr/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Shortstop is probably the deepest position, overall, so a lot of players who had good numbers and would have normally been considered serious candidates for a first-third team spots were only considered for honorable mention, and were thus not listed here. Don’t be surprised to see a couple of these players show up as a DH or a utility player on one of the teams.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
ALYSSA D’ADDIO, Sr., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .598 avg., 31 R, 49 H, 9 2BH, 9 3BH, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 4 E
Upside: Mount St. Mary’s all-time hits leader batted .545. And though, I’m sure, it was inflated against the likes of North Warren, South Hunterdon and Manville, even if you knock 20 percent off her numbers, they’re still very impressive. Had a ton of extra-base hits and slugged 1.000. Made just four errors.
Downside: Her numbers have to be deflated somewhat because of some of the less-than-impressive competition on the Mount Lions’ schedule.
ARIELLE GRAPSTEIN, Sr., Pingry
Stats: .529 avg., 13 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 8 E
Upside: Drove in 25 percent of Pingry’s runs, hit an astonishing .529, 13 doubles led the area. The unquestioned MVP of the Big Blue.
Downside: Her number also have to be deflated somewhat because of her team’s less-than-impressive schedule, plus the Big Blue did not have a great year, though they did make the state tournament.
CHRISSY GRAZIANO, Sr., Delaware Valley
Stats: .393 avg., 26 R, 6 2BH, 2 3BH, 2 HR, 20 RBIs, 4 E
Upside: Very nice average, solid extra-base hit numbers, good number of RBIs and just four errors for the Central Jersey Group II finalists.
Downside: Schedule wasn’t great. Team didn’t do much against the better pitchers it faced.
JENNY HARABEDIAN, So., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .400 avg., 21 R, 40 H, 5 2BH, 7 3BH, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 9 E
Upside: Fantastic offensive numbers across the board against top-notch competition. Team won the bi-county tournament and its conference crown.
Downside: Made nine errors. Numbers were great, but there are several shortstops whose numbers were even better.
LIZ MILLER, So., Dunellen
Stats: .479 avg., 9 2BH, 4 3BH, 1 HR, 42 RBIs, 2K, 8 E
Upside: Great offensive numbers. Struck out just twice all season. Team won co-championship of GMC Gold Division.
Downside: Team plays in the GMC Gold Division. Made eight errors. Was third-best player on her team.
SHAUNA MULKERIN, Fr., Immaculata
Stats: .411 avg., 2 2BH, 0 3BH, 1 HR, 12 RBIs, 4 E
Upside: Had a nice little season, especially for a freshman, and hit .411 against a Skyland Delaware schedule. Made just four errors after moving to shortstop because of injury to Caitlin Bay. Team won Somerset County Tournament.
Downside: Other than her average, the rest of her numbers aren’t very impressive, especially compared to some of the other players at the position.
SAM PELLECHIO, Sr., North Hunterdon
Stats: .545 avg., 33 R, 10 2BH, 1 3BH, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 4 E
Upside: Last year’s Player of the Year had another phenomenal season for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV champions. Her numbers are stellar across the board. She tied her own school record for hits in a season with 48.
Downside: Slumped in the state tournament and went hitless in North’s two final games.
KATHERINE STOLTENBERG, Sr., Montgomery
Stats: .449 avg., 25 R, 9 2BH, 4 3BH, 0 HR, 16 RBIs, 9 SB, 13 SAC, 7 E
Upside: The all-time hits leader for the Skyland Delaware East champions finished with 100 for her career. Hit an impressive .449 against a tough schedule, including nine doubles and four triples. Drove in 16 runs hitting second. Stole nine bases and notched 13 sacrifices.
Downside: Seven errors are a bit high. Her numbers would make her a prime first-team candidate at another position, but with the depth at shortstop, she will probably have trouble cracking first team.
BRITTANY WARGO, Sr., New Providence
Stats: .456 avg., 21 R, 7 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 20 RBIs, 3 E
Upside: Good numbers across the board. Made just three errors. New Providence went 19-3 and won its conference.
Downside: Even at face value, her numbers don’t compare to some of the big guns at the position. Plus, when you consider the Pioneers play a Group II and Valley Division schedule, the numbers look even less impressive.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
PART 2: SECOND BASEMEN
This is the second installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
TODAY – Second baseman
TOMORROW – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
TARA ALBERSE, Sr., New Providence
Stats: .340 avg., 28 R, 1 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 E
Upside: Hit a respectable .340 for the Mountain Valley Conference Valley Division champions and scored 28 runs. New Providence scored victories over some quality opponents, including Roselle Park (twice) and Union Catholic. Played a flawless second base, committing no errors.
Downside: Though New Providence lost just three games and went to the semifinals of the Union County Tournament, the Pioneers’ strength of schedule was fair, at best. Alberse managed just two extra-base hits and drove in just seven runs.
BRITTANY BROWN-WEBSTER, Sr., Delaware Valley
Stats: .435 avg., 22 R, 4 2BH, 5 3BH, 1 HR, 10 RBIs, 9 E
Upside: The Terriers’ leadoff hitter hit .435, including four doubles, five triples and a homer. Had several big hits in the state tournament as Delaware Valley went to the sectional final.
Downside: Delaware Valley didn’t play that many good teams, and didn’t perform well against those it did. Nine errors is a ton.
GINA CAPRIGLIONE, Sr., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .418 avg., 7 R, 0 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 21 RBIs, 1E
Upside: A nice batting average and an impressive error and RBI total for a team that lost just twice and went undefeated in its conference.
Downside: Low number of extra-base hits for someone hitting in the middle of the order, plus you have to take some of her numbers with a grain or salt considering the quality of competition isn’t as good as some of the other players at the position.
STEPHANIE FALZARANO, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .400 avg., 28 R, 4 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 14 RBIs, 2 E
Upside: Had nice numbers across the board for a team that went to the final of the GMC Tournament and its section. Only made two errors, which is highlighted by the fact Tigers pitcher Jen Little did not strikeout a ton of hitters, putting the ball in play quite a bit.
Downside: Low extra-base hit total and her average, while solid, is not as high as some of the other players at the position.
ALYSSA LOCOCO, So., Montgomery
Stats: .312 avg., 8 2BH, 3 HR., 16 RBI, 15 E
Upside: Eight doubles and three homers are some nice power numbers for a sophomore second baseman. Montgomery won the Skyland Delaware East.
Downside: Low batting average and 15 errors are hard to ignore, but she’s only a sophomore, so her best days are probably ahead of her.
BLOG SCHEDULE
LAST SATURDAY – First basemen
TODAY – Second baseman
TOMORROW – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielders/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
TARA ALBERSE, Sr., New Providence
Stats: .340 avg., 28 R, 1 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 E
Upside: Hit a respectable .340 for the Mountain Valley Conference Valley Division champions and scored 28 runs. New Providence scored victories over some quality opponents, including Roselle Park (twice) and Union Catholic. Played a flawless second base, committing no errors.
Downside: Though New Providence lost just three games and went to the semifinals of the Union County Tournament, the Pioneers’ strength of schedule was fair, at best. Alberse managed just two extra-base hits and drove in just seven runs.
BRITTANY BROWN-WEBSTER, Sr., Delaware Valley
Stats: .435 avg., 22 R, 4 2BH, 5 3BH, 1 HR, 10 RBIs, 9 E
Upside: The Terriers’ leadoff hitter hit .435, including four doubles, five triples and a homer. Had several big hits in the state tournament as Delaware Valley went to the sectional final.
Downside: Delaware Valley didn’t play that many good teams, and didn’t perform well against those it did. Nine errors is a ton.
GINA CAPRIGLIONE, Sr., Mount St. Mary
Stats: .418 avg., 7 R, 0 2BH, 3 3BH, 1 HR, 21 RBIs, 1E
Upside: A nice batting average and an impressive error and RBI total for a team that lost just twice and went undefeated in its conference.
Downside: Low number of extra-base hits for someone hitting in the middle of the order, plus you have to take some of her numbers with a grain or salt considering the quality of competition isn’t as good as some of the other players at the position.
STEPHANIE FALZARANO, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .400 avg., 28 R, 4 2BH, 1 3BH, 0 HR, 14 RBIs, 2 E
Upside: Had nice numbers across the board for a team that went to the final of the GMC Tournament and its section. Only made two errors, which is highlighted by the fact Tigers pitcher Jen Little did not strikeout a ton of hitters, putting the ball in play quite a bit.
Downside: Low extra-base hit total and her average, while solid, is not as high as some of the other players at the position.
ALYSSA LOCOCO, So., Montgomery
Stats: .312 avg., 8 2BH, 3 HR., 16 RBI, 15 E
Upside: Eight doubles and three homers are some nice power numbers for a sophomore second baseman. Montgomery won the Skyland Delaware East.
Downside: Low batting average and 15 errors are hard to ignore, but she’s only a sophomore, so her best days are probably ahead of her.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
PART 1: First Basemen
This is the first installment of a seven-part blog-series highlighting the candidates for the 2007 All-Area softball teams.
BLOG SCHEDULE
TODAY – First basemen
MONDAY – Second baseman
TUESDAY – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielder/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
LINDSAY DURANT, Jr., Bridgewater-Raritan
Stats: .355 avg., 13 R, 6 2BH, 1 3BH, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 4 E
Upside: Bridgewater-Raritan’s No. 3 hitter led the team in batting and tied Lauren Fitzsimmons for the team lead in RBIs. Was the offensive anchor on a team that won a program-best 20 games and finished second in an ultra-competitive conference.
Downside: While she boasts some of the better numbers from among first basemen, and she played a first-class Skyland Delaware and Group IV schedule, it was a down year, offensively, for the Panthers. B-R also didn’t win any major championships, nor did they beat any quality opponents in the state tournament.
KAYLEE FRY, Jr., Bound Brook
Stats: .329 avg., 11 R, 7 2BH, 3 3BH, 0 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 E
Upside: Had a nice little year with seven doubles and three triples, and a respectable .329 average. Made just three errors at first base.
Downside: Doesn’t really compare, statistically, with the other players at the position, plus the Crusaders won just 10 games in an awful conference.
LAUREN FRY, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .390 avg., 24 R, 12 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 24 RBIs, 3 E
Upside: Struck out just once all season, which is amazing, and drove in or scored 25 percent of all the runs South Plainfield tallied all season. The Tigers went to the GMC and sectional finals.
Downside: Did not play quite as tough a schedule as some of the other candidates, as South Plainfield won eight games by nine runs or more.
JOELLE JACOBSEN, Sr., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .391 avg., 16 R, 5 2BH, 2 3BH, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 5 E
Upside: Her .391 batting average is no joke, as the Red Devils play in one of the toughest conferences in the state, as well as playing, perhaps, the most competitive out-of-conference slate in the area. Her 20 RBIs was third on the team, batting from the No. 3 spot for the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament and Skyland Delaware West champs.
Downside: Her power numbers are a little low for a No. 3 hitter, as she managed just eight extra-base hits
JILLIAN LUSK, Sr., Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Stats: .343 avg., 6 2BH, 0 3BH, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 12 SB
Upside: It is unusual for a first baseman to have enough speed to swipe 12 bases. She posted a .987 fielding percentage and hit two homers. Scotch Plains-Fanwood enjoyed mild success, notching the upset of the state tournament over Union County champion Cranford in the sectional quarterfinals before falling to eventual sectional champ JFK.
Downside: Here batting average is decent, at best, and 16 RBIs isn’t that impressive for a team that won 10 games by 10-run mercy rule. The Raiders also didn’t win any major tournaments or their conference, and played a decent, but not overly exciting schedule (see 10 10-run mercy rule victories).
NICOLE RUGGIERO, Sr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .301 avg., 2 2BH, 1 3BH, 4 HRs, 18 RBIs.
Upside: Co-captain of state Group II champions. Hit four homers for a team that didn’t score a lot of runs. Delivered several big hits for the Highlanders.
Downside: Batted just .301 against a Group II schedule and hit eighth in the order. Though she hit four home runs, she managed just two doubles and one triple, which makes me question her ability to drive the ball consistently.
NICOLE SGROMOLO, Sr., Delaware Valley
Stats: .402 avg., 20 R, 5 2BH, 5 3BH, 0 HR. 15 RBIs, 3 E (one in OF)
Upside: Her batting average and low error total are impressive. The Terriers went to the sectional finals before losing 1-0 to Capri Catalano and state Group II champion Governor Livingston, and finished second in the Raritan Division to Mount St. Mary, which ran the table in the conference.
Downside: A low RBI total and a subpar slugging pct., compared to some of the other candidates at the position. The Terriers’ fattened up against some of the pushovers of the Raritan and Valley Divisions, and didn’t face nearly the quality of pitching the others did. Was also not among the top 1 or 2, statistically, on her team in most categories.
BLOG SCHEDULE
TODAY – First basemen
MONDAY – Second baseman
TUESDAY – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielder/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
THE CANDIDATES
(Players listed alphabetically by last name)
LINDSAY DURANT, Jr., Bridgewater-Raritan
Stats: .355 avg., 13 R, 6 2BH, 1 3BH, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 4 E
Upside: Bridgewater-Raritan’s No. 3 hitter led the team in batting and tied Lauren Fitzsimmons for the team lead in RBIs. Was the offensive anchor on a team that won a program-best 20 games and finished second in an ultra-competitive conference.
Downside: While she boasts some of the better numbers from among first basemen, and she played a first-class Skyland Delaware and Group IV schedule, it was a down year, offensively, for the Panthers. B-R also didn’t win any major championships, nor did they beat any quality opponents in the state tournament.
KAYLEE FRY, Jr., Bound Brook
Stats: .329 avg., 11 R, 7 2BH, 3 3BH, 0 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 E
Upside: Had a nice little year with seven doubles and three triples, and a respectable .329 average. Made just three errors at first base.
Downside: Doesn’t really compare, statistically, with the other players at the position, plus the Crusaders won just 10 games in an awful conference.
LAUREN FRY, Sr., South Plainfield
Stats: .390 avg., 24 R, 12 2BH, 1 3BH, 2 HR, 24 RBIs, 3 E
Upside: Struck out just once all season, which is amazing, and drove in or scored 25 percent of all the runs South Plainfield tallied all season. The Tigers went to the GMC and sectional finals.
Downside: Did not play quite as tough a schedule as some of the other candidates, as South Plainfield won eight games by nine runs or more.
JOELLE JACOBSEN, Sr., Hunterdon Central
Stats: .391 avg., 16 R, 5 2BH, 2 3BH, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 5 E
Upside: Her .391 batting average is no joke, as the Red Devils play in one of the toughest conferences in the state, as well as playing, perhaps, the most competitive out-of-conference slate in the area. Her 20 RBIs was third on the team, batting from the No. 3 spot for the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament and Skyland Delaware West champs.
Downside: Her power numbers are a little low for a No. 3 hitter, as she managed just eight extra-base hits
JILLIAN LUSK, Sr., Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Stats: .343 avg., 6 2BH, 0 3BH, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 12 SB
Upside: It is unusual for a first baseman to have enough speed to swipe 12 bases. She posted a .987 fielding percentage and hit two homers. Scotch Plains-Fanwood enjoyed mild success, notching the upset of the state tournament over Union County champion Cranford in the sectional quarterfinals before falling to eventual sectional champ JFK.
Downside: Here batting average is decent, at best, and 16 RBIs isn’t that impressive for a team that won 10 games by 10-run mercy rule. The Raiders also didn’t win any major tournaments or their conference, and played a decent, but not overly exciting schedule (see 10 10-run mercy rule victories).
NICOLE RUGGIERO, Sr., Governor Livingston
Stats: .301 avg., 2 2BH, 1 3BH, 4 HRs, 18 RBIs.
Upside: Co-captain of state Group II champions. Hit four homers for a team that didn’t score a lot of runs. Delivered several big hits for the Highlanders.
Downside: Batted just .301 against a Group II schedule and hit eighth in the order. Though she hit four home runs, she managed just two doubles and one triple, which makes me question her ability to drive the ball consistently.
NICOLE SGROMOLO, Sr., Delaware Valley
Stats: .402 avg., 20 R, 5 2BH, 5 3BH, 0 HR. 15 RBIs, 3 E (one in OF)
Upside: Her batting average and low error total are impressive. The Terriers went to the sectional finals before losing 1-0 to Capri Catalano and state Group II champion Governor Livingston, and finished second in the Raritan Division to Mount St. Mary, which ran the table in the conference.
Downside: A low RBI total and a subpar slugging pct., compared to some of the other candidates at the position. The Terriers’ fattened up against some of the pushovers of the Raritan and Valley Divisions, and didn’t face nearly the quality of pitching the others did. Was also not among the top 1 or 2, statistically, on her team in most categories.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Waiting to Exhale
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.
Between previewing and covering the Group II final, putting together the softball All-Area section, as well as my responsibilities toward my day job, I’ve hardly had time to breathe.
There is nothing a sportswriter agonizes over more than distributing postseason awards and choosing all-star teams, and this was no exception.
There are scores of deserving, quality players in the CN area, and I wish I could reward them all.
As of Thursday evening, finally, I’m all done. The teams have been picked, the stories and charts have been written, and the photos have been taken (well, except for one player who is out of town until next week).
Starting Saturday 6/16, and continuing daily through next Saturday (except for Sunday, 6/17), I will review the top candidates, by position, for the Courier News All-Area team, set for release Sunday, June 24 in the Courier News.
While the first-teamers have already been notified and have come in for their photos, nobody but myself, a couple of coaches who inquired as to their players’ fate, and my colleagues at the Courier News know who has been placed on second and third team and honorable mention.
All-Area, our postseason all star section, encompasses players from the Courier News coverage area, which is all of Somerset County, all of Hunterdon County, as well as Governor Livingston, Westfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, New Providence and Plainfield in Union County, and South Plainfield, Middlesex, Piscataway and Dunellen in Middlesex County – a total of 36 high schools.
All-Area will contain a first team, second team and third team, as well as honorable mention. Each team consists of four pitchers, a catcher, a first baseman, a second baseman, a shortstop, a third baseman, three outfielders, a designated hitter (could be from any position), and a utility player.
There are a lot of different criteria I use for choosing these teams other than my own observations over the course of the season, including statistics, input from players’ coaches – as well as opposing coaches – strength of schedule and quality of competition, and a player’s value to her team, among others.
This is not an exact science, and I’m sure there will be plenty of picks – as always – the people will disagree with. All I can say is that I try and do my best and be as objective as possible in making the selections.
The package will also consist of a feature story on the player and coach of the year, a final notebook – containing a year in review, including Freshman of the Year, Game of the Year, Performance of the Year, etc. etc. – as well as final standings and the final Top 10.
For more on the All-Area process, as well as a sneak peak at Player and Coach of the Year, check out the final Bats and Balls podcast, available at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
BLOG SCHEDULE
TOMORROW – First basemen
MONDAY – Second baseman
TUESDAY – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielder/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Between previewing and covering the Group II final, putting together the softball All-Area section, as well as my responsibilities toward my day job, I’ve hardly had time to breathe.
There is nothing a sportswriter agonizes over more than distributing postseason awards and choosing all-star teams, and this was no exception.
There are scores of deserving, quality players in the CN area, and I wish I could reward them all.
As of Thursday evening, finally, I’m all done. The teams have been picked, the stories and charts have been written, and the photos have been taken (well, except for one player who is out of town until next week).
Starting Saturday 6/16, and continuing daily through next Saturday (except for Sunday, 6/17), I will review the top candidates, by position, for the Courier News All-Area team, set for release Sunday, June 24 in the Courier News.
While the first-teamers have already been notified and have come in for their photos, nobody but myself, a couple of coaches who inquired as to their players’ fate, and my colleagues at the Courier News know who has been placed on second and third team and honorable mention.
All-Area, our postseason all star section, encompasses players from the Courier News coverage area, which is all of Somerset County, all of Hunterdon County, as well as Governor Livingston, Westfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, New Providence and Plainfield in Union County, and South Plainfield, Middlesex, Piscataway and Dunellen in Middlesex County – a total of 36 high schools.
All-Area will contain a first team, second team and third team, as well as honorable mention. Each team consists of four pitchers, a catcher, a first baseman, a second baseman, a shortstop, a third baseman, three outfielders, a designated hitter (could be from any position), and a utility player.
There are a lot of different criteria I use for choosing these teams other than my own observations over the course of the season, including statistics, input from players’ coaches – as well as opposing coaches – strength of schedule and quality of competition, and a player’s value to her team, among others.
This is not an exact science, and I’m sure there will be plenty of picks – as always – the people will disagree with. All I can say is that I try and do my best and be as objective as possible in making the selections.
The package will also consist of a feature story on the player and coach of the year, a final notebook – containing a year in review, including Freshman of the Year, Game of the Year, Performance of the Year, etc. etc. – as well as final standings and the final Top 10.
For more on the All-Area process, as well as a sneak peak at Player and Coach of the Year, check out the final Bats and Balls podcast, available at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
BLOG SCHEDULE
TOMORROW – First basemen
MONDAY – Second baseman
TUESDAY – Shortstops
WEDNESDAY – Third basemen
THURSDAY – Outfielder/Designated hitters
FRIDAY – Catchers
SATURDAY – Pitchers
SUNDAY 6/24 – The 2007 Courier News All-Area team hits the street.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
One last hurrah
It was a great season of softball in the Courier News Area, but we're not done yet, folks.
While the games have all been played and the final podcast of the season has been recorded and posted, there is one last thing to do -- All-Area 2007.
The teams have been picked, and I will be putting the finishing touches on the softball section over the next few days.
What does that mean for you loyal Inner Circle readers?
Check back here, starting Saturday, as I will begin posting a position-by-position look at the players that are candidates for spots on the All-Area teams.
SATURDAY 6/16 - FIRST BASEMEN
MONDAY 6/18 - SECOND BASEMEN
TUESDAY 6/19 - SHORTSTOPS
WEDNESDAY 6/20 - THIRD BASEMEN
THURSDAY 6/21 - OUTFIELDERS
FRIDAY 6/22 - CATCHERS
SATURDAY 6/23 - PITCHERS
SUNDAY 6/24 - The 2007 Spring All-Area section appears in the Courier News.
While the games have all been played and the final podcast of the season has been recorded and posted, there is one last thing to do -- All-Area 2007.
The teams have been picked, and I will be putting the finishing touches on the softball section over the next few days.
What does that mean for you loyal Inner Circle readers?
Check back here, starting Saturday, as I will begin posting a position-by-position look at the players that are candidates for spots on the All-Area teams.
SATURDAY 6/16 - FIRST BASEMEN
MONDAY 6/18 - SECOND BASEMEN
TUESDAY 6/19 - SHORTSTOPS
WEDNESDAY 6/20 - THIRD BASEMEN
THURSDAY 6/21 - OUTFIELDERS
FRIDAY 6/22 - CATCHERS
SATURDAY 6/23 - PITCHERS
SUNDAY 6/24 - The 2007 Spring All-Area section appears in the Courier News.
Don't Stop Believin'
The 10th and final edition of the season of the Bats and Balls podcast was recorded Monday night and should be posted sometime Tuesday afternoon.
I promise a better payoff than the Sopranos finale (which I loved, by the way).
www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
I promise a better payoff than the Sopranos finale (which I loved, by the way).
www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Gettin' 'er done
Governor Livingston reached the promised land Saturday and took care of business with a 2-0 victory over Pascack Hills to win the Group II championship at Toms River East.
Check out the game story in Sunday's Courier News, or online at http://www.c-n.com/.
Senior righty Capri Catalano struck out 11 in firing a two-hit shutout and walked two. She finishes her brilliant varsity career with a state record 1,346 Ks.
Freshman Nicole Koszowski provided the offensive support with an RBI triple in the fourth inning, and scored the second run on an error on the same play.
Here's the complete box score
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON (27-1)
Player pos AB-R-H-RBI-BB-K
Bergman C 2-0-0-0-1-1
Lesnewich 3B 2-0-0-0-0-0
Robertson CF 3-1-0-0-0-0
Koszowski LF 3-1-1-1-0-0
Kushner DH 3-0-0-0-0-2
Buonaguro SS 3-0-2-0-0-0
Bennett 2B 1-0-0-0-1-1
Ruggiero 1B 3-0-0-0-0-0
McAdam RF 3-0-0-0-0-0
3B: Koszowski. SAC: Lesnewich, Bennett. SB: Robertson
E: Lesnewich
PASCACK HILLS (23-11)
Player pos AB-R-H-RBI-BB-K
Palish C 3-0-0-0-0-0
Trieble RF 3-0-0-0-0-1
Moppert CF 3-0-1-0-0-2
Smith 1B 3-0-0-0-0-2
Fischer SS 2-0-0-0-1-2
Lomia 2B 3-0-1-0-0-1
Proderick 3B 3-0-0-0-0-2
Haertsch DH 1-0-0-0-1-0
Abate LF 2-0-0-0-0-0
SB: Fischer, Lomia. DP: Proderick
E: Fischer 2
LINE SCORE
GOV. LIVINGSTON 000-200-0--2-3-1
PASCACK HILLS 000-000-0--0-2-2
PITCHING LINES
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON
Name IP-H-R-ER-BB-K
Catalano (W - 24-1) 7.0-2-0-0-2-11
PASCACK HILLS
Name IP-H-R-ER-BB-K
Mascarelli (L - 23-11) 7.0-3-2-1-1-4
Check out the game story in Sunday's Courier News, or online at http://www.c-n.com/.
Senior righty Capri Catalano struck out 11 in firing a two-hit shutout and walked two. She finishes her brilliant varsity career with a state record 1,346 Ks.
Freshman Nicole Koszowski provided the offensive support with an RBI triple in the fourth inning, and scored the second run on an error on the same play.
Here's the complete box score
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON (27-1)
Player pos AB-R-H-RBI-BB-K
Bergman C 2-0-0-0-1-1
Lesnewich 3B 2-0-0-0-0-0
Robertson CF 3-1-0-0-0-0
Koszowski LF 3-1-1-1-0-0
Kushner DH 3-0-0-0-0-2
Buonaguro SS 3-0-2-0-0-0
Bennett 2B 1-0-0-0-1-1
Ruggiero 1B 3-0-0-0-0-0
McAdam RF 3-0-0-0-0-0
3B: Koszowski. SAC: Lesnewich, Bennett. SB: Robertson
E: Lesnewich
PASCACK HILLS (23-11)
Player pos AB-R-H-RBI-BB-K
Palish C 3-0-0-0-0-0
Trieble RF 3-0-0-0-0-1
Moppert CF 3-0-1-0-0-2
Smith 1B 3-0-0-0-0-2
Fischer SS 2-0-0-0-1-2
Lomia 2B 3-0-1-0-0-1
Proderick 3B 3-0-0-0-0-2
Haertsch DH 1-0-0-0-1-0
Abate LF 2-0-0-0-0-0
SB: Fischer, Lomia. DP: Proderick
E: Fischer 2
LINE SCORE
GOV. LIVINGSTON 000-200-0--2-3-1
PASCACK HILLS 000-000-0--0-2-2
PITCHING LINES
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON
Name IP-H-R-ER-BB-K
Catalano (W - 24-1) 7.0-2-0-0-2-11
PASCACK HILLS
Name IP-H-R-ER-BB-K
Mascarelli (L - 23-11) 7.0-3-2-1-1-4
GL-Pascack Hills preview
Check out today's Courier News for a preview on today's Group II final, as well as a feature on Highlanders freshman left fielder Nicole Koszowski.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Podcast up
The Week 9 edition of the Bats and Balls podcast is up and available for your listening pleasure at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Bringing it up a notch
As if Capri Catalano had anything more to prove, the Governor Livingston High School senior right-hander took it to a whole new level in Tuesdays semifinals of the New Jersey state Interscholastic Athletic Association Group II final.
In case you missed it, Catalano tossed a perfect game as she struck out the first 20 batters of the game and got the final out on a weak grounder to second base, and the Highlanders advanced to the Group II championship.
GL will face the winner of today's game between Caldwell and Pascack Hills on Saturday. Site and time TBA.
Check out Jerry Carino's game story for all the details in Wednesday's Courier News, or click here.
Reigning Group IV champion North Hunterdon, meanwhile, fell to Clifton 2-0 at Whippany Park, as the Lions' quest for back-to-back crowns was thwarted by the Mustangs.
Jason Sherman was on hand for the game, check out his story here.
For the record, I predicted Governor Livingston to win 4-0, the won 3-0. I picked North Hunterdon to lose 4-2, they lost 2-0.
That oughta help make up for my brutal record in picking county tournament results!
In case you missed it, Catalano tossed a perfect game as she struck out the first 20 batters of the game and got the final out on a weak grounder to second base, and the Highlanders advanced to the Group II championship.
GL will face the winner of today's game between Caldwell and Pascack Hills on Saturday. Site and time TBA.
Check out Jerry Carino's game story for all the details in Wednesday's Courier News, or click here.
Reigning Group IV champion North Hunterdon, meanwhile, fell to Clifton 2-0 at Whippany Park, as the Lions' quest for back-to-back crowns was thwarted by the Mustangs.
Jason Sherman was on hand for the game, check out his story here.
For the record, I predicted Governor Livingston to win 4-0, the won 3-0. I picked North Hunterdon to lose 4-2, they lost 2-0.
That oughta help make up for my brutal record in picking county tournament results!
One step from Toms River
Group semifinals are slated for today, with North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV champion and defending state Group IV champ North Hunterdon facing North 1 champ Clifton at 4 p.m. at Whippany Park High School, and Central Jersey Group II champion Governor Livingston facing South Jersey champ Sterling at 3 p.m. at Rancocas Valley.
I've picked one local team to win and the other to lose. Find out which is which, and check out a preview of both game in Tuesday print and online editions of the Courier News.
Click HERE for the GL-Sterling preview.
Click HERE for the North Hunterdon-Clifton preview.
Also, we will be recording a state finals edition of the Bats and Balls podcast Wednesday night. Look for that at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia Thursday afternoon.
Finally, last call for feedback on the upcoming All-Area teams. I have already begun collecting nominations and thoughts from the area's coaches. Contribute your picks and opinions by leaving a comment here.
I've picked one local team to win and the other to lose. Find out which is which, and check out a preview of both game in Tuesday print and online editions of the Courier News.
Click HERE for the GL-Sterling preview.
Click HERE for the North Hunterdon-Clifton preview.
Also, we will be recording a state finals edition of the Bats and Balls podcast Wednesday night. Look for that at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia Thursday afternoon.
Finally, last call for feedback on the upcoming All-Area teams. I have already begun collecting nominations and thoughts from the area's coaches. Contribute your picks and opinions by leaving a comment here.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Moving on and moving out
Governor Livingston won its first, North Hunterdon went back-to-back, South Plainfield couldn't make it three against J.F. Kennedy, and Immaculata and Mount St. Mary fell a game short of their sectional final.
It was sectional final day for the public schools, while the non-public squads played in their sectional semifinals. Here's a look at what went down.
HERE'S TO THE WINNERS:
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON
The Highlanders took advantage of a first-inning error, and senior right-hander Capri Catalano threw a four-hit shutout, as GL won the first sectional title in program history, 1-0 over Delaware Valley in the Central Jersey Group II final.
Check out Jerry Carino's story in Friday's Courier News, or read it online.
While heartfelt congratulations go out to coach Rick Iacono and the Highlanders, let's face it, they were lucky to come away with a victory.
Governor Livingston might have gotten one monkey off its back by finally winning a sectional crown, but, once again, the Highlanders failed to hit in a big game against a quality pitcher -- they managed just two singles -- and this one could have easily gone the other way if not for the work of Capri Catalano, as well as -- from what I'm told -- some generous umpiring.
Governor Livingston has some quality hitters in its lineup -- Mitchell Robertson, Heather Bergman, Nicole Ruggiero, Nicole Koszowski -- and the Highlanders cannot expect the softball Gods to smile upon them every game. If they don't figure out how to string some hits together in big spots, their tournament is going to end in Tuesday's state semis.
At the same time, kudos to Delaware Valley right-hander Michelle Jensen for a fantastic pitching performance, and you can't fault the Terriers for not being able to get much done against the state's all-time strikeout queen.
NORTH HUNTERDON
It's deja vu all over again for the Lions.
Despite struggling down the stretch in the regular season, including getting upset in the semifinals of the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament, North Hunterdon is back playing the kind of softball that resulted in the state Group IV championship last season.
The Lions pounded out eight runs on 10 hits and junior righty Ali Freedman tossed a one-hit shutout with the defense behind her coming up with several great plays, as North Hunterdon won its second straight North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV crown with an 8-0 victory over JP Stevens.
Check out Jason Sherman's game story in Friday's Courier News, or read it online.
A nice win by North against a team in JP Stevens that caught some breaks in making the final. Things are not going to be so easy in the Tuesday's state semifinal against North 1 Group IV champ Clifton, which beat North 6-0 on April 23.
The Lions are going to need not only another stellar effort by Freedman in the circle, but the big bats like Sam Pellechio, Becca Schaefer and Hilary Murray, among others, are really going to have to be on top of their game against Clifton.
THE END OF THE LINE
Four local teams saw their seasons end Tuesday.
While Delaware Valley put forth a valiant effort in losing 1-0 to Governor Livingston in CJ II, SOUTH PLAINFIELD fell 2-1 to J.F. Kennedy in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group III final.
Check out the game story by Gannett New Jersey's Mark Spivey in Friday's Courier News, or read it online.
Considering South Plainfield had beaten JFK in 2-of-3 meetings this year entering Tuesday's game, including a 1-0 win in last week's GMC Tournament semifinals, this has to be a hard one for the Tigers to stomach.
Still, you gotta give coach Don Panzarella and his team a ton of credit for shaking up their mid-season doldrums to rebound and advance to the finals of the GMCT, as well as their section.
I, for one, definitely wouldn't have expected South Plainfield to be playing in a sectional final after a 7-5 start.
Meanwhile, things did not go well for out local squads in the North Jersey Non-Public A Tournament semifinals, as top-seeded Mount St. Mary fell to Immaculate Heart 3-2, while third-seeded Immaculata was edged by No. 2 Mount St. Dominic 4-3 in eight innings.
IMMACULATA
The Spartans scored three runs in third inning and led 3-0 heading into the fourth. MSD got a run in that frame and two more in the bottom of the sixth to tie it, before scoring the winner in the bottom of the eighth inning.
A tough loss for Immaculata, for sure. It would have made a fantastic story for coach Erica Bell to have led the Spartans back to the sectional final for the first time since she was a senior at Immaculata, especially after she returned them to SCT glory for the first time since 2000.
Still, a great season for Immaculata and a fine job by Bell in her rookie year at the helm.
MOUNT ST. MARY has got nothing to be ashamed of, either.
Not only did the Mount Lions go a perfect 20-0 in their conference, but when you consider that their two losses came to Group IV Hillsborough -- by one run in the counties -- and the other to perennial state powerhouse Immaculate Heart by one run in the sectional semis, coach Denise Materia and friends should stand up and take a bow on a stellar campaign.
Mount St. Mary's season ended Tuesday with a 3-2 loss to the Eagles, as IHA scored three times in the fourth inning. The Mount Lions scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough.
Another fine performance by senior righty Dani Accardi, who allowed just four hits.
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Look for previews of the state semifinals in Tuesday's print and online editions of the Courier News, as well as, hopefully, a more in-depth look at those games here on The Inner Circle.
The state finals edition of the Bats and Bals podcast is scheduled to be recorded either Tuesday or Wednesday night. Look for that at www.c-n.com/specialsectionas/multimedia by Thursday afternoon.
ATTENTION COACHES:
I will be contacting most of you by phone or email in the coming week or two as I begin working on the 2007 All-Area softball teams. Get those stats and nominations ready!
ATTENTION FANS:
Please, feel free to chime in with your comments on who you think should be considered for a spot on the teams, as well as your picks for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.
You can leave your thoughts by commenting on this blog, or I can be reached via email at couriersoftball@aol.com
All-Area will hit the newsstands on June 24.
It was sectional final day for the public schools, while the non-public squads played in their sectional semifinals. Here's a look at what went down.
HERE'S TO THE WINNERS:
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON
The Highlanders took advantage of a first-inning error, and senior right-hander Capri Catalano threw a four-hit shutout, as GL won the first sectional title in program history, 1-0 over Delaware Valley in the Central Jersey Group II final.
Check out Jerry Carino's story in Friday's Courier News, or read it online.
While heartfelt congratulations go out to coach Rick Iacono and the Highlanders, let's face it, they were lucky to come away with a victory.
Governor Livingston might have gotten one monkey off its back by finally winning a sectional crown, but, once again, the Highlanders failed to hit in a big game against a quality pitcher -- they managed just two singles -- and this one could have easily gone the other way if not for the work of Capri Catalano, as well as -- from what I'm told -- some generous umpiring.
Governor Livingston has some quality hitters in its lineup -- Mitchell Robertson, Heather Bergman, Nicole Ruggiero, Nicole Koszowski -- and the Highlanders cannot expect the softball Gods to smile upon them every game. If they don't figure out how to string some hits together in big spots, their tournament is going to end in Tuesday's state semis.
At the same time, kudos to Delaware Valley right-hander Michelle Jensen for a fantastic pitching performance, and you can't fault the Terriers for not being able to get much done against the state's all-time strikeout queen.
NORTH HUNTERDON
It's deja vu all over again for the Lions.
Despite struggling down the stretch in the regular season, including getting upset in the semifinals of the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament, North Hunterdon is back playing the kind of softball that resulted in the state Group IV championship last season.
The Lions pounded out eight runs on 10 hits and junior righty Ali Freedman tossed a one-hit shutout with the defense behind her coming up with several great plays, as North Hunterdon won its second straight North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV crown with an 8-0 victory over JP Stevens.
Check out Jason Sherman's game story in Friday's Courier News, or read it online.
A nice win by North against a team in JP Stevens that caught some breaks in making the final. Things are not going to be so easy in the Tuesday's state semifinal against North 1 Group IV champ Clifton, which beat North 6-0 on April 23.
The Lions are going to need not only another stellar effort by Freedman in the circle, but the big bats like Sam Pellechio, Becca Schaefer and Hilary Murray, among others, are really going to have to be on top of their game against Clifton.
THE END OF THE LINE
Four local teams saw their seasons end Tuesday.
While Delaware Valley put forth a valiant effort in losing 1-0 to Governor Livingston in CJ II, SOUTH PLAINFIELD fell 2-1 to J.F. Kennedy in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group III final.
Check out the game story by Gannett New Jersey's Mark Spivey in Friday's Courier News, or read it online.
Considering South Plainfield had beaten JFK in 2-of-3 meetings this year entering Tuesday's game, including a 1-0 win in last week's GMC Tournament semifinals, this has to be a hard one for the Tigers to stomach.
Still, you gotta give coach Don Panzarella and his team a ton of credit for shaking up their mid-season doldrums to rebound and advance to the finals of the GMCT, as well as their section.
I, for one, definitely wouldn't have expected South Plainfield to be playing in a sectional final after a 7-5 start.
Meanwhile, things did not go well for out local squads in the North Jersey Non-Public A Tournament semifinals, as top-seeded Mount St. Mary fell to Immaculate Heart 3-2, while third-seeded Immaculata was edged by No. 2 Mount St. Dominic 4-3 in eight innings.
IMMACULATA
The Spartans scored three runs in third inning and led 3-0 heading into the fourth. MSD got a run in that frame and two more in the bottom of the sixth to tie it, before scoring the winner in the bottom of the eighth inning.
A tough loss for Immaculata, for sure. It would have made a fantastic story for coach Erica Bell to have led the Spartans back to the sectional final for the first time since she was a senior at Immaculata, especially after she returned them to SCT glory for the first time since 2000.
Still, a great season for Immaculata and a fine job by Bell in her rookie year at the helm.
MOUNT ST. MARY has got nothing to be ashamed of, either.
Not only did the Mount Lions go a perfect 20-0 in their conference, but when you consider that their two losses came to Group IV Hillsborough -- by one run in the counties -- and the other to perennial state powerhouse Immaculate Heart by one run in the sectional semis, coach Denise Materia and friends should stand up and take a bow on a stellar campaign.
Mount St. Mary's season ended Tuesday with a 3-2 loss to the Eagles, as IHA scored three times in the fourth inning. The Mount Lions scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough.
Another fine performance by senior righty Dani Accardi, who allowed just four hits.
PROGRAMMING NOTES:
Look for previews of the state semifinals in Tuesday's print and online editions of the Courier News, as well as, hopefully, a more in-depth look at those games here on The Inner Circle.
The state finals edition of the Bats and Bals podcast is scheduled to be recorded either Tuesday or Wednesday night. Look for that at www.c-n.com/specialsectionas/multimedia by Thursday afternoon.
ATTENTION COACHES:
I will be contacting most of you by phone or email in the coming week or two as I begin working on the 2007 All-Area softball teams. Get those stats and nominations ready!
ATTENTION FANS:
Please, feel free to chime in with your comments on who you think should be considered for a spot on the teams, as well as your picks for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.
You can leave your thoughts by commenting on this blog, or I can be reached via email at couriersoftball@aol.com
All-Area will hit the newsstands on June 24.
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