DeMARCO (48 CAREER HR) & DeLONG LED TEAM BATTING
Prepared by DAVID B. CORBIN
Two glorious high school careers have come to a conclusion for the Cranford High School softball team that finished this season with a 16-12 record. Seniors Sophia DeMarco and Maddy DeLong both four year starters and stars on the three-time Union County Tournament (UCT) Championship teams continued their brilliance this season at the plate and in the field.
The Cougars opened their season with a 5-0 shutout of the Brearley Bears but a four-game slide followed, beginning with a 7-4 loss to the very tough Cedar Grove Panthers, who not only would win their section but also the Group 1 title. An eight-inning, stinging 13-12 loss to the Westfield Blue Devils was followed by a 10-4 loss to the Jonathan Dayton Bulldogs and a 10-2 setback to Immaculate Heart Academy (finished 28-3).
An 8-3 win over the Governor Livingston (GL) Highlanders, an 182 trouncing of the AL Johnson (ALJ) Crusaders and an 11-4 toppling of Summit evened the Cougars’ record to 4-4. A 6-4 loss to Ramsey (finished 26-4) was followed with a 4-2 win over Elizabeth. After falling to Watchung Hills, 12-2, the Cougars got even with Westfield, 6-4, then lost to Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 6-4, and Immaculata, 8-1.
The Cougars beat Pingry, 13-8, and Elizabeth, 10-0, then lost tight ones to Dayton, 3-2, and GL, 4-3. A sixgame winning streak came next, starting with 6-3 over ALJ, followed with Union (10-2) and Hanover Park (10). The Cougars topped Union, 7-3, and Elizabeth, 5-0, in the UCT then went on to shut out Paramus Catholic, 3-0. Their streak ended with a 4-1 loss in the UCT semifinal to the Dayton Bulldogs, who would go on to win the title.
In the first round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Tournament, the Cougars bounced Rahway, 14-0. After finishing the regular season with a 4-1 win over Summit, the Cougars’ season ended with a 2-1 loss in the section quarterfinal to the Randolph Rams, who would go on to win the title.
DeMarco, who also was the primary mound ace, led the team in nearly every offensive category, which included a .588 batting average (BA) with 50 hits, 14 home runs, 35 RBI, 36 runs scored, seven doubles and 22 walks, while being hit twice and stealing five bases. DeMarco elevated her career home run total to 48. DeLong finished with a .366 BA (34-for-93), seven home runs, 26 RBI, 25 runs, seven doubles and 18 walks to go with a team-leading six stolen bases.
Freshman Brooke Jones broke into the lineup and finished with a .310 BA (18-for-58) with four RBI, nine runs, four doubles, a home run, two walks and a hit batter. Freshman Sarah Hartmann had a .303 BA (20-for-66) with 15 runs, nine RBI, three doubles and a walk. Junior Ava Orr finished .282 (24-for-85) with 13 RBI, 13 runs, three home runs, three doubles and a walk.
Sophomore Ciara Conley finished .237 (18-for-76) with 18 RBI, 11 runs, two doubles, a home run, seven walks, hit by pitch and two stolen bases. Freshman shortstop Sophia Alvarez-Gomez finished .234 (18-for-77) with 15 RBI, 14 runs, two home runs, two triples, three doubles and eight walks. Freshman Ellie Queenan had a .214 BA(15-for-70) with seven RBI, seven runs, two doubles, four walks and a stolen base.
With moderate time at the plate, juniorAlexa Stulpin finished .270 (10for-37) with three RBI, run, double and four walks. Sophomore Lillianna Pardo had four hits with a double and a triple, seven RBI, four runs and a walk. Freshman Kasey Coon had six hits, including a home run and a double, seven runs, four RBI and three walks. Sophomore right fielder Grace Ingraham contributed a double, single, walk, two hit by pitches and a stolen base. Junior Adrienne Lettini contributed a pair of singles, a double and a walk. Claire Kelly had five hits, including a home run, five runs and two walks. Junior courtesy runner Hannah Semple scored four runs.
On the mound, DeMarco in 108.1 innings, allowed 90 hits, 46 runs (34 earned), 20 walks and a hit batter, while recording 86 strikeouts for a 2.20 ERA. Sophomore Brooke Bentrewicz in 57 innings, allowed 70 hits, 44 runs (32 earned), and 14 walks, while striking out 42 for a 3.93 ERA. Pardo in 21.1 innings, yielded 33 hits, 26 runs (22 earned), eight walks and a hit batter, while striking out four batters for a 7.22 ERA. Jones tossed two innings and allowed six hits and two runs while striking out a batter.
The Cougars do graduate two super stars but do return quite a few talented underclassmen.
