Very effective pitching and timely hitting allowed the AL Johnson High School softball team to be on the top side of many one-run games this season. The Crusaders won six of seven one-run games, recorded nine shutouts, won the UCC Watchung Division (11-1 record) and captured their third-straight Central Jersey, Group 2 crown to finish with a 26-4 record and be ranked No. 17. Last year the Crusaders also finished 26-4 and the year before they were 20-12 for a 72-20 three-year total.
Junior Cassie Conforti, who was the starting pitcher all three of those seasons, finished with a 23-4 record this season, In 180.2 innings, Conforti allowed 111 hits, 51 runs (30 earned), 33 walks and three hit batters, while striking out 236 opponents for a 1.16 ERA. Sophomore Juliana Hamm was on the mound for 22 innings and yielded 11 hits, four runs (3 earned) and six walks, while recording 26 strikeouts for an 0.95 ERA and a 3-0 record.
The Crusaders began their season with an 11-0 shutout of the East Brunswick Bears then blanked the Jonathan Dayton Bulldogs (won their section), 10-0. A 2-0 loss to Middletown South (18-8, finished ranked No. 12) was followed by a 40 triumph over the Westfield Blue Devils and an 11-1 thumping of the Cranford Cougars.After cruising past the Roselle Park Panthers, 16-0, the Crusaders jarred Metuchen, 7-1, and
Photos at goleader.com Ballyhoo Sports Montclair, 4-0.
A 10-1 victory over the Governor Livingston Highlanders (18-8, won section) was followed by an 8-1 win over the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders. The Caldwell Chiefs (finished 20-8) went down, 3-0, to the Crusaders, who then took down Dayton, 8-5, and Westfield, 4-1. Their 10game winning streak was halted by Cranford, 7-6, but a nine-game winning
streak would follow, beginning with a 5-1 cornering of the Immaculata Spartans, followed by an 11-1 thrashing of Roselle Park.
The Crusaders stopped Verona, 63, Governor Livingston, 1-0, and Bridgewater-Raritan, 7-6, then went 10 innings with the SPF Raiders and emerged victorious, 2-1. In the Union County Tournament, the Crusaders blanked the Linden Tigers (16-0) and Union Catholic Vikings (1-0) then after topping the SPF Raiders (5-1) in the semifinal they defeated the Randolph Rams (3-1) before being stunned, 15-2, for the title by the Summit Hilltoppers, who would finish 26-4 and ranked No. 16.
The Crusaders began their Central Jersey, Group 2 run with a 3-2 squeezing
past Wall and a 3-2 blotting of Spotswood. After going 10 innings in a 2-1, International Rule win over Bordentown, the Crusaders seized their third-straight crown with a 6-2 win over Allentown. Their season came to a close with a 4-2, eightinning loss the Barnegat Bengals in the Group 2 semifinal.
Offensively, senior catcher Liz Yanni led the team with a .356 batting average (BA) going 31-for-87 with a team-leading 29 RBI and four home runs, to go with 19 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, 10 walks and a hit by pitch (HP). Conforti went .337 (35for-104) with 12 doubles (led team) and 26 runs scored (tied for 1st), to go with 19 RBI, two home runs, five walks and one HP. Senior Liz Fitzharris had a .326 BA (28-for-86) with 26 (tied Conforti) runs scored, 11 RBI, eight doubles, 14 walks and two HP.
Junior Gianna Calleja had an identical .326 BA (28-for-86) with 21 runs scored, 13 RBI, two doubles, 12 walks, five HP and a stolen base. Hamm finished with a .333 BA (27for-81) with 15 runs scored, 17 RBI, nine doubles (led team), triple, two home runs and 11 walks. Junior Addison Meyer had a .320 BA (24for-75) with 22 runs scored, 12 RBI, seven doubles, 17 walks (led team) and three HP.
Junior Ava Todaro finished with a .297BA(19-for-64)with19runsscored, five RBI, two doubles, two triples, 11 walksandaHP.JuniorCourtneyKilmer finished .279 (17-for-61) with 13 RBI, 11 runs scored, three doubles, 12 walks and a HP. SeniorAnnabella DeMartinis had a .212 BA(17-for-80) with 17 RBI, 12 runs scored, four doubles, home run, four walks and two HP. With limited time at the plate, sophomore Nicole Zdeb had three doubles and a triple, four runs scored, two RBI and four walks.
The Crusaders graduate three seniors from the starting lineup but with some adjustments and the return of Conforti’s firepower, next year would be competitive once again.
