FARRAH MAFFAI Brookdale pitcher Dara DeVincenzo fires a strike during the Jersey Blues’ win over Burlington on Friday. Brookdale breezed through the Region XIX Tournament, earning its seventh straight trip to the national tournament, which gets under way today in Joliet, Ill.
It certainly didn’t take the Allentown High School girls’ softball team very long to become a league power in the Colonial Valley Conference.
Of course, the Lady Redbirds just joined the league a year ago after defecting from the Shore Conference, but in only its first year in the loop, Allentown was CVC co-champion.
Not a bad debut.
The Redbirds entered play this week with a 12-7 record and in first place in the Valley Division. With three league games left this week and two more next week, Allentown could finish with the best record and claim a second consecutive conference title. This time, however, all by itself.
"I think if we play well the next two weeks, we could win the championship outright," head coach Bob DiBernardo said. "Then in the state tournament, anything can happen."
True, but one title chase at a time. The Redbirds have a key home game today against Hopewell Valley, which is in second place, only one game behind Allentown.
"That’s definitely a big game for us," DiBernardo said.
This is DeBernardo’s second tour of duty with the Allentown softball program.
He coached the Redbirds in 1997, too, and then returned last season to lead the team to its banner season.
So far this season, DiBernardo and his team haven’t missed a beat.
"We’re a younger team this season. We have a lot of sophomores," the coach noted, "but we’re doing OK. We’ve lost a couple of tough games, but we’re doing OK.
"Our goal is to repeat as league champs and we’re in the process of doing that," he added.
One of the big reasons has been the pitching of senior Abby Cotrell, a varsity starter since her sophomore year who’s started 17 of the Redbirds’ 19 games this season and accounted for 10 of the their 12 wins.
The only two games Cotrell didn’t start, Margaret Ryan, the team’s regular first baseman, was on the mound and was victorious both times.
The key to Allentown’s success has been more than just its pitching.
"In order for us to do well, all phases of our game have to come together," DiBernardo said. "We feed off our pitching, but we have play defense behind her. Then if we can scratch out a few runs, we do fine."
The Redbirds have been getting their share of offense and solid defense from several players. Junior Nicole Stanke is the team’s starting shortstop for the second consecutive season, and is hitting well over .300.
"She’s one of our power hitters," DiBernardo said. Briana Fula, one of those sophomores the coach talked about, is another .300 bat in the lineup, where she hits No. 3 and plays second base after starting at first base as a freshman.
Another sophomore who’s doing well is first-year catcher Colleen Keeley.
"We had a senior behind the plate last year who graduated, so Colleen has stepped up to do a real nice job," DiBernardo said. "She’s doing a real good job catching and handling Abby."
The Redbirds’ starting outfield is also solid, led by senior leftfielder Ali Van Horn. After being used mainly as a pinch-runner last year, Van Horn now bats leadoff and has become an exceptional slap hitter.
Meanwhile, Courtney Kubik, a hard-hitting sophomore who DiBernardo said "hits the ball with power," recently became the team’s starting center fielder.
"She just broke into the lineup and is doing a good job," the AHS coach said.
Junior Chelsea Hare, described by DiBernardo as "a left-handed slapper" at the plate, rounds out the outfield in right.
If the Redbirds’ pitching, defense and hitting continue to shine for the next two weeks, there could very well be another Colonial Valley Conference championship banner hanging in the Allentown High School gym soon.