BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer
After dropping its first two games, the Old Bridge High School softball team bounced back with a pair of wins to even its record.
The Lady Knights will be looking for their third straight win when South Brunswick visits this afternoon.
A year ago, Old Bridge went 18-10 overall and went to the finals of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tourney before losing to Rancocas Valley. The Lady Knights also made their way to the semifinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, where they were upset by Middlesex.
Coach Sue Klein’s team could’ve easily been undefeated this time around, if it could have squeezed out a few more hits. The Lady Knights lost their season opener 2-1 to East Brunswick in 10 innings and then dropped a 1-0 decision to J.P. Stevens before rebounding with triumphs over Perth Amboy and Piscataway. Old Bridge meets East Brunswick again on Monday for a rematch.
“The pitching and defense are there, the girls just haven’t been hitting well,” Klein said. “Last year, our batting averages weren’t all that great, but the girls came through when we needed a hit. We need a little more of that now.”
Shortstop Kaitlin Cologera, a junior who moved from second base, has been the team’s top hitter early on with a .357 mark. Third baseman Kayla Warman, also a junior, is at .250.
Klein expects significant offensive contributions from junior Nicole Riggio, a stalwart defensive catcher, who batted .324 with 15 RBIs last season, as well as fellow first baseman Jen Vittorino, a fellow junior who hit .279 a year ago.
The Lady Knights are solid on the mound with junior Amy Sievert. Like the team, Sievert is 2-2, and has a 0.91 ERA. She struck out 16 batters in Old Bridge’s win over Perth Amboy. Last spring, Sievert was 7-5 with an 0.52 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 81 innings.
Other key players include right fielder Ashley Kalbach, center fielder Shannon Halstead, and outfielders Kara Maxwell and Jackie Murphy, both juniors. Murphy will also see some time behind the plate. Freshmen Angela D’Amico and Amber Zimmerlink start at second base and left field, respectively.
“While this is a fairly young team, we have a lot of experience and there are some expectations,” Klein said. “The girls have really played quite well so far, and once the hitters come around we’ll be in good shape.”