By: Sean Moylan
A day after losing a 3-0 decision to South Plainfield in the NJSIAA Group III New Jersey finals, Chelsey Morgan was back out there on the mound pitching for her South Jersey Devil’s travel softball team. Still the championship game was not far from her mind.
"I honestly thought if we got past (Melissa) Hodge (of Hamilton West) we were going to win it," said Morgan.
"Even after they (South Plainfield) scored two runs I thought we would come back."
South Plainfield had two runs in the top of the first and were threatening to score more with runner on the corners and just one out when Morgan inducted designated hitter Jessica Miller to hit into a cool 1-5-3 double play. Then she retired South Plainfield’s next 12 batters without hardly a whimper before her string was broken in the sixth when South Plainfield’s leadoff hitter reached on an error. It was a gutsy pitching performance that could have gone down in Northern Burlington High School softball history if the Greyhounds had scored a few runs. But, then again, Morgan has always kept her team in every game.
"I was more relaxed than when we were behind (2-1) in the Hammonton game (the state semi-finals)," said Morgan, who powered her Greyhounds to a victory in that one with an eighth-inning RBI double.
"I knew someone had to step up (versus Hammonton)."
Her 26-4 record sometimes makes people forget she’s a great hitter (.449), who actually bats cleanup in NBC’s lineup.
"Sometimes people think pitchers don’t hit," said Morgan, who has always hit well.
Many who saw the championship game from outside of the fence that surrounded the Tom’s River East softball field, told a story of Jessica Senz’ dominance over the Greyhounds. But the fact was NBC players hit some shots off her right at fielders. They also were just fouling off their pitchers straight back. Morgan herself hit the ball fairly, but had nothing to show for it. With a little luck, NBC easily could have been champions.
"People don’t understand it’s not easy to win softball games," said Morgan, who was asked to be something just short of perfect this entire season.
"My first at-bat and my last at-bat I really wanted to get a hit (and almost did)."
Morgan got her start in softball with the Hamilton Hurricanes as a 9-year old. From there she hooked up with some travel teams, including her current one the South Jersey Devils. For the past few years her pitching coach has been Jerry Herra. Herra helps her to keep her fastball, curveball and drop curve sharp. On a good day she can reach 58 on the radar gun. But her game has always been groundballs and pop ups and she has the defense to back her up.
"Our defense was awesome this year. We had such a great group of kids," said Morgan.
Like many great pitchers, she so sometimes struggles early before finding her groove in a game. When those struggles lasted a little longer than usual, midway though the season, she turned to her father Bill.
"I was mentally out of it, but the season wasn’t half way over," said Morgan, who went in the backyard to work it out with her father. "He told me what I was doing wrong."
Morgan got back on track and NBC went on a spectacular run that lasted until the championship contest.
Of course, NBC’s sensational intense Coach Brian Wolverton helped to keep her at the top of her game.
"Wolverton…he’s insane, he’s demanding and he’s psycho…but he’s the best coach I’ve ever had!!" said Morgan.
Morgan was a part of NBC’s 2002 championship ride. In 2003 she went 11-9 pitching in all of NBC’s tough games and last year she had her first of two 20 plus win seasons with the Greyhounds. She even beat Lisa Sweeney and Rancocas Valley this year.
"You have to have ice water in your veins to be a pitcher," said Morgan, who’ll pitch for Georgia State College next year.
In the coming years, NBC will realize what a gutsy and great pitcher it had in Chelsey Morgan, who loved her softball team as much as anything in her life. Luckily, she’ll get to play with Kelly Lukacs and Stef Poedubicky a while longer on the Devils.
