By: Lance Manion
The South Brunswick High School softball team struggled at times to score runs over the first half of the 2006 season, evident in early-season losses coming by margins such as 2-1 and 2-0.
But lately, senior catcher Alicia Langone has been providing all the offense ace pitcher Sara Steepy needs.
Langone homered in three straight games last week, boosting the Vikings to consecutive wins over J.P. Stevens (2-0), Piscataway (10-1), and West Windsor-Plainsboro North (7-2), before scoring the winning run in the ninth inning of a 1-0 victory over Edison on Tuesday.
With a pitcher like Steepy, a senior who has thrown five shutouts in 10 starts this year, in the circle, that kind of power hitting has been enough to fuel a six-game winning streak for South Brunswick. The team is currently in sole possession of second place in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division, just a half-game behind Sayreville.
Vikings head coach Danielle Matlack said she knew full well coming into this season that Langone had the ability to knock the cover off the ball, but added that in the early going, things weren’t coming so easy. Langone entered last week without so much as an extra-base hit through six games.
"In previous years, she’s always had the potential to hit one out," Matlack said. "If she’s hot, that’s what she’s going to do. And right now, she’s just getting into her stride. Three in a row is nice."
Matlack added that she couldn’t remember ever having a player go yard in three straight games in her seven years at South Brunswick. The coach also might have trouble remembering ever having a team quite this talented.
The Vikings, after finishing right at .500 in 2003 (11-11-1) and winding up 13-11 in both 2004 and 2005, are 8-2 and primed for perhaps the best year in team history. With eight seniors rounding out the roster, Matlack said the writing was on the wall coming into the season. And it wasn’t derogatory graffiti, but sheer poetry.
"We have a lot of talent, and a lot of seniors," Matlack said, "And they’ve all been playing for a long time. So if they’re motivated, and they want it, it’s all up to them."

