Manalapan’s April Daluise earned her athletic scholarship to Georgian Court College via her performances on the diamond.
But that was only the finished product. Daluise’s shining play on the softball diamond was the result of her total dedication to becoming a better player.
“I really worked hard,” she said. “I have a batting cage in the back yard. I’m hitting all the time. I pitched all winter.”
Daluise’s work ethic was really apparent this spring as she became a power-hitting run producer in the middle of the Braves lineup. She slammed four home runs this year, more than she had done in any previous season.
“When you hit the ball in the right place, nothing can compare to it – it’s euphoria,” she said.
While becoming more of a power hitter, she remained one of the Shore’s top pitchers going 7-2 with a 1.57 earned run average and 101 strikeouts, which ranked her among the conference’s leaders in the latter two categories. She teamed with Ashley Rampino to form the conference’s best one-two rotation.
When Georgian Court in Lakewood came courting the Brave senior, it proved to be a perfect match.
“The location was very important,” said Daluise. “I’m going to commute. I loved the campus and everything about the college. It has a strong business program.”
During her career at Manalapan, the Braves went from a team with promise to one that delivered on its potential. Last spring, the team won the Shore Conference A North Division title and for the first time in school history, the Monmouth County Tournament title. This spring, the Braves repeated as A North champions. and went 17-7.
“We knew we always had the potential,” she said. “We all came together, and the progress kept continuing.”
Daluise looks forward to seeing the same process of progression unfold at Georgian Court, with her playing a big part in it.
– Tim Morris