Raiders repeated as division champs
By: Rudy Brandl
Hillsborough High softball coach Cheryl Iaione has probably fielded better teams, but she’s never put a tougher, more determined bunch of players on the field than this season.
The Raiders began the 2006 campaign with a new pitcher and catcher and different players at almost every other position on the diamond. Despite this youth and inexperience, Iaione’s crew pulled through with a remarkable season. Although the Raiders fell one run short of winning their fourth straight Somerset County title, they repeated as Delaware East Division champs and advanced all the way to the Central Jersey Group 4 final for the first time in school history.
It certainly wasn’t an easy spring for the Hillsborough softball family. The program dealt with a great deal of adversity this spring. Classmate Nick Boris, the cousin of senior right fielder Christine Murphy, passed away early in the season. Joseph Iaione, the veteran coach’s father, died the weekend before the state playoffs began.
The Raiders mourned their losses but didn’t lose sight of their goals on the field. They started a winning streak in the middle of May and kept it going until eventual Group 4 runner-up Steinert ended their great season in the sectional final.
"We had to keep it all in perspective," Iaione said. "We made a commitment to the program. It’s OK to be sad and that helped us all pull together. These kids really bonded. It was special."
"We stayed together and that’s what helped us get this far," Murphy added. "We’ve been through a lot and it helped to stay together. Coming back was easy because all the girls gave me so much support. We just battled all the way."
Hillsborough showed its never-say-die character and spirit several times during the season. The Raiders fell behind 7-1 in an April home game vs. Group 4 champ North Hunterdon and clawed all the way back to make it 7-6. They trailed Watchung Hills in a key divisional game late in the season and rallied to victory. They were down by two runs with two innings to play in the CJ 4 quarterfinals at Sayreville and scored three runs to advance to the semifinals.
"I’m very proud of the resiliency they showed and the way they battled through all the adversity," Iaione said. "They pulled together and accomplished a lot of things that people didn’t expect. They never stopped playing."
The Raiders nearly won their fourth straight county crown but Montgomery staged a late rally and pulled out a dramatic 2-1 triumph. That left the HHS girls even hungrier to win the division title. They went out and accomplished that goal with a victory over Immaculata to complete an 8-2 campaign in a very competitive league.
"They never felt they were out of a game," Iaione said. "We didn’t have one superstar. We have so many kids that contributed. We always knew somebody would step up."
Megan McInaw took over as the team’s primary pitcher and really came of age. McInaw showed more poise with every outing and pitched some of her best games late in the season. The sophomore right-hander pitched beautifully under tournament pressure, particularly in the county and sectional semifinal games, when she blanked Watchung Hills and South Brunswick, respectively.
"Mac did a great job," Iaione said. "She got us to the county final and the sectional final. To do that as a sophomore is incredible."
McInaw posted a 17-6 record with 136 strikeouts in 156 innings. She fired six shutouts and allowed 129 hits. McInaw wasn’t just an arm out there; she hit .324 with 13 RBI.
"I gained a lot of confidence in myself and my team helped me," McInaw said. "I knew I didn’t have to strike everybody out. Our season was fun."
Junior Katie Yard, the only returning infielder at third base, posted huge power numbers in the cleanup spot for the Raiders. Yard led the team with four home runs and 26 RBI while batting .373. She also ignited the winning rally at Sayreville with a home run to the right-center-field gap.
Catcher Marissa Conard led the Raiders with 36 hits and a .404 batting average. Conard ranked second on the team with two homers and was third with 16 RBI. She also did a fine job behind the plate.
Several players contributed to an offense that produced 148 runs in 27 games, an average of more than five per day. Senior Vanessa Tumminia made a smooth transition to shortstop and batted .276 with 18 RBI. Murphy hit .342 with a team-high 24 runs scored and designated hitter Kim Arbonies batted .299.
The Derewecki sisters sophomore Katelyn (.383) and senior Kristen (.365) had big years at the plate. Katelyn hit behind Yard and did a solid job with 14 RBI, while Kristen loved batting in the No. 9 slot and became a real power threat with 11 RBI at the bottom of the order.
Senior center fielder Celia Maccini batted just .182 but she had a huge, clutch RBI hit in the state playoff victory at Sayreville. Classmate Valerie Buccino hit .125 but provided solid defense at second base.
Other players on the 2006 varsity roster were Caitlin Katzelnick (2-for-5), Tara Van Doren (5-for-14), Lauren Singer (3-for-11), Courtney Fedor (5-for-26), Nicole Derkacz (1-for-5) and Maria Pacifico (2-for-14).
The HHS girls always tried to remain positive and upbeat, even after the season-ending loss to Steinert on their home field. Iaione was thankful for the way this special group of players handled themselves, both on and off the field.
"I can never repay what they did for me on a personal level," Iaione said. "Their presence made me feel comfortable. It made me want to get out there and be with them. The softball family was a very big part in pulling me through this. What we accomplished this year is a tribute to them."