North softball stops top teams
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The early-season schedule was not a favorable one for the West Windsor-Plainsboro North softball team.
Yet, five games into the season, the Knights appear to be doing just fine.
”I feel like our early-season schedule has been pretty tough,” said North coach Jason Petrone, whose team improved to 4-1 with a 7-5 win over Lawrenceville on Thursday. “We’ve faced some pretty tough teams early in the season. We faced a strong team in Allentown to start the season and we had some other tough games in there as well. We played Steinert on a freezing cold day and they got the only run and beat us, 1-0.
”I can’t complain with a 4-1 start. When I looked at the early schedule and saw who we had to play, I thought 3-2 would have been a good start for us. But we’ve done better than that. We have three freshmen that have come in and done a decent job. And some of the older players have really been coming along.”
Courtney Carnevale, one of the Knights’ two seniors, had two hits and drove in three runs in the win over Lawrenceville. Sophomore Kaitlyn Nelson added a home run for the Knights to back the pitching of Sara DeSimine.
”It’s been a team effort so far, it is not just me or any one player,” Carnevale said. “The team chemistry is really important this year. We have a lot of really good players doing well so far. At the beginning of the season we had some people away with the senior trip and then with the junior trip. But since we’ve all been back together we’ve been gelling and doing well together.”
The Knights have three freshmen in key roles this year, as well as some sophomores and juniors. Carnevale and Briana Taft are the two returning seniors Petrone is looking to for leadership.
”We have a nice little mix this year,” said Petrone, whose team is at Lawrence on Wednesday. “We only have a few seniors and we have a few freshmen in there as well. The middle crew of sophomores and juniors has been good. We still need to bring them together as a group. We’re still working on that.
”Last year we had six days in Florida and I think that helped them come together. This year we’re still trying to find that chemistry with this group.”
Carnevale has been off to a hot start this spring. After playing soccer for the Knights in the fall, she worked over the winter to get ready for her final season of softball.
”I worked a lot this off-season to try to get better with my hitting,” said Carnevale, who plans to play soccer at Drew University. “A lot of it is my teammates who have been getting on base. If people are not on base to drive in I would not be doing as well.
”Last year I played first base in the beginning of the season and then moved around some. I had a little bit of a rough season last year.”
Over the winter, Carnevale was presented with a Colonial Valley Conference Courage Award for the way she has continued to play while suffering from Graves Disease. She has tried not to let it hinder her play on the soccer field or during softball.
”I never wanted any sympathy,” she said of the disease, which diminishes endurance and makes a person weaker. “I try not to use it as an excuse for why I could not do something. Sometimes I am having a tough day, but I know there are other kids out there who are going through a lot tougher times than me.
”I try to always remember that no matter how tough it might be for me, there are other kids out there who go through a lot more than what I go through.”
So far this softball season, there hasn’t been much slowing Carnevale down.
”Courtney Carnevale has been getting some clutch hits for us,” Petrone said. “Bri Taft also has had some big hits. We’ve had a lot of different girls that have been coming through for us, which is nice. Kaitlyn Nelson had a big home run for us against Lawrenceville. She’s just a sophomore and we’re looking for her to hit for us.
”Courtney has been doing a good job for us. I have been impressed with her this year. She and Bri are the seniors and when you mix in the younger players, we have a pretty good mix.”
So far the mix has worked well for the Knights, whose offense has backed some pretty solid pitching.
”Sara DeSimine has done a nice job pitching,” Petrone said. “We also have a freshman, Kaitlin Perrine, that is in the mix. And we have a third pitcher, Caitlyn Nelson, who we hope to get a start this week when we have four games. So we have three solid pitchers.”
And a team that has gotten off to a solid start, even with a tough early schedule.

