Middletown South A lli Podmajersky, who has complemented Allison Nolan, will lead the way on the mound this season as Middletown High School South’s rebuilding softball team will look to continue its success of past seasons.
“We have a young team, and we’re inexperienced against pressure and being in those positions,” said coach Tom Erbig, who brings a 651-201-1 career record over 32 seasons, all but one at Middletown South. (The first one was a 17-11 record at Allentown High School.)
Middletown South opens its season on April 1 at Middletown High School North.
Podmajersky is part of a nucleus that will look to carry the hitting, along with veterans Abbey Schultz, a senior third baseman who has been batting cleanup, and juniors Grace Heller in center field and Veronica Zega at catcher.
They’ll look to help settle the Eagles by filling the gaping holes left by Nolan, who graduated and is now at Rowan University; second baseman Alex Giacinto, who is at Lafayette College; first baseman Erica Falvey, who is at George Mason University; and right fielder Taylor Landis, who is running on the track-and-field team at Caldwell College.
“It’s really hard filling those shoes,” Erbig said. “It’s just a different product. We’re younger, smaller and inexperienced, but the players have been working hard.”
Sophomore Alex Corrigan, who goes from left field to shortstop, senior Megan Mittzenzwei, who is playing at first base, and senior Karinne Kely, who plays at second base and third base, will bring in some experience from last year’s 21-6 team. Last year, Middletown South saw its season end with a 1-0 loss to East Brunswick High School in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship game. Corrigan played some innings at shortstop last season.
Middletown South, a perennial section finalist in Group IV, moves into Group III this season, but Erbig said it makes no difference. The only thing that falls to Middletown South’s advantage is that most teams in Shore Conference A North, which it won again last season, are Group IV schools. That will help the Eagles get a good seed based on the power-points system. “We’re getting good, solid pitching from Podmajersky. The only thing suspect right now is our offense,” Erbig said, as Podmajersky throws a wide variety of pitches, including a screwball, fastball, riser and changeup.
That was an issue with the Eagles last season. And when they did hit, it sometimes was not timely. In a 4-3 Monmouth County Tournament championship game loss to St. John Vianney High School, a perennial showdown between those two teams in the tournament finals, the Eagles had a 9-3 edge in hits. Middletown South also lost its Shore Conference Tournament opener to Manalapan High School.
“We couldn’t capitalize and get big hit — the same thing as all year long,” Erbig said after the East
Brunswick loss. “We had a couple of hits squandered at times in some big games. In general, we didn’t blow games open when we had the opportunities.”
Erbig said that remains a concern at this juncture as well. He also has been working at improving the team’s base-running, which was a problem last season.
Erbig has plenty of prospects from the sophomore class that were regarded last year as the strongest incoming freshmen class in many years at the school — perhaps ever. From that group, outfielder Julian Bell is hitting well enough to earn ample innings and maybe a starting spot. Tiffani Lambert pitched very well when she took the mound in limited action last season, particularly a Monmouth County Tournament semifinals victory over Allentown the night before the championship loss to St. John Vianney.
“The thing I like about this group is that they’re young but trying to do what we’re instructing them to do,” Erbig said. “They’re trying to learn the fine points and get rid of the flaws. They’re working to be better at everything they do, and they’re getting there.”
Taylor Dreuer (outfield) and Erin Cotterell (second base) could also help.
Junior Elizabeth Gulino adds to the depth in the outfield.
Junior Hannah Milano, who transferred from St. John Vianney, could be the designated player. She can also play catcher and first base. Phoneix Starick can play second base or in the outfield.
That versatility could help the Eagles if they go deep into the season again and some players may be battling slumps.