BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer
The Mater Dei High School softball team turned in a fine 13-8 ledger this spring, and with most of the girls coming back, the Seraphs will be looking for even better things next season.
Coach Jeanne Dickinson’s team rode the outstanding arm of Lara Vega and a stingy defense that turned in a .951 fielding percentage as a team. Along the way, the Seraphs scored a 1-0 win over Keyport and pulled out a 2-1 decision against St. Rose, despite getting just two hits.
Mater Dei qualified for the NJSIAA Non-Public B South playoffs where they were eliminated by Bishop Eustace, 6-4, in the second round after uncharacteristically committing seven errors.
“We had a tough end to the season, but this is a very young team and they went above and beyond expectations,” Dickinson said. “This is the best defensive team I’ve had and they’re going to get better.”
Vega, who plans to pitch at Georgian Court University next year, turned in a 13-6 record with a fine 1.43 ERA. She tossed six shutouts and struck out 74 batters, while issuing only 25 free passes. The senior had an outstanding .990 fielding percentage. She also hit .260 with 12 RBIs.
First baseman Jamie Coppa, a junior, committed just five errors; sophomore catcher Elyse Parker has only three errors; and Tess Gagliano, another sophomore, had three errors at shortstop.
Offensively, junior Amy Brandon topped the team with a .420 mark at the plate with nine RBIs and nine stolen bases. Freshman Kristen Philpot was right behind with a .370 average to go with a homer and 20 RBIs.
Gagliano led the team with 23 RBIs out of the lead-off spot, while batting .320 with two home runs and eight steals. Lauren Florio, who did an top-notch job at third base from shortstop, also hit .320 and drove home eight runs while striking out only once in 59 trips to the plate.
Right fielder Lauren McKeown, yet another sophomore, recovered from a very slow start to end the season at .310 with 10 RBIs. Parker also started slowly but began hitting late to finish at .250. Dickinson noted that both girls continued to play well defensively when they were struggling at the plate.
Left fielder Kristiann Gallagher, who is planning to play at Brookdale Community College next spring, hit .280 with nine RBIs. Another senior, Katie Sobko, was solid in center field.
“This is a fun group to work with,” Dickinson said. “They don’t linger on the negatives. They just want to play and get better.”
While the loss of Vega to graduation will certainly hurt, Sara Cline, a transfer from Keyport, should fill the void. Brandon can pitch as well. In addition, left-hitting freshman Danielle Murphy will provide more offensive help. Murphy showed much promise before suffering a broken finger.
“The girls are already looking forward to next season,” the coach said. “They got a taste for what they can accomplish and now they want to go further.
“Most of the girls are going to be playing over the summer, so their skills should be even better when they come back next spring. We have a lot of good, young players; and the experience they gained this year will be very valuable to them and our team.”