Lancers hit postseason as the team to beat
BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer

ERIC SUCAR staff St. John Vianney's Diana Sansevera fires a pitch to the plate during the Lancers' non-conference win over JFK-Iselin on Saturday in Woodbridge.

The St. John Vianney High School softball team is riding a 20-game winning streak as it prepares for its opening game in the Shore Conference Tournament against 15th-seeded Jackson.

The game against Jackson, which downed Middletown North in a preliminary game, will be held later this week. Meanwhile, the SJV will also be scheduling its first-round game in NJSIAA Non-Public South A tourney, against St. Paul.

Coach Kim Lombardi's team has won the Shore Conference's Class A Central crown and the Lancers downed Wall on May 12 to win the Monmouth County Tournament. The highlight of that tourney was a 3-2, extra-inning victory over RBC in the semifinals. RBC scored twice in the top of the first and SJV cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning and the score remained the same until the bottom of the seventh when the Lancers pushed across a run to knot the game. SJV went on to win in the 10th inning.

Thus far the Lancers have downed rival RBC three times and also picked up a win over a strong St. Joe's of Hammonton squad in a nonconference encounter. SJV's lone loss came against Toms River East in the third game of the season.

"Even though we were winning, the girls were still feeling their way a bit early in the season," Lombardi explained. "We lost four key seniors to graduation and we had a completely new outfield with three girls who hadn't really played much outfield before. But they've really done a good job."

The outstanding performance of pitcher Diana Sansevera has been a key to the team's success. Like the team, Sansevera has a 22-1 record to go with a microscopic 0.40 ERA and a mind-numbing 299 strikeouts. To make matters even more difficult for opposing teams, the SJV defense has committed just six errors.

"I keep telling the girls that hitting wins game and defense wins championships, and they believe in that," Lombardi said. "They're diligent about practicing fielding."

The Lancers, however, can also hit. Speedy leadoff hitter Jamie Petraglia, a sophomore shortstop, is batting .350 and usually finds a way to get on base.

Second baseman Katie DeBlasio, who bats second, is hovering around the .400 mark and leads the team in RBIs with 20.

Junior catcher Kristin Kaelin is at .480, while cleanup hitting sophomore Karissa Battaglia is over the .400 mark. Third baseman Britanni Rivera is batting .350.

Sophomore center fielder Ashley Fasano has played well defensively and two freshmen, left fielder Kasey Bulman and right fielder Nicole Saggiomo, earned starting berths. Both are hitting around .250 and doing well in the field, Lombardi noted.

In addition, sophomore Carly Sirazo and freshman Maggie Tabacci are seeing time as designated players. The fleet-footed Tabacci has also excelled as a courtesy runner.

"The girls are playing with a lot of confidence right now and they're not afraid to make mistakes," the coach said.

"They're very comfortable playing the game and they expect to do well. That really makes a difference."

Plenty of locals in the hunt for

softball, baseball titles

In addition to SJV, Old Bridge received a top seed in their state softball sectional, as the Lady Knights open their pursuit of a Central Jersey Group IV crown.

The Knights are busy this week. After beating Woodbridge, 3-0, in a Greater Middlesex Conference second round game on Saturday behind sophomore Maureen O'Kane's one-hitter, Old Bridge took on South Plainfield last night in the quarterfinals. Today, they open state tournament play against the winner of Tuesday's Jackson-Hunterdon Central game.

East Brunswick got the seventh seed in CJ Group IV, and opened against Middletown North on Tuesday, after being upset by Sayreville, 3-0, in GMCT play on Saturday.

The Bombers took on White Division rival Monroe (a 5-0 winner over Carteret on Saturday) in the GMCT quarterfinals last night. The Falcons are also the second seed in the CJ Group III bracket, and will take on the winner of Tuesday's Hamilton North-Hightstown game later today.

Spotswood's girls (15-8), who fell to Bishop Ahr, 11-0, in GMCT play on Saturday, opened with Roselle Park on Tuesday, hoping to get a shot at the CJ Group II top seed, Governor Livingston, later today.

While the state tournament play will not resume until Tuesday for most of the softball teams who survive today's games, the GMCT will wrap up on Saturday at South Plainfield.

The Spotswood Chargers earned their spot in the GMCT finals (to be held June 2 at East Brunswick Tech) by rolling to a 7-1 victory over second-ranked J.F. Kennedy on Saturday. The Chargers used a five-run sixth inning to build a lead that proved insurmountable - especially with Mike Hohman (6-1) on the hill.

Spotswood, who will face J.P. Stevens (a 7-2 winner over Carteret in the other semifinal) in the final, is also the second seed in the CJ Group II tournament. They open tomorrow against Governor Livingston, who defeated Bordentown, 11-4, in the first round on Monday.

Monroe got the seventh seed in CJ III, and will take on second-seeded Wall tomorrow in the quarterfinals, while Old Bridge, the ninth seed in CJ Group IV, faces top seed Hamilton East. The Knights knocked off eighth-seeded Freehold Township on Monday, 2-0, as junior Mike Augliera tossed a complete-game shutout.

St. Joseph (seeded ninth) and St. John Vianney (seeded seventh) will also be in action tomorrow in Non-Public South A action, with the Falcons taking on Red Bank Catholic, and the Lancers facing Monsignor Donovan.