A Strong Showing
Reaching a state championship game, let alone winning it in any sport is difficult and that was demonstrated when watching the South Jersey softball teams compete in the state tournament.
This was a strong season in South Jersey softball. Gloucester was the lone state champion, but Kingsway, Audubon and St. Joseph Hammonton also reached state championship games.
Delsea was the other sectional champion from the seven-county South Jersey area, winning Group 3.
Gloucester earned its second straight state championship by defeating Hanover Park, 3-2 as junior Emma Dick went the distance, allowing just one earned run on only two hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
It completed an excellent junior season for Dick, who went 17-3 with a 2.03 ERA.
This type of nail-biting win in the state final was typical for Gloucester.
During the Lions’ six Group 2 playoff games this season, four were decided by one run, including the last three, which also included a 5-4 South Jersey Group 2 win over Cinnaminson and a 5-4 state Group 2 semifinal victory over Johnson.
Gloucester (21-5) got hot at the most appropriate time, winning its final 11 games.
Some of the teams that the South Jersey squads lost to in state semifinals or finals, are squads that are on certified runs.
Take Audubon for instance.
The Green Wave earned a 9-5 win over rival and defending champion Haddon Township to win the South Jersey Group 1 title.
Audubon then earned a convincing 8-0 victory over Bound Brook in the state Group 1 title. Coach Erin Small’s team then saw its season end with a 6-0 loss to Cedar Grove in the state Group 1 final.
That’s a Cedar Grove team that just won its third straight state championship.
After winning the South Jersey Group 3 title, Delsea (25-2) had a difficult state semifinal matchup with Steinert, which beat the Crusaders, 8-5.
That is a Steinert team that went on to win its third straight state championship, beating Randolph, 3-2 in the state Group 3 final.
Kingsway (24-3), which has been the consensus No. 1 South Jersey team for much of the season, beat Rancocas Valley, 8-2 to win the South Jersey Group 4 crown. The Dragons’ season then ended with a 5-2 loss to Hunterdon Central in a state Group 4 semifinal.
Hunterdon Central would then go on to win the state Group 4 championship with a 4-1 win over Watchung Hills.
And finally, St. Joseph, which beat Holy Cross Prep, 5-0, to win the South Jersey Non-Public B title, then lost to DePaul, 3-1 in the state final.
So if you are keeping score, besides Gloucester being the state champion–the other four local sectional champ –Audubon, Delsea, Kingsway and St. Joseph–all lost to teams that won state titles this year.
So, the area was highly competitive in softball and all of the South Jersey champions have key players back, which suggests that they have the potential to be sectional or even state title contenders next season.
Photo / Courtesy Gloucester Softball
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Author: Marc Narducci
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