When Hopewell Valley Central High School junior Elyse Nardozza stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded on April 6, her coaches and teammates knew they were about to witness something special.
They knew all about her power at the plate and how she can make hitting a ball over the eight-foot center field wall look easy. They knew about her plate discipline and her ability to mess with a pitcher’s timing. But most importantly, they knew how much Nardozza hates to lose.
The Bulldogs were playing Notre Dame, a team that has earned its reputation of being one of the toughest in the county to beat. Notre Dame lost just three games last season, and the team was looking to use the April 6 game against HVCHS to start this season off strong. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were coming off a tough loss against West Windsor Plainsboro South the day before.
During their 9-15 loss to Pirates, Nardozza—who pitches in addition to playing shortstop—gave up five hits in one inning. As much as she wanted to, Nardozza knew she couldn’t go back and erase those runs. However, she knew could make them up with her bat.
“We weren’t happy with the loss,” Nardozza said. “I remember looking at the other team’s scoreboard for one of the innings I pitched, and they scored five runs. I remember thinking, ‘I don’t like this feeling.’ I wanted to get five runs one inning against the next team we play, and that was Notre Dame.”
So, Nardozza stepped up to the plate, eyeing her teammates on each bag. Nobody doubted her for a second.
Head Coach Gary Nucera arguably knows Nardozza’s swing better than anyone, and predicted she was going to hit the grand slam before the pitch was even thrown.
“The way the pitches were coming in—this [pitcher] was putting it low where she likes it—she was just going to crank it,” Nucera said. “And then a second later, boom there it goes.”
Nucera wasn’t the only one who knew Nardozza was about to hit a homer. Cayleigh Keenan was on first base, and told the assistant coach that Nardozza was about to hit it out of the park. That confidence in her swing was felt by everyone, including Nardozza herself.
“I knew kind of as soon as it jumped off my bat that it was over—but I obviously had to run it out just in case—but it was a moment I won’t forget,” Nardozza said.
Nardozza went 4-4 against Notre Dame—driving in five runs—and the Bulldogs went on to win the game 11-8.
“[The grand slam] was just that punch that we needed that escalated the event,” Nucera said. “Those are the moments we’ve been trying to create every single year since she’s been a freshman in this program.”
Nardozza, a Hopewell native, has played softball since she was a child. She started out as a catcher, but would happily play any position that gave her the opportunity to hit the ball.
“I like to pitch and I like to play infield, but overall as long as I get to hit I’ll play anywhere,” she said. “I really like the feeling of hitting the ball right.”
Hitting is Nardozza’s forte. As of April 13, she has an impressive .720 BA, complete with 18 hits and 17 RBI.
“She has this great place discipline,” Nucera said. “She’s the hardest kid I’ve ever had to pitch to in practice. She’ll step out, think about it outside the box and react to it inside the box.”
Nardozza said the key to her success at the plate is simple—lots and lots of practice. She joined a travel team when she was 8, and spent as much time in the batter’s box as possible. Nardozza said her parents, Frank and Donna Nardozza, have been incredibly supportive since her little league days.
“It’s a great feeling to know you have all these people backing you up, and it kind of takes the pressure off of everything,” she said.
Nardozza also plays basketball at HVCHS but said she enjoys softball more. When Nardozza first joined the varsity team as a freshman, she played third base. Nucera switched her to shortstop this season, a move that has strengthened the team’s overall defense.
“We gave her a more expansive role in the infield and already it’s paying dividends for us and the team responds,” Nucera said, adding that she finished the first game of the season with a backhand throw across the diamond to get the final out. In that moment, he knew Nardozza belonged at shortstop.
“I like it because I feel like the quarterback of the infield,” Nardozza said. “I’m trying to help people, but I know where to go with the ball. There’s a lot of good communication.”
Julie Tobia played shortstop before Nardozza took over, but Nucera said she was happy to move to a new position and make adjustments if it meant winning more games. The head coach said his team is like a family, with everyone looking out for each other rather than themselves, which allows them to take the season one day at a time.
Taking the season game-by-game has led Nucera and the Bulldogs to what they hope will be a winning season. Three years ago when Nucera took over the softball program, he made the controversial decision to no longer have team captains. Rather than putting a target on a girl’s back to step up and lead, he wanted every player to have an equal voice. Overtime, girls who felt comfortable leading the team, both on and off the field, would step up into a leadership role on their own. For Nardozza, it was a natural fit.
Her freshman and sophomore years, Nardozza was given the Players Award. The award is given to the teammate who players turn to the most. Talking to Nardozza it’s easy to see why she was given the award. She is quick to give her teammates credit, saying that her grand slam wouldn’t have been possible if her teammates didn’t get on base first and the pressure is off her in the lineup because she is surrounded by girls who will score runs if she doesn’t.
Nardozza’s team-first mentality is shared by everyone on the team, Nucera said.
“Nobody would ever look at someone on our team and consider them a freshman or sophomore or junior or senior—they consider each other sisters, and players, and teammates,” he said. “I knew it was going to get there, and with the group of the girls that we have I knew this was the potential year where big things could happen.”
They finished the 2015 season with a .500 record, but they’ve won five of their first six games this year. Nardozza herself is on pace to reach 100 career hits this season, but it’s a stat she doesn’t pay much attention to. Her focus remains solely on winning games.
“We’re gonna play every game like that game [against Notre Dame],” Nardozza said. “We can make this a winning season.”
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