On paper, it’s not hard to notice that the High School North softball team underwent a major transformation from last year to this year. The squad, which went 3-17 last season, finished 2015 at 12-10, North’s first winning season since 2012.
The Knights’ success was evident on the field, too. Head coach Jason Petrone credits seniors Justine Dowling, Molly Plotkin, and Madison Bloom with leading the way toward a turnaround.
“They worked hard in the offseason to get prepared, and we got off to a good start,” he said. “We got some wins at the beginning of the season rather than losing a number of games like in the past. The senior captains had a lot of energy and enthusiasm.”
That good start consisted of a seven-game winning streak during which North outscored its opponents 81-15. Petrone said an early 3-2 win over Allentown, a mid-season, extra-innings victory over Nottingham, and a final-game win over top-ranked Steinert were key games this year.
“These are three programs who have year-in and year-out success and winning records,” he said. “All three were very big wins. We lost to all of them last year.”
Starting pitching Gillian Adair had a lot to do with the team’s success this season.
Petrone said the junior improved a lot in the offseason after gaining some varsity experience last year as a sophomore.
“One of Gillian’s best assets is that she has a good demeanor and a short memory,” he said. “She’s able to laugh off a home run, battle back, and still get the job done. Her personality and grit and determination are her big assets.”
Bloom, who will play for Appalachian State University next year, led the team in batting average and home runs, but Petrone said her speed on the basepaths and in centerfield was her strongest contribution this year.
Plotkin followed Bloom in the lineup in the four hole, and the pair provided a nice one-two punch. The shortstop, who committed to play at Muhlenberg College next year, led the team in extra base hits and was among the county doubles leaders with nine. Dowling, North’s catcher, had several key moments, including a big home run against South on May 14.
“I’m just happy that the girls kind of turned the program around,” Petrone said. “We’ve been down the last couple of years.”
And though the upperclassmen led the way, younger players like freshman McKenna Carpenter stood out, too. She saw some pitching time and was an asset in left field, running down any ball that was hit her way. She was key at the plate, too, often in a leadoff role.
“We kept her in the lineup all year long,” Petrone said. “She had good leadoff speed. She hit some line drives out to the fence. She had four or five doubles on the season. In left, she caught most of the balls that were hit at her. She has a real knack for catching the ball.”
For South, who also finished 12-10, this season was a sort of homecoming for new head coach Kristen De La Rosa, replacing Nicky Arias who left for a coaching job at Princeton University. De La Rosa graduated from South in 2006 and returned to South after two years at Hightstown’s helm.
“When you become a teacher, you always think about putting yourself in the alternate shoes that you were in when you were in school,” she said. “I have a connection to West Windsor-Plainsboro. It’s a great appreciation.”
Like Petrone, De La Rosa said her seniors were key. Though the team was packed with underclassmen, Gina DeMilt, Sandy Kaul, and Emily Vena all helped make the new coach’s job a little easier.
“They made an extremely beneficial impact by starting the season supporting my ideologies as a coach,” she said. “They were vocalizing what I was vocalizing, but from a different perspective. It could have been difficult with a new coach, but they made the transition really easy.”
Some of those ideologies included getting the girls together on and off the field.
“High school softball is not just a sport,” De La Rosa said. “They’re sacrificing their time to be there. I try to make it something that is enjoyable. If you can’t communicate on and off the field, it’s going to be difficult.”
The senior trio helped make sure that every player took care of equipment, stayed on track at practices, and took advantage of all their softball-related time.
De La Rosa added that they were especially helpful if she was working with an individual player during practice.
“They were really good at picking up time while I was with someone and keeping practice going,” she said. “Not only were they players, but they assisted me as a coach. They vocalized what they saw at the plate. If there was an error, they were the first ones to say, ‘Okay, you have three seconds to think about this, then keep your heads up.’ It’s different when it comes from them.”
She recalled an instance at the end of the season when freshman Taylor Britt was preparing for travel team tryouts. The whole squad came out to help her practice.
“It became a relationship on and off the field,” De La Rosa said. “It allowed them to feel accountable for each other.”
Junior Sam Schattin also contributed to that dynamic. She led the team in batting average, hits, and stolen bases.
“She’s been a really solid member of our team,” the coach said. “Not only was she one of the big vocal members of the outfield, but she was positive. She’s somebody the other kids can trust. For the underclassmen, it was good to look up to.”
