The St. Dominic Academy softball program is enduring an unfamiliar experience this spring. The Blue Devils are losing.
They’ve enjoyed such rich history of being one of the best programs in the county, but they’re suffering through a 3-8 campaign this year.
But head coach Jimmy Murduca, whose daughter Leigh Ann was perhaps the best all-around softball player in the school’s history, is confident that the Blue Devils can still turn things around before this season ends.
“We do have a very young team, but I think we can still do some damage,” Murduca said. “We have four seniors on the team that have been with us.”
The seniors are pitcher Jamiee Laurie, catcher Alyssa Laurie (they are twin sisters), first baseman Katie Zubicki and shortstop Amanda Rivera. Zubicki made Hudson Reporter All-Area last year.
“With the mixture of the seniors and the young players, we’re still trying to find the right set,” Murduca said. “Our pitching has been pretty good, but not as good as we wanted. We’re not in midseason form yet and we’re not where we want to be.”
Right now, Murduca is trying to find the right combination, using four different pitchers – Laurie, Rivera, freshman Christina Mezey and junior Liz Tolentino.
“I’m trying to stabilize the team, rotating the pitchers,” Murduca said.
Mezey plays second base when she’s not pitching. Tolentino, who Murduca believes is his best hitter, plays third. Tolentino recently hit a home run against Bayonne.
Jaimee Laurie won nine games on the mound last year, including two wins against eventual county champion Union City.
“She’s a great player and one of our most valuable players, because she can pitch, play second base and centerfield,” Murduca said. “We just have to figure out our best lineup. We’re like a firecracker. The fuse has been lit. We just haven’t felt the explosion yet. We need a little confidence. We’ve been more competitive lately. When it all clicks, we’re going to do very well. I know it’s going to happen.”
It’s a wide-open softball season in the county, so you never know…
There’s sad news to report. John Amabile, the Jersey City native who was a standout athlete at St. Peter’s Prep, then went on to become the head football coach at Lincoln before becoming one of the most respected high school football coaches in the state, died last Sunday at the age of 72.
Amabile was best known for his football coaching at Neptune High School, where he won three state championships and posted a 51-4 record during one stretch. Amabile remained at Neptune for 16 seasons (1985-2000). Before Neptune, he was highly successful at Wall Township, where he won two state sectional crowns and once had a 33-game winning streak.
Amabile ended his coaching career in Allentown in 2009 and finished with 252 career victories, among the top 10 in the history of New Jersey high school football. He was a good man with a big heart who never forgot his roots in Jersey City…
Now, here’s some good news to report. Lincoln High School baseball player Jerry Augusto, who was severely injured last week after he was struck in the head with a line drive, is on the road to recovery.
“I spoke with his dad and he’s doing OK,” Lincoln athletic director Keith Price said. “He has a long recovery ahead of him, but his dad said that he’s going to be fine.”
Augusto suffered a fractured skull and went into seizures after being struck in the right side of the head while pitching against Harrison last week. He had to undergo emergency surgery to remove some bone fragments from his brain and reduce some of the swelling on the brain.
“It was scary for the kids, because after it happened, Jerry sat up, knew where he was and said he was OK,” Price said. “Then, he went into seizures and was rushed to the hospital.”
Augusto had surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey in Newark, was released, but returned to the hospital last week as a precaution.
“He’s going to recover,” Price said. “It makes you wonder. You never think anything like that is going to happen to one of your kids. You see similar situations happen on television, but never think it could happen right here. I can’t believe it.”
Augusto was having a fine year for the Lions, batting better than .450 with 11 RBI. Here’s to hoping he has a full recovery…
St. Anthony All-America hoop star Kyle Anderson, headed for UCLA in the fall, is facing surgery to repair a broken thumb and torn ligaments in that area. Anderson should be recovered by the time he starts training with the Bruins in the fall…
Hudson Catholic’s softball team is enjoying a sensational season under head coach Tim O’Donnell, the former head coach at County Prep. One of the reasons why the Hawks have already posted a school-record eight wins (they’ve only been a program for three years) is the play of sophomore Jessica Hill.
Hill, who in the winter months became the first female at the school to win a gold medal at an NJSIAA state championship track meet, belted out five homers and drove in 13 runs in a span of three games last week. That’s an amazing streak. We’ll have more about the Hawks in next week’s editions…
St. Peter’s Prep sophomore golfer Kieran Purcell, who went to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions last year as a freshman, started off his second year with the Marauders in fine fashion by winning the North Jersey Open championship recently, shooting a score of 76, beating a fine field that included Bergen Catholic, Pascack Hills and Northern Highlands…
Hudson Reporter H.S. Baseball Top Five: 1. St. Peter’s Prep (9-4). 2. North Bergen (10-5). 3. Bayonne (12-4). 4. Marist (9-3). 5. Memorial (6-4).
Hudson Reporter H.S. Softball Top Five: 1. Hoboken (13-0). 2. North Bergen (9-4). 3. Secaucus (8-4). 4. Union City (8-4). 5. McNair Academic (11-4)… — Jim Hague.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.