The St. Dominic Academy softball team had been making a gradual progression up the ladder of success over the last few years, from its meek and mediocre
beginnings to the point of reaching the pinnacle.
When the Blue Devils faced three-time defending HCIAA Coviello Division champion Holy Family Academy last week for the current league title, SDA head coach Dave Majewski knew that his team was ready to take the quantum leap, even after having dropped a 1-0 decision to HFA a week prior.
“I knew that we had elevated ourselves to be considered with the best teams in the county,” Majewski said, after his team turned the tides on HFA and earned a 3-0 victory in the title game last Saturday. “The team all knew that we were very good, even after that loss. We lost 1-0 on a day that we didn’t hit the ball. We knew as long as we settled down and hit the ball more, we would be fine.”
However, in the days prior to the title game showdown, the Blue Devils’ mettle would be tested. Standout first baseman Melissa Manzo, a stalwart for the last three years, hurt her hand during the Hudson County Invitational Tournament last week and was forced out of the lineup for the showdown with Holy Family.
“Melissa has been a big key to our success,” Majewski said. “But we’ve played about 100 games together as a team through the summer and fall. So when we lose Melissa to the injury, we were lucky to have someone to step in without a problem.”
That someone was sophomore Lauren Canonico, whose contributions to the team had been restricted to serving as standout pitcher Leigh Ann Murduca’s understudy on the mound.
“Lauren had been doing a great job on the mound for us [posting a 6-0 record, with three no-hitters], but with Melissa doing so well at first, she really hasn’t had much chance to play in the field,” Majewski said.
In Canonico’s first start, she had three hits, including the solo homer in the eighth inning that gave SDA a 5-4 victory over Kearny in the Hudson County Invitational Tournament quarterfinals.
Her second start was the HCIAA Coviello title game against Holy Family, looking to topple a three-time champ. In that game, Canonico smacked a two-run single and scored the third run.
Two days later, Canonico’s job was done. Manzo was back at her familiar position, delivering three hits in the second win over Holy Family.
But Majewski says that it’s all part of building the program, one that has been building over the years. The Blue Devils were 11-9, then 14-14, then 18-10 last year, when Murduca arrived, giving the program a true top-flight hurler.
Now, the Blue Devils are 20-5 and proud owners of the HCIAA Coviello Division championship, the school’s first softball county crown since 1989.
“It’s all because these girls have worked extremely hard all year long,” Majewski said. “They lifted four days a week. We have 11 girls who take individual softball lessons, wanting to get better. There’s camaraderie with the team. We traveled the country to play in tournaments, just to get better. In all honesty, this was just another game. OK, we won the county championship, but we were working on it for four years. I think everyone was excited the next day when it hit them for real.”
Majewski credited the six seniors who were instrumental through every aspect of the program over the four years, namely Stephanie Macias, Jackie Davis [who is headed to Teikyo-Post on a softball scholarship], Erica Jacobson, Dena Tomassi, Danielle Candelario and Manzo.
“They came up when the times were bad,” Majewski said. “They were able to grow up within the program.”
Now, with the HCIAA Coviello Division trophy in hand, the Blue Devils head to the state tournament. They have already defeated Roselle Catholic in the first round. Guess who awaits in the second round? Yes, none other than Holy Family, which will mark the fourth time in 15 days that the two teams have faced each other. Only Sylvester Stallone made more “Rocky” movies than SDA and HFA have locked horns.
“The teams are very close and the kids all know each other,” Majewski said. “It’s great for the two teams to get together so many times.”
There’s one other team that Majewski would like to face – and that would be the other HCIAA softball champion, namely undefeated Seglio Division powerhouse High Tech, for a true county championship.
The two teams were supposed to meet a few times, first in the St. Dominic Invitational Tournament, then in an independent game. Neither transpired.
“I would want to play that game any place, anytime, anywhere,” Majewski said. “Tell him [High Tech coach Vince Nardiello] that we will play at the day and time of his choosing.”
When you reach the pinnacle, you want the whole pie, not just a heaping helping. Majewski and the Blue Devils have waited long enough. They want the whole shebang. -Jim Hague