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The first two weeks of action are in the books, as established standouts continue to do their thing, promising newcomers show they’re ready for varsity, and contenders start to emerge.
Weather looks very promising for the coming week, so there should be plenty more great softball action across Central Jersey.
(Records through Sunday)
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1) — preseason No. 1 — The Trojans find themselves on familiar ground atop the rankings after posting divisional wins over Monroe, Old Bridge, South Plainfield and Metuchen, with a non-conference loss to state-power Mount St. Dominic. St. Thomas hosts Robbinsville in a non-conference game Wednesday, divisional foe Old Bridge on Thursday, then another non-league test Saturday against Hightstown.
2. South Plainfield (4-1) — preseason No. 2 — The Tigers have taken on the other five members of the Red Division, beating Spotswood, Monroe, Metuchen and Old Bridge, but dropping a 10-run decision to St. Thomas. South Plainfield completes its season series with Spotswood on Tuesday and Monroe on Saturday.
More: Softball ballot: Vote for Central Jersey Player of the Week
More: Softball rankings and notebook: Skyland Conference and western Union County
3. East Brunswick (5-0) — preseason No. 6 — The Bears have rolled over Colonia, JP Stevens, Sayreville, Perth Amboy and North Brunswick by an aggregate score of 49-7. East Brunswick returns to the unblemished confines of its new turf field for divisional contests against South Brunswick on Tuesday and Colonia on Thursday before traveling to JP Stevens on Saturday.
4. Woodbridge (4-0) — preseason No. 10 — The Barrons have been a pleasant surprise with victories over Perth Amboy, South Brunswick, JP Stevens and Sayreville before having a scheduled White-Division showdown with East Brunswick fall victim to the weather. Woodbridge played up against Old Bridge of the Red Division on Monday, then will face divisional foes North Brunswick and South Brunswick sandwiched around a non-conference trip to Matawan.
5. Spotswood (2-2) — preseason No. 3 — The Chargers have split the first four games since their promotion to the Red Division, falling to South Plainfield and Monroe around back-to-back wins over Metuchen and Old Bridge. Spotswood hits the road for divisional action at South Plainfield and Metuchen this week.
6. Old Bridge (3-3) — preseason No. 4 — The Knights completed their first tour of the Red Division with wins over Metuchen and Monroe and losses to St. Thomas, Spotswood and South Plainfield, along with a five-inning win over J.F. Kennedy. Old Bridge faces a rigorous week with Monday’s game with unbeaten Woodbridge followed by St. Thomas, Matawan and Sayreville.
7. Monroe (2-3) — preseason unranked — The Falcons began their season with losses to St. Thomas, South Plainfield and Old Bridge, then posted triumphs over Hillsborough and Spotswood. Monroe will try to keep trending upward this week against West Windsor-Plainsboro South and South Plainfield.
8. Sayreville (2-2) — preseason No. 7 — The Bombers defeated J.P. Stevens and North Brunswick but incurred close losses to East Brunswick and Woodbridge. Sayreville faces divisional tests from Colonia and J.P. Stevens before hosting Old Bridge on Saturday.
9. Colonia (3-2) — preseason No. 9 — The Patriots opened with a trio of close games, beating North Brunswick and losing to East Brunswick and West Essex, before registering comfortable triumphs over Ridge and South Brunswick. Colonia takes on three White Division rivals this week in Sayreville, East Brunswick and North Brunswick.
10. Edison (5-0) — preseason unranked — The Eagles have breezed through the Blue Division with decisions over Carteret, Perth Amboy, East Brunswick Magnet, J.F. Kennedy and Middlesex, all by six runs or more. Edison plays host J.P. Stevens and travels to Perth Amboy this week.
DROPPED OUT: Metuchen (0-4), North Brunswick (1-4).
ALSO RECEIVING CONSIDERATION: J.F. Kennedy (3-2), Rahway (4-0), South Brunswick (2-3).
Edison’s surprising 5-0 start can be attributed in part to its freshman pitching tandem of Jenna Fugate and Callie DiBisceglie.
Fugate (4-0), a righty, hurled the first four games, while Bisceglie, a southpaw, tossed the last one. They’ve combined to strike out 52 and walked 11 in 30 innings.
Both are getting it done at the plate, as well, as DiBesglie is batting .632 and slugging 1.000, while Fugate has posted similar numbers (.529/.941).
Then again, these freshmen haven’t exactly lacked for run support. Edison is batting .457 as a team and averaged more than 12 runs per game.
Metuchen’s early-season woes can be attributed in large part to its inability to find a consistent fill in for junior ace Alicia Montalbano, who injured her shoulder on the base paths and has been unable to pitch yet.
Metuchen pitchers have walked 43 batters in 22 innings, while Montalbano walked just 29 in 91 2/3 frames last year while striking out 120 and compiling a 1.68 ERA.
Montalbano is playing second base and has gone 7-for-11 (.636).
Metuchen remains an elite defensive team as it showed at times in a four-inning loss to St. Thomas Aquinas last week, and should be able to rebound if they can just make the opposition put the ball in play.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Softball rankings and notebook: GMC and southern Union County
Continue reading...
Weather looks very promising for the coming week, so there should be plenty more great softball action across Central Jersey.
Home News Tribune softball Top 10, through April 13
(Records through Sunday)
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1) — preseason No. 1 — The Trojans find themselves on familiar ground atop the rankings after posting divisional wins over Monroe, Old Bridge, South Plainfield and Metuchen, with a non-conference loss to state-power Mount St. Dominic. St. Thomas hosts Robbinsville in a non-conference game Wednesday, divisional foe Old Bridge on Thursday, then another non-league test Saturday against Hightstown.
2. South Plainfield (4-1) — preseason No. 2 — The Tigers have taken on the other five members of the Red Division, beating Spotswood, Monroe, Metuchen and Old Bridge, but dropping a 10-run decision to St. Thomas. South Plainfield completes its season series with Spotswood on Tuesday and Monroe on Saturday.
More: Softball ballot: Vote for Central Jersey Player of the Week
More: Softball rankings and notebook: Skyland Conference and western Union County
3. East Brunswick (5-0) — preseason No. 6 — The Bears have rolled over Colonia, JP Stevens, Sayreville, Perth Amboy and North Brunswick by an aggregate score of 49-7. East Brunswick returns to the unblemished confines of its new turf field for divisional contests against South Brunswick on Tuesday and Colonia on Thursday before traveling to JP Stevens on Saturday.
4. Woodbridge (4-0) — preseason No. 10 — The Barrons have been a pleasant surprise with victories over Perth Amboy, South Brunswick, JP Stevens and Sayreville before having a scheduled White-Division showdown with East Brunswick fall victim to the weather. Woodbridge played up against Old Bridge of the Red Division on Monday, then will face divisional foes North Brunswick and South Brunswick sandwiched around a non-conference trip to Matawan.
5. Spotswood (2-2) — preseason No. 3 — The Chargers have split the first four games since their promotion to the Red Division, falling to South Plainfield and Monroe around back-to-back wins over Metuchen and Old Bridge. Spotswood hits the road for divisional action at South Plainfield and Metuchen this week.
6. Old Bridge (3-3) — preseason No. 4 — The Knights completed their first tour of the Red Division with wins over Metuchen and Monroe and losses to St. Thomas, Spotswood and South Plainfield, along with a five-inning win over J.F. Kennedy. Old Bridge faces a rigorous week with Monday’s game with unbeaten Woodbridge followed by St. Thomas, Matawan and Sayreville.
7. Monroe (2-3) — preseason unranked — The Falcons began their season with losses to St. Thomas, South Plainfield and Old Bridge, then posted triumphs over Hillsborough and Spotswood. Monroe will try to keep trending upward this week against West Windsor-Plainsboro South and South Plainfield.
8. Sayreville (2-2) — preseason No. 7 — The Bombers defeated J.P. Stevens and North Brunswick but incurred close losses to East Brunswick and Woodbridge. Sayreville faces divisional tests from Colonia and J.P. Stevens before hosting Old Bridge on Saturday.
9. Colonia (3-2) — preseason No. 9 — The Patriots opened with a trio of close games, beating North Brunswick and losing to East Brunswick and West Essex, before registering comfortable triumphs over Ridge and South Brunswick. Colonia takes on three White Division rivals this week in Sayreville, East Brunswick and North Brunswick.
10. Edison (5-0) — preseason unranked — The Eagles have breezed through the Blue Division with decisions over Carteret, Perth Amboy, East Brunswick Magnet, J.F. Kennedy and Middlesex, all by six runs or more. Edison plays host J.P. Stevens and travels to Perth Amboy this week.
DROPPED OUT: Metuchen (0-4), North Brunswick (1-4).
ALSO RECEIVING CONSIDERATION: J.F. Kennedy (3-2), Rahway (4-0), South Brunswick (2-3).
Young arms have Eagles soaring
Edison’s surprising 5-0 start can be attributed in part to its freshman pitching tandem of Jenna Fugate and Callie DiBisceglie.
Fugate (4-0), a righty, hurled the first four games, while Bisceglie, a southpaw, tossed the last one. They’ve combined to strike out 52 and walked 11 in 30 innings.
Both are getting it done at the plate, as well, as DiBesglie is batting .632 and slugging 1.000, while Fugate has posted similar numbers (.529/.941).
Then again, these freshmen haven’t exactly lacked for run support. Edison is batting .457 as a team and averaged more than 12 runs per game.
On the other hand…
Metuchen’s early-season woes can be attributed in large part to its inability to find a consistent fill in for junior ace Alicia Montalbano, who injured her shoulder on the base paths and has been unable to pitch yet.
Metuchen pitchers have walked 43 batters in 22 innings, while Montalbano walked just 29 in 91 2/3 frames last year while striking out 120 and compiling a 1.68 ERA.
Montalbano is playing second base and has gone 7-for-11 (.636).
Metuchen remains an elite defensive team as it showed at times in a four-inning loss to St. Thomas Aquinas last week, and should be able to rebound if they can just make the opposition put the ball in play.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Softball rankings and notebook: GMC and southern Union County
Continue reading...
