The 2021 Softball Season

So far, the varsity softball team possesses a record of 2–15, with both wins against Piscataway High School. The junior varsity team has a record of 3–13, but has three regular season games left as well as a tournament. 

The varsity team has 28 athletes, and the head coach is Ms. Marylynn Muldowney. Nicole Yascko ‘21 leads the team with 11 hits, 6 of which were extra base hits. She also leads the team in runs, scoring 10 this season. Samantha Dammann ‘21 leads the team in batting average, and has also recorded 28 strikeouts while pitching. Ava Austin ‘24 has pitched a team high of 41 innings. “Seniors Samantha Dammann, Rachel Defuria, Kara Ianni, Faith Michalski, and Nicole Yascko have all had a big impact on our team’s growth and achievements this season,” said Muldowney.

The junior varsity team has 16 athletes and 1 manager. The team was able to overcome numerous challenges posed by the pandemic. “In the beginning of the season, we faced several challenges, from not communicating with our team to not having a pitcher. A few weeks into the season, we’ve not only improved on the field, but we’ve also gotten much closer as a team,” said Mei Kim ‘24. This year, the team was able to achieve a triple play in a game. A triple play is when all three outs are made on the same play, and such an event rarely occurs in baseball and softball. “Our coaches have been working hard to get our team where it is today, and despite the oddity of our situation, they haven’t failed us once,” said Kim.

The teams have been following standard precautions to protect against COVID-19, including daily temperature checks and forms to declare any concerning symptoms. Masks are required during practices, in dugouts, and whenever the athletes are not on the field. Due to these safety requirements, no team members have been infected with COVID-19.