Goose Was Golden for Cranford

With her smooth windup and release, along with the sheer power of her left-handed delivery, Julie Siragusa had opposing hitters looking for a seat on the dugout bench with another "k" in the books. Nicknamed "Goose", the always-smiling "star-in-the-making" finished off her rookie campaign with a 10-1 record and 0.69 ERA, quickly putting her on the map as a force to be reckoned with for the next three years.

"I'm really competitive and I know I have to get the job done," Siragusa said.

Siragusa's numbers were eye-opening, allowing just six earned runs and 14 walks, while striking out 106 in 60 2/3 innings.

"I feel throughout the season, working with coach Rigatelli, all my pitches have gotten better. I throw a little harder, my curve, my screwball have been moving a lot more. I've had a lot of help along the way."

The Cougars finished the 2010 season with a 23-4 record and were crowned Union County champs for the fourth time in the last five seasons. And while senior standout Kelly Hardman was the ace of the staff, recording 13-wins while fashioning a 3-0 record in UCT finals, the ace of the future was making a name for herself as well.

"As a freshman, it's amazing," Siragusa said. "Losing seven girls last year, I would never think that we could come this far, but working together, we became like sisters out there. We know who we are, and just did what we had to do."

Early on, the lefty wasn't quite sure how much time she'd spend on the mound, but things quickly changed when she proved her mettle.

"At the beginning, with Kelly being a senior, I thought I would get the lower teams, but coming in for the big situations and getting the job done feels awesome," Siragusa added.

Siragusa also had no problem adjusting at the plate, finishing her rookie campaign with a .409 batting average, 30 RBI and 27 runs scored. And when she wasn't pitching, she was roaming centerfield, with the perfect view to watch Hardman mow down the competition.

Now she knows that the focus will be on her ability to lead the Lady Cougars, now that Hardman is graduated.

"I have big shoes to fill. We've been good for so many years, and knowing that they're going to be following me, I have a lot to do, a lot to work on. It's exciting. I feel that next year we can be just as successful. A lot of girls are going to be seniors next year, so we'll have a lot of girls step it up and be big when we need to be big."

The first-team All-Union County selection is gaining even more experience in summer ball playing for a club team, as she looks to add some depth to her other pitches, which include a fastball, screwball and curveball. Still there's one more she's adding to her repertoire.

"Once I get my changeup down, I think I'll be an even more successful pitcher."

And that is not good news for the rest of Union County.