Varsity Softball Falls to Howell

Final Score: The Cranford Cougar softball team battled the Rebels, the varsity team out of Howell High School on May 2. Wicked curveballs from the other team led ultimately to the Cougar loss, but head coach Robert Bruno said his players put up a good fight. While sports teams often become disillusioned after so many points are gained by the rival team early on – 5 points, in Cranford's case – the team kept putting pressure on the Rebels until the end.

The quote: Bruno said the team hopes to make both the county and state playoffs. To make this a reality, the team hopes, and is preparing to claim the rest of the season. "The plan is to win out the rest of the season," he said.

Player Highlight: Player Nicole Revetier hit her first home run of the year, striking the ball into deep center field. 

The Background: Bruno doesn’t stew about last season’s early exit from the sectional tournament. Sure it was disappointing when second-seeded Cranford fell to 10^th-seeded Nutley in the second round of the North 2, Group 3 tournament last May, but neither Bruno nor his Cougars allowed that loss to keep them from capturing their fourth Union County tournament championship in five years only three days later.

“Last year was successful,” said Bruno of his team’s 23-4 season. “We won the county, won the conference. We won the first round of state. And then we lost to a good team (in Nutley). So we have no regrets.”

There’s nothing to suggest that Cranford won’t once again be the team to beat in Union County Conference and the Union County tournament this spring, despite the fact that freshmen will start at second base and in centerfield. And yes, their starting pitcher is just a sophomore, but in name only. Julie Siragusa has already been tested and found more than able. The sophomore hurler, who figures to pitch 95 percent of Cranford’s games, posted an 11-1 mark as a freshman, earning all-conference honors. She will be counted on to stand in nearly full time for graduated All-Group 3 first-team pitcher and four-year starter Kelly Hardman.

“As important as her skills, she just has a bulldog mentality,” Bruno said of Siragusa. “She doesn’t accept mediocrity and works hard at her craft.”

Those skills, by the way, include a fast ball in the high 50s, good movement and five or six different pitches to choose from. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s left handed, making her delivery all the more for difficult and foreign to hitters.

“She’s the complete package,” Bruno said. “She’s the catalyst for us. She’s one of those kids who’s a gym rat. She knows what she wants to do and that’s play on the next level.”

Bruno includes catcher Melissa Moreno, a third-team All-Group 3 selection last year, and senior shortstop Nicole Ravetier (All Conference, All County) in that same category of coachable, hard-working, dedicated players. 
“They all listen,” he said. “They all make corrections. They want to get better. Nicole is the prototype student-athlete who has earned an academic scholarship to Babson College in Massachusetts.”

Bruno also has several other experienced starters returning. Olivia Salinardo is back at first base. Bruno said the four-year varsity member really came into her own last season. Stephanie Bagniewski moves from second base to third this season and Emily Snyder is a second-year starter in left field. Brianna Capece has experience in right field and Kathleen French returns as the designated player.

That just leaves that two or three freshman filling the holes in the middle of the defense. Alli Verilli will man second base and Kerri Wischusen will battle Jessica Casale for the center field slot.

“It will be a baptism under fire for them,” Bruno said. “But their skills have lent themselves to them being starters and we’re looking for them to continue to develop over the season and be contributors.”

Bruno said he is keeping his fingers crossed that Siragusa can handle most of the workload herself this season, though he has Megan Sawyer backing her up. Sawyer is a three-year junior varsity pitcher.

The Cougars’ strengths, Bruno said, are their starting pitcher – Siragusa fanned 14 in a season-opening 6-2 victory over Delaware Valley last week -- and an infield that he claims is as good defensively as anyone out there. With Moreno back, the catching position is another strong suit for Cranford. The areas of concern are with the youth in the outfield.

The Cougars put up a lot of runs last season and while it’s too early to tell how potent they might be this season, Bruno said he feels very good about one through five or six in the line-up. Siragusa is an outstanding hitter who opened this season with a 3-of-4, 4-RBI performance that included two doubles. Ravetier also had three hits in game.

“If Kathleen (French) hits, we’re going to be pretty dynamic offensively,” Bruno said. “She had some nice moments last year. She’s a strong kid and when she hits, it explodes off her bat.”

Bruno said that he considers Cranford the team to beat again if only because the Cougars are always “in the back of everyone’s minds.”