Softball Team Now Asking How Far Can They Go

How far has the softball team come? 

It's easy to forget that just a few years ago, were struggling, scraping by with six wins in the season. Last year's jump into post-season competition showed flashes of what was to come, but at the start of the new season, Head Coach Mike D'Alessandro had concerns.

For example, who could replace the six seniors lost to graduation, including star center fielder Jaimie Schoenbach?  

D'Allessandro took his remaining starters, including and pitcher , and added a group of players that , addressing one of D'Allessandro's chief concerns at the start of the season.

Scolaro predicted that bond would be the team's secret weapon, and it turned out to be true. As the season advanced, the team built a solid 16-7 record built around excellent fielding and a powerful offense.

The addition of Shannon Pilsbury, Carissa Montrone, Gina Priore, Stephanie Huff and Stephanie Teixeira to the starting lineup helped move the team from 2011's 14-11 record, and into Somerset County's softball elite. 

The highlight of the season was the Warrior's win over Hillsborough for the county title, the first for Watchung Hills in 10 years.

Looking ahead to next year, D'Allessandro notes two players will be graduating, Scolaro and Lindsay Ball, leaving the bulk of the team to return.

"We should have several options and we'll just have to see what makes the most sense come next year," D'Allessandro said. "We have a few JV players who might be ready to help at the varsity level and our incoming freshman class projects to be strong and large in number.

"We'll take a good hard look at all of our options next spring," he added. 

D'Allessandro noted Jess Gaeta's versatility makes her a flexible player, one he can move to shere she'll be most helpful, and Gina Priore's considerable experience could prove valuable in the infield.

"We'll miss both Tina and Lindsey, but with the nucleus we have returning we should be able to continue our recent success," he said.

And he'll have Cline, who made an easy move into the starting pitcher spot after holding the no. 2 spot in the 2011 season behind —another concern at the beginning of this season. Cline, named MVP at the county championship, proved a capable leader on the field. 

D'Allessandro sees more potential from his young team, and he notes the team's recent success could help bolster the team in the coming years, too.

"Our story—only two years removed from back-to-back six win seasons—can only help us in getting young players in the community excited about playing for the high school Warriors in the future," he said.

That changes the question from how far have they come—to how far can they go?