Team already has notched two big victories after winning just four all of last season
ERMA — The Caper Tiger softball team took an unexpected pummeling from visiting Cape May Tech on April 8, but the girls already have two wins under their belts.
They won only four games last season, so they’re already on track to do much better in this campaign.
The Lower Cape May Regional High School team had big wins over Wildwood Catholic (20-8) and Bridgeton (24-7) before hosting the Hawks on a typical April day in Cape May County last week. It was sunny but a last gasp of winter was blowing hard across the field and the spectators were bundled up in jackets and sweatshirts.
The Caper Tigers opened the season on the road at Wildwood Catholic and put up 18 hits in the game.
Oleska Domanowski had a home run and three singles; E’leyna Koerner put up a triple, a double and two singles; Raegan Notch added a triple and two singles; and Sophia Crecca had a double and a single. Abigail Pellicano and Bailey Leininger each had two singles and pitcher Finnley Arenberg had a single in her winning performance on the mound. The girls also stole 11 bases.
The win over Bridgeton mostly came with rough pitching for the Bulldogs that allowed 22 walks. Leininger had the only extra-base hit, a double, to go with her single.
Kailyn Tait had two singles and Jamie Mogey, Kylie Winslow and Lilyana Nunez-Roach each had a single. Arenberg pitched the first inning then turned things over to Winslow.
Against Tech (3-4), nerves seemed to get the better of Arenberg, a freshman in her home opener. She allowed 16 walks in the 21-2 loss that ended after four innings on the mercy rule.
“We’re a little young and we’re navigating a lot, but they’re working very hard,” head coach Kiersten Price said of her players. “Our youth is really, really nice, but then it kind of hurts us a little bit in experience.”
She and her assistant coaches have been harping on their players to make the plays, help each other out and get through the ruts.
“We were expecting to do a lot better than we did,” Price said of the Tech game. “I think maybe (Arenberg) had a little bit of nerves going into her first home game, got a little excited and couldn’t calm herself down. She hadn’t walked too many between our scrimmages and first two games. She pitched against Catholic and did really, really well.”
Arenberg is the starter on the mound with Winslow, a sophomore, as backup.
Going around the field, sophomore Domanowski is the catcher, “who is doing a heckuva job for us back there,” Price said. “She hustles and moves quick to the ball, and everything you ask her to do she’s doing.” The coach noted Domanowski came out for softball last year but switched to lacrosse, then came back to softball this year.
Senior Layton Arenberg is holding down first base, and she’s rotating Winslow, Tait and Kylie Saltzman at second. Shortstop is Notch, a sophomore, “who’s probably the most consistent infielder for us right now,” Price said. “She played for me last year at short and she’s been killing it. She’s quick, she can jump, she’s got a good arm, got a good bat. She’s kind of the whole package.”
At third base is sophomore Sophia Crecca; the coach is probably rotating that position as well. In left field is junior Abby Pellicano and in right field Leininger, a senior. At center is freshman Koerner, “a great addition to the program. She plays at the top-level travel team, which is nice. We don’t get too many of those players down here,” Price said. “And she just loves the sport. She takes control, she talks, she’s got a great bat, great speed and a great arm. You can’t ask for much more.
“My outfield is probably our most solid outfield I’ve had and I’ve been coaching here eight years,” Price said.
The coach said one of the goals this season is playing complete games, rather than losing in four or five innings because of the mercy rule.
“Last year our hardest thing was getting through those seven innings, so that is our goal, and to win more games. Last year we only won four. We’re trying to get to at least the .500 mark,” the coach said. “We’re just focusing on winning every inning the best we can.”
Price, however, will be preoccupied. She’s out on maternity leave as of the 29th of this month. Assistant coach Scott Douglass will likely be taking over for the rest of the season.
The girls’ next home game will be April 21 in a rematch with Wildwood Catholic, then they’ll host Winslow on April 22 and Bridgeton on April 23. The games start at 4 p.m.
The Caper Tiger softball team plays at Freeman Douglass Jr. Park just north on Route 9 from the high school.
By DAVID NAHAN/Cape May Star and Wave
