St. Rose softball team completes perfect year

The St. Rose of Lima School softball team is back on top. The Lady Jaguars from the Freehold Borough school won the Monmouth-Ocean Parochial School Girls Softball League championship by defeating St. Dominic of Brick Township, 4-0, in the title game played June 6 at Rash Field in Belmar.

The victory completed a perfect 14-0 season for the Lady Jaguars.

"We had a great year," said head coach John McCarthy, who got contributions from every player on the team during the squad's run to the championship.

Like previous St. Rose championship teams, the Lady Jaguars had a dominant pitcher in Emily Simon, who struck out 181 batters during the campaign.

Simon, an eighth-grader, had great control to go with her overpowering fastball. She brought back memories of St. Rose graduate Brittany O'Donnell, who shined at Red Bank Catholic the last four years.

The Lady Jaguars were flawless on defense when they had to be and surrendered only 15 runs in 14 games.

First baseman Baillie Rossi and shortstop Veronica McCarthy made big plays for St. Rose in the championship game against St. Dominic.

Catcher Francesca Marchese worked well with Simon as her battery mate and contributed to an outstanding infield defense.

Second baseman Mary Frances Prugno contributed with her glove and bat during the team's undefeated season.

Corner outfielders Jessica DelVirginia and Heather Daszkiewicz also provided outstanding defensive play in support of Simon.

These eighth-graders were 16-0 as sixthgraders when the Lady Jaguars won the junior varsity championship. St. Rose was 12-3 in 2008 and finished second in the regular season.

This year with help from several sixthand seventh-graders, the Lady Jaguars returned the softball championship to their school.

Seventh-grader Sara Kerber (centerfield) was a first-year player who made an impact right away.

Amanda Freyre (third base), who was big with the glove at the hot corner, and Jess Young (short field) complete the team's seventh graders.

Sixth-graders Simone Monaco (second base) and Mary Klecko (utility) contributed to the undefeated campaign.

The Lady Jaguars were 11-0 in the regular season and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They defeated Holy Innocents of Neptune and St. Rose of Belmar to reach the championship game where a very strong St. Dominic team was waiting for them and seeking payback.

St. Dominic had given St. Rose all it could handle during the regular season, losing to the Lady Jaguars in a 3-2 contest.

The championship game was another close contest, but one in which the St. Rose defense prevented the Brick Township team from scoring when it had runners on base.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. DelVirginia started the inning with a walk. Marchese followed with an double to score DelVirginia for a 1-0 lead. Simon singled to move Marchese to third and Marchese scored on Rossi's double to give St. Rose a 2-0 lead.

Klecko provided some insurance with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning that put the game away. The Lady Jaguars' rally started with two out when Simon and Rossi reached on errors and Freyre walked to load the bases. Klecko then delivered a single to score Simon and Rossi.

Simon struck out 11 hitters, but in the top of the seventh inning the defense took over. McCarthy stole an infield hit with a great throw to first. Marchese recorded the second out when she caught a pop-up, and Monaco sealed the victory when she caught a pop-up to second base.

St. Rose outscored its opponents 148 to 15 during the 2009 season.

Charles Marchese, Brian Young and Anthony Monaco were McCarthy's assistant coaches.