Red Bank Catholic softball working its way into the ranks of the elite
May 3, 2024 at 3:42 p.m.
The Shore Conference is arguably one of the best softball conference’s in New Jersey, and the South Jersey Non-Public A section has produced the past five NJSIAA Non-Public A state champions.
They are elite clubs, and Red Bank Catholic is doing its best to crash both parties.
“I like to think that,” coach Tony Flego said. “But we haven’t beaten those teams in a while. Until we get to that point, then we can feel better about ourselves.”
Senior Jordan Terefenko has not only done a stellar job behind the plate handling two standout pitchers, she has also starred at the plate with a .471 average and 15 RBIs. Jennifer Harms photo/https://jharmsphotography.com/
They have to feel pretty good about the direction they are headed. Last year RBC finished 22-7, won the Shore’s A Conference Division title, lost to eventual champion Donovan Catholic, Toms River, in the SCT semifinals and fell to eventual finalist St. Thomas Aquinas in the SJ A quarterfinals.
This season, the Caseys are 17-1, have clinched a second straight division crown and are sitting at No. 6 in nj.com’s latest New Jersey Top 20 rankings. Their loss is to No. 14 Morris Catholic, Denville while they own victories over No. 9 Immaculate Heart, Washington and No. 11 Livingston.
Knowing the road to an SCT title likely runs through No. 4 St. John Vianney and No. 10 Donovan Catholic, and the journey to an SJ A crown runs through the same two teams along with No. 3 Notre Dame and St. Thomas Aquinas, Flego has bulked up the schedule. Still remaining are games with No. 20 Weehawkin (May 5), No. 1 Mount St. Dominic, Caldwell (May 9) and No. 8 Steinert, Hamilton May 22.
“Most of the team is back from last year, the girls know what they need to do,” Flego said. “They’ve seen it, they’ve experienced it. When we walked off the field against Donovan Catholic last year they beat us pretty good. That left a sour taste in their mouth. And even St. Thomas Aquinas, but we battled.
Nicole Knox tears around third base en route to scoring another run for the Red Bank Catholic softball team. Knox was hitting a monstrous .633 as of May 2 with 31 hits, 23 RBI and 34 runs scored. Jennifer Harms photo/https://jharmsphotography.com/
“That’s why we challenged them with a great schedule. You’re going to face those types of pitchers and this is just getting ready for those big games. I’m happy to see how we came through against really good teams. That will pay off when it comes to crunch time.”
RBC is literally “armed” for the tournament challenges with two standout pitchers. Junior Lily Hagan is 9-1 with 95 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA. Senior Morgan O’Sullivan, who was nagged by injuries last year, is 8-0 with 68 strikeouts and an 0.80 ERA. In RBC’s current 11-game winning streak the two have allowed just two runs and recorded nine shutouts.
And there is no jealousy at having to share the circle.
“They both totally support each other,” Flego said. “They way they’ve both been throwing and battling, it’s great to see. I’m really proud of them.
“They throw two different games, Lily’s more power, Morgan’s more finesse but it’s not like she throws the ball 40 miles an hour. It’s great because our schedule is really demanding. They can step in for each other and it’s not like we take a step back. They’re doing outstanding work.”
Hagan is also an offensive catalyst in a lineup batting .416 as a team with a slugging percentage of .620. The hurler is hitting .500 with four doubles, four homers and a team-high 25 RBI. Junior Nicole Knox leads the team with a mind-boggling .633 average, four doubles, eight homers and 23 RBI.
Junior first baseman Brianna Santangelo is one of 10 RBC hitters who are in double figures in hits as she boastes a .388 average as of May 2. Jennifer Harms photo/https://jharmsphotography.com/
“She’s one of the hardest workers you’ll see,” Flego said. “She’s so dedicated to just getting better every day and takes every at-bat as if it’s her last one. She’s added a lot of power to her swing. As she goes, we go.”
But the coach was quick to note “we have a very deep lineup; ten players have double figures in hits. When you get to 7-8-9 in the lineup you don’t have to worry about what to do. Everyone’s a threat.”
They include seniors Jordan Terefenko (.471, 15 RBI), Abigail Zebick (.333, 4 HR, 17 RBI) and O’Sullivan (.414), juniors Sophia Lasater (.391), Lana Rudolph (.415) and Brianna Santangelo (.388) and freshman Grace Lombardi (.392, 14 RBI).
It’s a team with few weaknesses and primed for a big run but as Flego noted, “there’s always room for improvement. They’ve gotten this far, they can’t take a step back. The important stuff is coming up and we can’t take anything for granted. We’ve got a big target on us now.”
A target that shows just how far RBC has come as a program.
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The Shore Conference is arguably one of the best softball conference’s in New Jersey, and the South Jersey Non-Public A section has produced the past five NJSIAA Non-Public A state champions.
They are elite clubs, and Red Bank Catholic is doing its best to crash both parties.
“I like to think that,” coach Tony Flego said. “But we haven’t beaten those teams in a while. Until we get to that point, then we can feel better about ourselves.”
Senior Jordan Terefenko has not only done a stellar job behind the plate handling two standout pitchers, she has also starred at the plate with a .471 average and 15 RBIs. Jennifer Harms photo/https://jharmsphotography.com/
They have to feel pretty good about the direction they are headed. Last year RBC finished 22-7, won the Shore’s A Conference Division title, lost to eventual champion Donovan Catholic, Toms River, in the SCT semifinals and fell to eventual finalist St. Thomas Aquinas in the SJ A quarterfinals.
This season, the Caseys are 17-1, have clinched a second straight division crown and are sitting at No. 6 in nj.com’s latest New Jersey Top 20 rankings. Their loss is to No. 14 Morris Catholic, Denville while they own victories over No. 9 Immaculate Heart, Washington and No. 11 Livingston.
Knowing the road to an SCT title likely runs through No. 4 St. John Vianney and No. 10 Donovan Catholic, and the journey to an SJ A crown runs through the same two teams along with No. 3 Notre Dame and St. Thomas Aquinas, Flego has bulked up the schedule. Still remaining are games with No. 20 Weehawkin (May 5), No. 1 Mount St. Dominic, Caldwell (May 9) and No. 8 Steinert, Hamilton May 22.
“Most of the team is back from last year, the girls know what they need to do,” Flego said. “They’ve seen it, they’ve experienced it. When we walked off the field against Donovan Catholic last year they beat us pretty good. That left a sour taste in their mouth. And even St. Thomas Aquinas, but we battled.
Nicole Knox tears around third base en route to scoring another run for the Red Bank Catholic softball team. Knox was hitting a monstrous .633 as of May 2 with 31 hits, 23 RBI and 34 runs scored. Jennifer Harms photo/https://jharmsphotography.com/
“That’s why we challenged them with a great schedule. You’re going to face those types of pitchers and this is just getting ready for those big games. I’m happy to see how we came through against really good teams. That will pay off when it comes to crunch time.”
RBC is literally “armed” for the tournament challenges with two standout pitchers. Junior Lily Hagan is 9-1 with 95 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA. Senior Morgan O’Sullivan, who was nagged by injuries last year, is 8-0 with 68 strikeouts and an 0.80 ERA. In RBC’s current 11-game winning streak the two have allowed just two runs and recorded nine shutouts.
And there is no jealousy at having to share the circle.
“They both totally support each other,” Flego said. “They way they’ve both been throwing and battling, it’s great to see. I’m really proud of them.
“They throw two different games, Lily’s more power, Morgan’s more finesse but it’s not like she throws the ball 40 miles an hour. It’s great because our schedule is really demanding. They can step in for each other and it’s not like we take a step back. They’re doing outstanding work.”
Hagan is also an offensive catalyst in a lineup batting .416 as a team with a slugging percentage of .620. The hurler is hitting .500 with four doubles, four homers and a team-high 25 RBI. Junior Nicole Knox leads the team with a mind-boggling .633 average, four doubles, eight homers and 23 RBI.
Junior first baseman Brianna Santangelo is one of 10 RBC hitters who are in double figures in hits as she boastes a .388 average as of May 2. Jennifer Harms photo/https://jharmsphotography.com/
“She’s one of the hardest workers you’ll see,” Flego said. “She’s so dedicated to just getting better every day and takes every at-bat as if it’s her last one. She’s added a lot of power to her swing. As she goes, we go.”
But the coach was quick to note “we have a very deep lineup; ten players have double figures in hits. When you get to 7-8-9 in the lineup you don’t have to worry about what to do. Everyone’s a threat.”
They include seniors Jordan Terefenko (.471, 15 RBI), Abigail Zebick (.333, 4 HR, 17 RBI) and O’Sullivan (.414), juniors Sophia Lasater (.391), Lana Rudolph (.415) and Brianna Santangelo (.388) and freshman Grace Lombardi (.392, 14 RBI).
It’s a team with few weaknesses and primed for a big run but as Flego noted, “there’s always room for improvement. They’ve gotten this far, they can’t take a step back. The important stuff is coming up and we can’t take anything for granted. We’ve got a big target on us now.”
A target that shows just how far RBC has come as a program.
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.