After Breakout 2015 Season, Matawan Softball Expects Bigger and Better Things This Season

Photo above taken at the Jersey Sporting News photo shoot: (L to R) Lauren Conroy, Sam Buchman and Hadassah Curry

MATAWAN – After completing the softball programs most successful season since 2005 winning 21 games, capturing the programs first division title since 2006, making it to the semifinals of the Monmouth County Tournament and final of the Shore Conference Tournament, the Matawan Huskies are looking for bigger and better things this season.

The Huskies, who finished ranked sixth in the Shore Conference, also made an amazing run to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II final as the No.8 seed. They beat No.1 seed Johnson 2-0 in the quarterfinals before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to No.2 seed Robbinsville (25-4) - ranked No.10 in the final NJ.com top 20 in the final.

“Last year gave us a lot of confidence and put Matawan on the map a little bit,” Matawan head coach Bob Dubina said. “I think the kids embraced it but they also understand that there’s some unfinished business. They got the tease and now they want to get back there.”

In the state final game, Matawan came back from a 2-0 deficit with one run in the sixth and one in the seventh to tie it before losing it in the 10th inning. Unfortunately for Matawan they lost star shortstop Lauren Conroy early in the game with an injury, but the first-team All-Shore and second team All-Group II selection is back for her junior year hoping to lead the Huskies to new heights.

“We’re going to be really good this year, really tough,” Conroy said. “Our lineup is setup really good. We already have the mindset that we want to go back to the state final and win. We finished short in every tournament we played last year so we want to win them this year.”

Conroy heads a group of seven returning starters for the Huskies plus a number of experienced underclassmen that return and will play bigger roles this season.

During her emerging season, Conroy was flirting with a triple crown for most the year. She led the Shore Conference in home runs (12), was second in batting average (.592) but slipped to fourth in RBI’s with 37.

Conroy missed most of Matawan’s preseason trip to Florida after suffering a concussion in the second game of the road trip and she may still miss opening day. But according to Dubina she’s progressing well and should only miss a game or two at the most. The Huskies went 6-3 on the trip against competition from Chicago, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and New Jersey.

Matawan’s biggest obstacle this season will be replacing All-Class B North pitcher Erin Powers who won 18 games for the Huskies a year ago while also being one of the teams most clutch hitters.

Dubina will go with a two-girl rotation with returning starter junior Jessica Veary and newcomer Megan Ruach- a junior – taking the ball. Veary went 3-1 last season with 23 strikeouts in 25-innings pitched with only five earned runs allowed. At the plate she hit .277 with a home run, four doubles and 11 RBI with 16 runs scored.

Both have looked good according to Dubina, “They both look pretty good but they’ve had their ups and downs. They don’t throw the ball as hard as Erin but they really move the ball around enough that we should be fine.”

Sam Buchman will lead off and play centerfield after a junior campaign that saw her hit .357 with four home runs, two triples, a double with 12 RBI. Batting second and in right field is senior Tracey Brereton who averaged .347 a year ago with 26 hits and 22 runs scored.

Conroy bats third followed by cleanup hitter Hadassah Curry who moves from third to first base this season. She was eighth in the Shore Conference with 32 RBI as a junior last year when she had three home runs and seven doubles while hitting .410.

“Those two (Conroy and Curry) had great years in the middle of our lineup last season,” Dubina said. “Hopefully we can get the same kind of production from them this year. Those two and Veary in the middle of the lineup will be our run production.”

Veary is slotted into the fifth spot in the batting order followed by junior second baseman Jen Lloyd who averaged .301 with 25 hits, 14 runs scored and 11 RBI while newcomer Olivia Caponigro will bat seventh and play third base followed by senior Sami Boyne who is back in left field after hitting .299 with 16 RBI with four doubles and a triple.

Sophomore Amanda Hunter gets the start behind the plate and bats ninth after earning the starting role late in the season a year ago while coming off the bench will be junior Megan Donovan and sophomore Gabby Menzella.

When asked what had to happen for his team to take the next step, Dubina said, “We’re not extremely deep so we have to stay healthy. I think the girls have confidence because they got there last year and I think the big key is going to be our pitching; they have to keep us competitive. They don’t have to do it themselves; we’ll score some runs for them. They just need to keep the ball in the park and keep us in games.”

Matawan is ranked No.7 in the Asbury Park Press preseason top 10.