Monday, April 15, 2013

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Veronica Corcoran was a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 RBI and 3 stolen bases for Demarest, which improved to 4-2 on the season with a 5-2 win over Emerson in the EDSAF Tournament finale on Sunday.

EMERSON – When a team wins just two games of the 26 it played in any particular season, it is going to leave a mark, a bruise on the ego that can take time to heal. The Northern Valley/Demarest softball team suffered through the debacle of 2-24 in 2012 and the only remedy was to turn over the roster to include a host of young players and let them get busy trying to rebuild the program with on-the-job varsity training.

There are plenty of reasons for optimism this early in the season, but Demarest is only focused on the grind, one game after another and none of them mean more than any other. The highs and lows are going to come, but they will not be dwelt upon, not with an infield that included three freshman and a sophomore on Sunday in the finale of the 10th annual Emerson Disabled Student Assistance Fund Tournament against host Emerson.

“Our infield that we started today was, from third to first, a sophomore, a freshman, a freshman and a freshman and that just speaks to our inexperience and our level of confidence, which through the rest of the season, can only get better,” said Demarest head coach Keith Johnson. “I don't think we are playing our best ball yet and that is OK because we are just six games in. I'd rather we reach our potential later in the season when we can turn that into success in the county tournament and later the state tournament.”

Shortstop Veronica DeStefano had two of Emerson's five hits.

The biggest difference between this season and last? It might just be the freshman twins Victoria and Veronica Corcoran. When they became high school eligible, Johnson got a leadoff hitter, a clean-up hitter, a shortstop and a centerfielder.

Veronica Corcoran was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, three stolen bases and a run scored and Victoria Corcoran made a pretty running catch in right centerfield to save a run or quite possibly two in what was then a two-run game in the top of the fourth inning. Demarest may not be at its peak just yet, but it is on an upward trend as its 5-2 win over Emerson gave the Norsewomen a 4-2 record on the season, twice the amount of wins they had all of last year.

“I think we are getting better with every game and every practice and I think we are going to have a successful season,” said Veronica Corcoran. “It's been fun so far and if we are having fun that means that we are winning games or at least competing and playing hard.”

Demarest got to work in the bottom of the first inning as Victoria Corcoran drew a leadoff walk, stole second and went to third on a ground out by Gabby Garcia. Veronica Corcoran then dropped down a bunt single with two outs to plate her sister with the game's first run.

Stefani Antoshak went the distance and struck out 6 to improve to 2-0 on the season as Demarest's No. 2.

Stepanie Antoshak, a sophomore making just her second varsity start in the circle, struck out four Emerson batters in the first two innings and worked around a two-out single by Sabrina Zatarain in the top of the third before slapping a one-out single in the bottom of the inning to keep a rally going. Veronica Corcoran then singled in a run and Samantha Herbener singled to make it 3-0.

Emerson had a chance to get back in the game in the top of the fourth inning when Caitlin Reid reached on a error leading off and Stephanie Morgan drew a walk to put two on with one out. Katie Loukeris then hit a flyball into right centerfield that was falling fast . In full sprint to left, Victoria Corcoran made a one-handed basket catch. If that ball drops, one run scores. If its skips to the wall, two runs score and puts Emerson right back in the game. Instead, Antoshak got a ground ball to Brooke Runge at third base to escape the inning unscathed and Antoshak's slap single in the bottom of the fourth drove in Runge to make it 4-0.

“It was good to pitch with a cushion because I wasn't worried about giving up a run that could lose us the game. I could just focus on throwing strikes,” said Antoshak, who is currently Demarest's No. 2 behind Rebecca Santorella in the pitching mix. “I love pitching and it is nice to get a couple of starts this year. I am hoping to become the starter for next year, so I am working on a lot of things, like my change up, and just trying to get better.”

Emerson's Katie Loukeris drive in a run and was robbed of another potential run-scoring hit.

Emerson, which had stranded all six of its baserunners through the first five innings, finally strung some hits together in the top of the sixth when catcher Nicole Smith blooped a one-out single to short right field, Morgan doubled and Loukeris came through with a single to left field. Taylor Buono, the courtesy runner for Smith, scored easily and Elizabeth Garis, the courtesy runner for Morgan (1-for-1, 2B, BB, SAC; 6 IP5 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 7 K, 3 BB), the starting pitcher, came around as well when the ball got past the left fielder.

With the tying run in the on deck circle, Antoshak (7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 6 K, 5 BB; 2-for-3, RBI, R)got a called strike three for the second out and Veronica Corcoran handled a hard groundball by Omana McDermott for out No. 3. Antoshak worked a 1-2-3 seventh to finish off Demarest's fourth win of the season. Antoshak and Veronica Corcoran combined for five of Demarest's seven hits while Herbener and Yviore Lee split the other two.

Veronica DeStefano (2-for-4) had two hits for Emerson, which fell to 3-3 on the season. The Cavos have a mix of experience and youth and is keeping the same goals that it always has as a perennially tough Group 1 program.

“Nothing has really changed for this year. We want to compete for a league title, be in the state tournament and qualify for the counties,” said Emerson head coach Nancy Graff. “We had our chances today, but they made plays when we had runners on. We put the ball in play, which is a good sign, and we are working to get better.”

Samantha Herbener had a hit and an RBI for Demarest.

NOTES: This was the 10th playing of the EDSAF Tournament. It was started by Steve Mondadori, then the Emerson head coach, who is now in the same position at St. Mary. The EDSAF was established initially to help fund the treatment of Ari Solimando, a former catcher at Emerson who suffered a spinal cord injury in August of 2003. The tournament has grown into a 16-team, two-day event, although this year its Saturday slate was wiped out by the weather. Even still, the message of community involvement and playing for something bigger, still got through.

“Out No. 1 focus is softball and we can let any outside factors hinder our ability to play softball. We always talk about no distractions, but when you are talking about developing quality individuals and citizens, this is one of the ways we see that we can give back to the community. We are going to run our own Breast Cancer Awareness tournament in a couple of weeks to help show our kids the bigger picture here,” said Johnson. “Us sacrificing a Sunday to come out here and play in what is going to be six games in seven days, I could have said, 'No, we are going to skip this event.' But I think it is important that our girls learn first hand that community is bigger than the individual and we were happy to participate.”

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