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Greater Middlesex Conference Softball Player of the Year and more, 2024

VaselineJune 21, 2024

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Greater Middlesex Conference Softball Player of the Year and more, 2024

A lot happened in softball diamonds this year at the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Scroll through to discover the Player, Team and Coach of the Year, as well as other notes from the conference.

Team of the Year: South Plainfield

It was another strong season for the Tigers, who finished 21-5, won the conference’s top division, the GMC Red Division, and captured their first GMC title since 2013 with a 10-0 victory over Old Bridge in the final. After the season, Don Panzarella, the state’s all-time winningest coach, announced his resignation after 43 years and 848 wins. But the Tigers still had two All-Conference players, Lindsay Oller and Erin Townley, and they made it to the section semifinals in the process. The 21 wins marked the third time in five seasons that South Plainfield won more than 20 games and the Tigers had a strong team that hit .346 with 31 home runs, five players with 30-plus hits and a combined team ERA of 1.03 in 157 innings. , so this is a team that has done very well. Oller and Townley, as well as Nicole Swatko, were also named All-Group 3 honorees for the Tigers this year.

Player of the Year: Erin Townley, South Plainfield

On a team with powerful bats and a high-powered offense, Townley’s work in the circle was just as important to South Plainfield’s success this year. While not a big strikeout pitcher like some others in the conference and state, Townley did have six games with double-digit K’s this year. But most impressive was her ability to limit baserunners and her penchant for avoiding damage even when there were baserunners. She pitched 126.1 innings this year, allowing just 82 hits and 31 walks for a WHIP of .89 and an ERA of 1.16, which was helped by eight complete game shutouts this season, including four that went the full seven innings . Townley, a second Team All-Group 3 winner this year, is one of three All-Group players for the Tigers.

Coach of the year: Angela D’Amico, Oude Brug

The Knights, an Old Bridge alum in her eighth season leading her alma mater, had a turnaround of 10 wins from last year, when they went 11-16. This year they went 21-6, the most in-season wins for the program since before 2011. The Knights put everyone on notice on April 25, when they defeated St. Thomas Aquinas 3-1 and the Trojans won their first GMC -administered loss. in more than 60 games and posted a winning streak that dates back five years. They were rewarded for their efforts with a trip to the GMC finals and as the top seed in the Central, Group 4 tournament. Pitcher Gianna Lombardi held Old Bridge in every game, despite racking up just 38 K’s in 147.1 innings and posting a WHIP over 1.00 but an ERA of just 1.66. Also helping to spark the turnaround for the Knights was the play of sisters Dimitra and Zoe Milonopolous, both of whom earned All-Group 4 honors for their efforts.

Other storylines

Middlesex (14-10) was the last GMC team to play in the state tournament as the Blue Jays made it to the Central, Group 1 finals for the second year in a row. They hit .341 as a team this season and had three players with 30+ hits, inclusive Jamie Gorel who had 39 while Jaclyn DeShields drove in 28 runs.