The Benedictine Academy softball team produced its best season this year, reaching a state championship game after capturing the program’s first sectional title.
The Green Bees, coached by Johnson 2012 graduate Alison Meagher, won the Non-Public, South B championship by beating the third seed (Wardlaw-Hartridge), the second seed (Mater Dei) and the top seed (Wildwood Catholic) in order.
Benedictine’s 16-8 campaign came to a close on June 10 when the Green Bees were bested by Lodi Immaculate 3-0 in the Non-Public, B state championship game played at Kean University’s Cougar Field in Union.
Benedictine, sparked by senior right hander Alyssa Vega, finished second in the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division with a 6-2 record. In last year’s 19-4 season the Green Bees captured the Valley Division title with a 13-1 league mark.
Other players included freshman Molly Burke, senior Jamila Cuentas, junior Patricia Frech, freshman Yaselin Gonzalez, senior Amanda Johns, senior Alexandra Lee, junior Melissa Perez, senior Shawn Powell, senior Carmiya Sharp, junior Natasha Solano, junior Brianna Thomas, senior Eniyah Thomas, freshman Olivia Tirso and freshman Jocelyn Vega.
Meagher starred on the mound at Johnson before playing collegiately at Rider, where she also pitched.
During Meagher’s senior season at Johnson in 2012 she earned First Team All-County honors from nj.com and First Team All-Mountain Division recognition from the division coaches, fashioning a 10-6 record that included an impressive 1.89 earned-run average and 131 strikeouts in 102 innings.
Meagher helped Johnson finish 16-7 overall in 2012, with the Crusaders capturing the UCC’s Mountain Division title with a 13-1 league mark.
– JR PARACHINI