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Freshman right-hander Ava Kelshaw excels in the circle and a deep lineup has top hitters such as senior Naya Martinez and sophomore Jill Cianfrocca as the Mount St. Dominic Lions are the No. 1 seed in the 2024 Essex County Softball tourney that starts May 1. (Photos by Jeff Stiefbold- jstiefbold.smugmug.com)
Nothing - of course - is certain when it comes to a single-elimination softball or baseball tournament game. One well-pitched effort by any lower seed, plus perhaps a key hit can spell doom for a heavy favorite. In looking at the 2024 Essex County Softball Tournament, while it appears that the top three seeds – No. 1 Mount St. Dominic (11-1, 8-0), 2-Livingston (8-4, 5-1) and 3-defending champion Cedar Grove (9-4, 5-4) - are solid bets to reach at least the semifinals, no one is likely to take anything for granted in heading into the first round or quarterfinals. “Our county has terrific teams and we know that there are a number of teams that could win the county tournament championship,” said Mount coach Rob Stern speaking after a recent regular-season homestanding victory vs. Cedar Grove and before his Lions were awarded with the No. 1 seed during this past Wednesday night’s seeding meeting. “We’re certainly not taking anyone for granted because you can’t afford not to bring your best to each game in this great tournament.” The Mount Lions, who enter the weekend having won nine in a row, are the No. 1 ranked team in this week’s nj.com statewide Top 20. There are 22 teams entered in this season’s ECT, three less than last year. The preliminary round should be completed by Wednesday, May 1, followed by the first round (Saturday, May 4) and quarterfinals (Saturday, May 11), all at the field of the higher-seeded team. Then the tourney returns to Ivy Hill Park in Newark for the ECT Final 4 where the semifinals are scheduled for 5 and 7 p.m., on Friday, May 17, followed the next night (Saturday, May 18) with the championship game at 7. Looking at the prelim round scheduled for Wednesday, in the upper bracket it will be 17-Belleville at 16-Payne Tech with the winner advancing to the Round of 16, first-round at the Mount. 21; 21-Barringer at 12-Millburn with the winner adv advancing to face 5-Columbia; and 20-Bard at 13-Newark Academy with the survivor facing 4-Caldwell. The other first round game set to go in the upper bracket will be 9-Glen Ridge at 8-Verona. In the lower bracket it will be 18-Newark Tech at 15-Monclair Kimberley Academy with the winner meeting 2-Livingston; 22-Immaculate Conception at 11-Bloomfield with that survivor advancing to face 6-Montclair, and 19-Technology at 14-West Orange with that victor moving on to meet 3-Cedar Grove. The other first round matchup set in the lower bracket is 10-Nutley at 7-West Essex. The Knights’ Andrea Mondadori recently earned her 300th career victory which is a nice milestone for the longtime Wessex head softball mentor. The Mount, which plays one of the strongest schedules in the state, enters this weekend having defeated five Top 20 teams. The Lions are led by freshman pitcher Ava Kelshaw who has 91 strikeouts and an 0.77 ERA in her first 64 innings pitched. Sophomore first baseman Jill Cianfrocca is a strong power hitter for the Lions with four home runs and 15 RBI, while veteran seniors led by Monmouth University-bound second baseman Gianna Stern (.417 BA) and Seton Hall University-bound shortstop Naya Martinez (.333 BA, 15 runs) are among the other solid players that the Mount can count on in the team’s deep lineup. Livingston is led by Villanova commit Sophia Mount who is having a superb first half of her senior season with 119 K’s and a 1.26 ERA. Cedar Grove, which edged the Mount, 2-1, in last May’s ECT final, is also the defending Group 1 state champions. The Panthers are led by two-way star Cayce Kavakich, who is talented in the circle and is also one of the state’s best hitters entering recent action with a .571 batting average. Follow Steve Tober on 'X' (Twitter) @Chattermeister
West Essex coach Andrea Mondadori, whose Knights are the No. 7 seed in the Essex County Softball Tournament, is seen with former longtime assistant Jason Ahmed after she recently notched her 300th career win. Two of the top players to watch in the 2024 ECT are Livingston pitcher Sophia Mount and Cedar Grove's Cayce Kavakich, who is one of the top hitters in the state and also a standout hurler for the Panthers. The ECT gets going May 1. (Photos by Jeff Stiefbold and courtesy of West Essex) copyright 2005 Sideline Chatter - to comment contact the webmaster
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