MKA Softball On The Rise
With Record-Setting Hurler

MONTCLAIR- The state-of-the-art softball diamond behind the Montclair Kimberley Academy middle school is an immense upgrade over the field that the memorable Cougar teams of the late 1990s and throughout the first several years of the 2000’s played on.

And, while the present-day team is still a ways from returning to a level anywhere near the elite Top 20 statewide status that was a regular occurrence during the program’s heyday when MKA captured eight Non-Public B state championships in an 11-year period (1999-2009) - including four in a row from 2004-2007 – major strides continue to be made as veteran coach Jessica Sarfati’s young Cougars are seeking a second straight prep B tournament championship while also having hopes to make considerable noise in the upcoming NJSIAA Non-Public, North B state tournament field.

One staple for those great MKA teams that began a string of success in 1999, defeating Sacred Heart for its first state championship, was strong pitching to complement a very capable lineup.

Whether it was Vanessa Carmona, Karinna Sjo-Gaber, Kristen Masino (a former teammate of Sarfati at Bates College), Jamie Piela (Siena University) or Molly Herforth (Stevens Tech), the string of outstanding hurlers coincided with the team’s continued success in the NJSIAA state tourney.

Now there is a talented 3-year starter in junior Liv Healey getting the job done in the circle. She has already etched her own indelible mark in MKA softball pitching annals after recently eclipsing the 400-strikeout career plateau to become the first pitcher in Cougar history to reach that exclusive level. And, with another high school season to go in 2027, the crafty, veteran hurler is on track to finish her MKA career with more than 500 K’s.

Healey has a 1.68 ERA with 119 K’s and just 16 walks while allowing 57 hits in 79 innings pitched for the 13-5 Cougars, who won for the fifth time in the last six games with Thursday’s (May 14) 12-0 win vs. Millburn which clinched the Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division championship for the Montclair private school with a perfect 9-0 mark.

The final conference division clash is scheduled at Bard 4 p.m., Monday (May 18) which will begin a busy week ahead that will also include hosting fourth-seeded Rutgers Prep in Tuesday’s (May 19) prep B tourney semifinals, a Wednesday, May 20th, independent contest at Wallington, and – hopefully – a third straight appearance in the prep B tourney championship game set for 4 p.m., Thursday, May 21, at Diamond Nation in Flemington.

“Repeating as prep B champs is our goal this year,” said Healey, who is also wielding a potent bat with a .400 batting average and a team-leading 24 RBI to go along with 22 runs through the first 18 games. “Coming into this year we had a few new people, and that was good to help replace what we had lost; and we’ve all come together as a close-knit team while working very well together to make this a special season.

“Reaching 400 strikeouts is a nice achievement, but it’s really all about doing whatever I can do out there to help us win games, and I know that we have a deep lineup this season which helps make me even more comfortable in trusting all my pitches.”

MKA lost to Gill St. Bernard’s, 11-7, in the 2024 prep B championship game when Healey was a freshman and then defeated the Knights, 5-3, in the prep B final last May, also at Diamond Nation.

This year’s opponent, should the Cougars slip past Rutgers Prep, will come from either second-seeded Morristown-Beard or the survivor of this Monday’s quarterfinal contest between sixth-seeded Gill and third-seeded Newark Academy.

“We’re hopeful about repeating as prep B champs, but we have to continue to take it one game at a time, and we know it definitely won’t be easy,” said Sarfati, who played scholastically at nearby Montclair High School before her collegiate career at Bates. “We have some real good chemistry on this yaer’s team and Liv continues to get the job done with her outstanding pitching.

“She’s a great kid and it’s really about her mixing her pitches out there. I always say it’s a really good day when she isn’t throwing the fast ball as much because she has a number of different pitches that she can throw while doing a good job of keeping batters off balance.”

Healey pointed to her curve ball and rise as key pitches in her arsenal as she strives to limit baserunners.

“We try to focus on getting the first out to start an inning, and I know that I can count on my defense which has been great behind me,” she added. "Executing the small things is so important as we strive to play fundamentally-sound softball.”

MKA’s promising team has a trio of 3-year starters in Healey along with standout infielders and fellow juniors in shortstop Eva Sieger (.557 BA, 28 runs, 18 RBI, 14 extra base hits) and second baseman Gabby Ladd (.518 BA, 18 runs, 18 RBI, 14 stolen bases). There is also a trio of key first-year varsity contributors in junior center fielder Annie Barrett (.349 BA, 20 runs, 19 RBI) and two talented freshmen in catcher Chloe Jacobson (.370 BA, 12 RBI, 9 extra base hits) and right fielder-pitcher Keira Field (.333 BA, 10 stolen bases, along with 21 K’s in 12 2/3 IP as a nice backup hurler behind Healey).

“We have some amazing additions this season in Chloe, Keira and Annie who have become part of a great mix,” said Sarfati. “We are in sync with each other which is great to see as everyone competes at a high level each day.”

Excellent senior leadership is provided by co-captains Maude Lomuscio, who is a veteran first baseman, and Serena Nguyen, who plays left field.
For Healey, who works year-round on her pitching, including as a member of the East Coast Tsunami, it’s about being ready to take the ball each day for a team that looks to finish strong while also hoping to be moved up a division to the SEC-Liberty in 2027.

“This is such an enjoyable team to be a part of, and our coaches do a great job of preparing us for each new challenge,” said the MKA standout hurler. “As we look forward to the rest of the season it’s important for us to just focus on what we have, and to continue to try and execute in those key situations that occur in every big game.

“If we do that, I like our chances to have a very strong finish!”

NOTES- Healey, who especially enjoys her science classes at MKA, said she plans get on the pre-med track in college with hopes of one day being an orthopedic surgeon…She had 157 strikeouts in 114 innings in her freshman season for the 16-9 Cougars and added 151 K’s and a 1.55 ERA in 99 2/3 IP last spring…Sarfati was one of the coaches along with John Odell, who directed the 2009 MKA team to its last Non-Public B state championship with a victory over St. Jospeh of Hammonton at Toms River North. That Cougars team was led by the gutsy pitching of Molly Herforth and the contributions of other key players including outfielders Devin Keefe and Ashley Bishop, hard-hitting third baseman Andrea Huelsenbeck, steady catcher Jess Stofijk, athletic shortstop Laura Placentra, slugging DH Danielle Donatiello and first baseman Adriana Calandra…MKA’s other Non-Public B state titles came in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The 2001 team lost to Gloucester Catholic in the state final…Looking at the 2026 Non-Public, North B state tournament field, the top seed will be 3-time defending Passaic County Tournament champion DePaul (15-5) while St. Mary’s of Rutherford (13-8) is at No. 2 and MKA is in the third slot