T
he Carle Place Varsity softball team ended last season with a 19-4 record. Although they were Nassau’s Class B champs as well as the no.1 ranked team in Class B, the Carle Place Frogs ended up losing in the Long Island Championship to an undefeated Babylon in extra-innings. Nevertheless, Carle Place’s Head Coach, Chris Ceruti, said she was extremely proud of her team’s accomplishments. “It’s not always about the winning and losing, it is the ability to choose how we respond to any given circumstance and learn how to be better people,” Coach Ceruti said. This year, the first circumstance the team had to respond to, was the weather. Like any sport, pre-season training requires a constant focus on fundamentals and conditioning. The unusually cold early spring we’ve had on Long Island has not made it easy for the Carle Place softball team. Throwing a ball around in the bitter cold can definitely be a little painful, but some may say that a little bit of pain can go a very long way in the world of sports. “My goal is always to be the mentally prepared team,” Ceruti said about her spring training program. This year, the cold may prove to be a factor well into the regular season. However, pre-season training is done now, and with the 2013 softball season officially underway, Carle Place will look to match – and quite possibly improve on – last season’s performance. And with the up-and-coming talent on this team, it looks like their chances are pretty good. “My 2013 team will be very different than my team from last year. I have seven returning and only three will be in the same position,” Ceruti said. Among the seven returning players is junior Captain Kaitlyn Davis. While Davis saw a few games at the mound last year, it is likely that she will be pitching much more often – as well as sharing time at first base with senior Devin Deveau. Last year, Davis proved that she can be a threat behind the plate as well.
Not only did it help take them to the championship game, but Cole also threw the first two perfect games in the history of the Carle Place softball program. Now, the Frogs will have to make up for the lost talent, and there is a whole lot of new blood on this team to help them do it. Sophomore Lydia Rice and junior Shelby Fuller will be sharing time at catcher this year, as sophomore Shannon McGuinness looks to spend her time at the mound as well as first base. Meanwhile Laura Murphy, a junior, will be starting in left field. Also joining the lineup this season are juniors Danielle Greico, Krystal Hernandez and Amanda Loughlin. Senior Jessica McMurray is another new addition, and Coach Ceruti said that each will play a part for the Carle Place softball team this year. The Carle Place softball program does not have a very long history by any standards, but it does have a successful one. Coach Ceruti has been the first and only head softball coach at the school, since the program began in 1997. The team’s overall record is 191-136-2. They have six Conference Championships (1999, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2011 and 2012), nine County Titles (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012) and four Long Island Championships (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011). In 2005, the team also made it to the final four at states. That’s a pretty impressive track record, considering the fact that they’ve only been around for sixteen years. But with the energy and passion that Coach Ceruti brings to the table, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. “Carle Place is my extended family and I am grateful every day to do what I love to do,” she said.
Senior Captain Taylor Ruscillo is also returning to the varsity squad this season, starting in center field. Ruscillo has the potential to be another power hitter for the team, especially after she hit a home run last year against Valley Stream North. Brooke Topel – who had two home runs last season - will be starting at third base, and will look to be another big factor for her team. Captain Nicole Grande will be starting in right field in her last season with the Frogs. Junior Keara Mooney will have the chance to return to second base this year, after missing most of last season due to an injury. She will be sharing time at that position with junior Courtney Mulcare, who will be shifting between second base and short stop. Of course, the team will definitely be missing some of the seniors that helped take them all the way to the Long Island Championship in 2012. Of the four seniors that graduated after last season, three of them had All State and All County recognition and went on to play in college. The deadly pitchercatcher combo of Ashley Cole and Leanne Iannucci was one of the big reasons for Carle Place’s success in their 2012 season.
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