The Steinert Girls Varsity Softball team began their season on April 3, 2023. After their successful run in winning the MCTs and a sectional final last season, the team is hoping to continue their winning tradition. 

This year’s team is not short on leadership, as all three of the captains are returning seniors. Izzy Bonacci, Ceara O’Neal and Makenna Spak provide head coach Jen Melker with the perfect combination of talent and hard work. All three of them lead by example both on and off the field.

Although the Spartans faced a tough defeat on their opening day against Notre Dame, the team was able to pick themselves back up and gain shut-out victories against Lawrence, Allentown, Trenton, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, and Hopewell Valley. 

Bonacci has picked up where she left off last year remaining a dominant force on the mound. She has struck out 66 batters in 46 innings, and has an earned run average of 1.24. 

O’Neal has continued to be a force with the bat. She is currently hitting .474 with two home runs and 15 RBIs. In a recent game against Haddon Heights, the number one ranked team in New Jersey O’Neal homered off of their top pitcher who hadn’t ever given up a long ball before in her entire career.

This team has also been blessed with some newcomers. Two freshmen who earned spots on this year’s team have been hot at the plate. Mia Pope is currently hitting .464 with 10 runs scored, and Bianca Walsh has an average of .486, with 15 runs scored.

Senior Paige Schultz gave her opinion on the season so far, “We feel optimistic about our season, and our hard work will pay off in the long run.” 

Head Coach Jennifer Melker also gave her insights, “Coming off of back to back wins for MCTs the last two years, and winning our Sectional last year I am very excited. This team has a lot of talent and is just starting to scratch the surface of what they are truly capable of. We had a slow start so our seed will not be as high as we are used to. They will have to not worry about our record and stay focused on our overall goal. The ultimate goal is to win, they need to show determination and understand that they are capable of taking control.”

You can catch the softball team playing on May 8th at Ewing, a home game on May 11th against West Morris, on May 15th at Hamilton West, and on May 18th at Hightstown. Show up loud and proud to support Spartan softball!