By Edward Kensik
CALDWELL, NJ — The Mount St. Dominic Academy softball team is on a mission to do something it hasn’t accomplished in over a decade: win a group championship.
Last season, the Lions fell short in the group final, losing 4-1 to St. John Vianney. This year’s squad is determined to change that.
The last Lions team to win a group title was in 2014, when they defeated Immaculata 5-2 in the Non-Public A championship.
The 2025 Mount St. Dominic squad, seeded second in the section, earned that chance by defeating top-seeded Immaculate Heart Academy 3-2 on Thursday, June 5, in Washington Township.
The Lions (26-4) will face Donovan Catholic in the 2025 Non-Public A championship game, scheduled for June 11 at Ivy Hill Park at Seton Hall University (time TBD).
Lions head coach Rob Stern credited sophomore pitcher Ava Kelshaw for shutting down an IHA team riding a 16-game win streak and averaging eight runs per game.
“Our best kid pitched like an all-state player,” said Stern. “She shut down their best hitters.”
Kelshaw fired a complete game while scattering seven hits and striking out five.
Sophomore hurler Kelshaw said she knew back in March that the team would make it back to the group championship.
“I knew from day one that we were going to be here,” said Kelshaw. “I didn’t know it was going to be this field (IHA), but I knew that we would be here.”
It marked the program’s fourth straight Non-Public A North championship, following last year’s 10-0 sectional title win over Pope John.
A three-run fourth inning and Kelshaw’s timely pitching were enough to secure the 2025 Non-Public North A title for the Lions.
“I knew that when we got the runs that it was good for us and we would be able to keep the lead,” said Kelshaw who added what was working in her pitching arsenal. I was mixing up with my changeup and I got them a few times with that.
At the plate, sophomore Isabella Iannitelli came through with a big hit—a two-RBI single with the bases loaded in the top of the third to give the Lions a 2-0 lead. Juniors Cassandra Lopez and Jillian Cianfrocca both scored.
Iannitelli would later score in the inning to give Mount St. Dominic a 3-0 lead.
After IHA scored two runs in the bottom of the third, the Lions ended the threat with a double play—tagging runners out at home and second.
From there, Kelshaw and the Lions’ defense bent but didn’t break, stranding IHA runners in three of the final four innings.
Learning they would face Donovan Catholic instead of St. John Vianney in the final brought a slight letdown, but the Lions know ending the title drought will still be a major challenge.
Kelshaw said the team is motivated to win the Non-Public A title for seniors Briella Longo and Carlee Paez, who lost to Donovan Catholic in the 2022 group final.
“We beat them (Donovan Catholic, 5-1) last year and hoped to win this for the seniors,” said Kelshaw. “I know that they lost to them (Donovan Catholic) in their freshmen year.”
In the game last season against Donovan Catholic, Kelshaw was on fire in the circle with 13 strikeouts while limiting the Griffins to only three hits, one earned run and one walk. Offensively, the now-sophomore, Fran Cutillo, went 1-for-2 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI as a freshman.
Mount St. Dominic Academy softball team heads to state final after topping Immaculate Heart Academy in North Non-Public A added by Editor on
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