By Edward Kensik
CALDWELL, NJ — The Mount St. Dominic Academy softball team captured the 2025 Non-Public A state championship with a thrilling 4–3 victory over Donovan Catholic, ending an 11-year title drought and delivering a long-awaited triumph for the program.
The Lions had fallen short in five straight Non-Public A title games since their last crown in 2014, including a heartbreaking loss to St. John Vianney in 2023. This year’s team was determined to rewrite the story—and they did.
In a high-stakes showdown on June 11 at Seton Hall University’s Ivy Hill Park, the game was tied heading into the top of the seventh. That’s when junior Jillian Cianfrocca of Chester stepped up and delivered one of the most unforgettable plays in program history – her 10th home run of the season, a towering solo shot over the centerfield fence that gave the Lions a 4–3 lead in the state final.
Mount fans erupted in the stands as Cianfrocca rounded the bases, her teammates pouring out of the dugout to greet her at home plate. It was a moment years in the making.
“The pitch I saw coming in during my at-bat was right over the plate, so I took advantage and attacked it,” said Cianfrocca. “Since I was leading off the inning, I didn’t want to miss any opportunity. I was ready for anything close to the plate.”
Mount St. Dominic had a chance to extend the lead, loading the bases with no outs. But Donovan Catholic’s pitcher, Sophia Senger, worked out of the jam.
“I would have liked a few more runs,” said head coach Rob Stern. “But hats off to their pitcher for getting out of that inning.”
In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore pitcher Ava Kelshaw, of West Milford, took the mound one last time. With focus and composure, she shut down the Griffins to protect the one-run lead and secure the win for Mount St. Dominic.
When the final out was recorded, gloves flew and cheers echoed through Ivy Hill Park as the Lions rushed the field in celebration. The wait was finally over.
“She’s a special player, and I think she thrives in these moments,” said Stern.
Kelshaw went the distance, allowing seven hits and two earned runs, while striking out seven. She missed part of the season with injuries but delivered when it mattered most.
“We knew going into the game that we’d have to use the change-up more,” Kelshaw said. “Everything worked well throughout the game, but my curve and rise were still strong as the game went on.”
Donovan Catholic had eliminated St. John Vianney in the Non-Public A South final, but it didn’t matter who stood in their way – this time, the Lions were ready.
For the team’s two seniors, Briella Longo, of North Haledon; and Carlee Paez, of Wayne, the win was especially meaningful.
“It feels really good,” said Paez, who will play softball at Sacred Heart University next spring. “I feel really accomplished, and I know the rest of the team does, too. To do it my senior year is such an amazing feeling – to know that the last impact I had on the Mount softball program was the best it could have been.”
Stern credited the entire Mount community. “I couldn’t have been happier for the current team, the school and the alumni. It couldn’t happen to a finer group of kids.”
The Lions finished with a 27–4 record and were a relatively young team, with a solid mix of underclassmen who had already played in big games – including last year’s state final.
“It was a good blend of younger kids and older kids that have been in these big games,” said Stern.
Players and coaches alike pointed to a key turning point earlier in the season: a 2-1 win over then-top-ranked Steinert on April 21. That game came after a tough 6-5 loss to Colts Neck, the team’s second loss of the season.
“I knew from the start we had it in us, but our win against Steinert was a positive turning point for us this season,” said sophomore Francesca Cutillo, of Caldwell, who went 1-for-3 in the game.
Sophomore Brooke Mundy of Denville agreed, pointing to both the Steinert win and the team’s Essex County Tournament championship as season-defining moments.
“I believed we were going to win it all from the start,” said Mundy, who was also 1-for-3 against Steinert. “But the game I knew for sure was after beating Steinert – and then beating Cedar Grove in the county championship when it mattered.”
The 6-2 county title win over Cedar Grove on May 17 was especially sweet, as the Lions had lost to the Panthers twice in the regular season.
For Paez, one of those regular-season losses to Cedar Grove – 10–9 on April 28 – was the spark that fueled their championship push.
“I knew we were going to win after that second loss to Cedar Grove,” said Paez. “As a senior, I knew that if I wanted to get the chance to play in the big games, I’d been in during past years, we would have to make a huge switch – on and off the field.”
The Lions showed poise and patience throughout the final game, drawing 10 walks, including several key ones in the second inning when they scored three runs to take an early 3–1 lead.
Coach Stern summed it up best: “This was for everyone – past and present – who ever wore a Mount uniform. They earned it.”
2025 Mount St. Dominic softball roster
- Bella Baez, freshman, Nutley
- Julie DeLorenzo, junior, Nutley
- Guiliana Parelli, sophomore, Belleville
- Cassandra Lopez, junior, Newark
- Guilianna Alagia, sophomore, Fairfield
- Alexa Cordovano, freshman, North Caldwell
- Avery D’Ambola, freshman, Caldwell
- Fran Cutillo, sophomore, Caldwell
- Arianna Cruz, sophomore, Cedar Grove
- Riley Kiernan, freshman, Verona
- Lola Jandoli, freshman, Little Falls
- Natalia Marecki, sophomore, Little Falls
- Gabbie Denniger, junior, Morristown
- Ava Kelshaw, sophomore, West Milford
- Briella Longo, senior, North Haledon
- Bella Iannitelli, sophomore, Denville
- Brooke Mundy, sophomore, Denville
- Kaylan Bartolozzi, freshman, Pompton Plains
- Carlee Paez, senior, Wayne
- Jillian Cianfrocca, junior, Chester
- Abby Cianfrocca, freshman, Chester
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