MSDA senior Carlee Paez, center with trophy, celebrates with her teammates in winning the 2025 Essex County Tournament title. The Lions made it back-to-back ECT championships with a 6-2 victory over Cedar Grove at Ivy Hill Park at Seton Hall University on May 17.
By Edward Kensik
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Mount St. Dominic Academy’s softball team felt confident they would face rival Cedar Grove a third time this season.
The Lions had lost both regular season matchups, which ended their drive for another Super Essex Conference American Division title.
But Mount head coach Rob Stern had a feeling his players would meet the Panthers again in the Essex County Tournament.
“I asked the kids, ‘Please do whatever you can to get back to the (ECT) final,’” said Mount St. Dominic Academy head coach Rob Stern. “I knew that we would face them again. I promised them that we will win.”
And as the old cliché goes, third time’s the charm.
Propelled by a four-run fifth inning, third-seeded MSDA (19-3) went on to a 6-2 victory over top-seeded Cedar Grove and collected the program’s 12th county championship at Ivy Hill Park at Seton Hall University on May 17.
The Lions had previously lost 13-5 on April 9 at home to Cedar Grove and then 10-9 at Cedar Grove on April 28.
In the ECT title match, freshman Avery D’Ambola went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored to lead the Mount St. Dominic Academy offense.
It was D’Ambola’s fifth-inning single that turned out to be the game-winning hit. The freshman’s hit went between second and shortstop. “It was an outside pitch,” said D’Ambola, who added she was able to adapt to Cedar Grove pitcher Cayce Kavakich after the first game between the two schools.
In addition to D’Ambola, juniors Cassie Lopez and Jillian Cianfrocca chipped in a pair of hits each in the final.
But Mount St. Dominic Academy would not have been in the title game if it were not for senior Carlee Paez. Paez smacked a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at five against second-seeded Columbia. The Lions went on to defeat Columbia, 8-5, in eight innings on May 16 in the ECT semifinal at Ivy Hill Park at Seton Hall University.
“It was down the middle,” said Paez about the pitch from Columbia’s Claire Shupe. “The pitch before was right down the middle and I fouled it off. I knew that the next pitch I couldn’t miss.”
In the circle in the title game, sophomore Ava Kelshaw came in as a reliever to pick up the victory and threw four scoreless innings. “I just knew that I had to be the best self I can be and throw my best pitches,” said Kelshaw. “It feels great and I could not do it without my defense in back of me.”
Freshman Abby Cianfrocca started in the circle and went three innings before handing over to Kelshaw. Cianfrocca had thrown eight innings the night before in defeating Columbia.
Against the Cougars, five Lions had two or more hits in the win to move on to the county final. Mount St. Dominic Academy junior Jillian Cianfrocca was 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead the Lions. Sophomore Isabella Iannitelli scored three runs on the night.
Photo Courtesy of Mount St. Dominic Academy
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