Samantha Corio
BLOOMFIELD – The Bloomfield High School varsity softball team competed in one of the toughest divisions in the state, the American Division of the Super Essex Conference.
The Bengals had to face such strong teams as Mount Saint Dominic Academy, West Essex and Nutley in divisional play. Though they only won one game in the division, the Bengals went 11-3 in out-of-division play to finish with a 12-14 record.
“We did a good job against playing other (non-division) teams,” said BHS head coach Bob Mayer, who earned his 500th career win in the season and has 507 for his career.
The Bengals were led by several players who have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors. They include Samantha Corio, Courtney Politz, Jalia Santos, Kasey Coury, Kristina Collins, Ayana Andrade-Zygmunt and Desiree Ramos. Corio, Politz, Santos, Coury and Collins are on the First Team and Andrade-Zygmunt and Ramos are on the Second Team for the All-Area.
Corio, a senior center fielder/pitcher, led the team in almost every offensive category. She batted .438 with 35 hits and 21 RBI. She also collected her 100th career hit and finished with 107 hits. Corio, who also made All-SEC-American Division First Team, will continue her career at Kean University.
Politz, a senior pitcher, kept the team in most games, posting six wins on the season. An All-SEC-American Division Honorable Selection, Politz, who will attend Montclair State University, also was solid at the plate with a .326 batting average.
Santos, a junior shortstop, also was picked for the All-SEC-American Division Honorable Mention. She collected 20 RBI on the season, including eight in the final four games.
Coury, a junior, was a standout catcher who improved as the season progressed, said Mayer. She batted .301 and had 16 RBI. She also hit a home run against Mount Saint Dominic.
Collins, a sophomore outfielder who mainly played right field, was a slap-type hitter who batted .347, including collecting nine hits in the final four games.
Andrade-Zygmunt, a second baseman, and Ramos, an outfielder, were key sophomores. Andrade-Zgymunt was solid defensively, while Ramos had key hits, Mayer said.
With a strong sophomore group that gained invaluable experience, the Bengals hope to build on their progress for next season.
“We hung in there,” said Mayer. “We played hard. We had a lot of sophomores and it was a big step for the sophomores to be playing Mount Saint Dominic and West Essex. Actually, we played West Essex three times, and lost to them close each time.” West Essex won both the Essex County Tournament and state North Jersey Section 1, Group 3 tournament titles this season.
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