Glen Ridge HS softball team looks to contend this season

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GLEN RIDGE – Coming off last year’s 5-21 record, head coach Rachael Miscia Hogan certainly expects her Glen Ridge High School softball team to improve on that mark this year.

“Last year we finished 5-21. I am confident that this year’s squad could improve from last year’s record,” she said.

Most of all, the Ridger coach said she expected the group to compete.

“As always, I would like our team to be competitive in every game,” she said. “I would like to see us do well in the county and state tournaments.”

Without a doubt, the coach said her Ridgers could achieve their goals as long as they play to their strengths.

“We have some returning players from last year who are ready and willing to step into starting roles for the varsity squad,” Hogan said.

The Ridgers unfortunately lost four straight games to start the season, falling to West Orange, 6-3, in the season opener April 1; Verona, 10-2, April 7, and Newark Academy, 12-1; all at Glenfield Park field before losing to Columbia, 10-0, April 11, in South Orange.

Hogan said the Ridgers are led by senior captain and shortstop Sydney Carey, senior captain Margo Scanlon, sophomore catcher Malorie Iovino, senior center fielder Alexandra Mondsini and junior first baseman Lucy Smeets.

Along with those players, the GRHS coach said the team has four freshmen who are featured in the starting lineup: left fielder Grace Twitchell, second baseman Brooke Scanlon, third baseman Elizabeth Komorowski and pitcher Lizzie Wiede.

Looking at the schedule, Hogan said her team would certainly have its work cut out for them.

“We are in such a tough conference and county for softball. We are a young squad with a lot of newcomers and first-year varsity players,” said the coach, noting that this year’s team lost last year’s starting pitcher, Meaghan Thompson, a freshman pitcher last year, who moved this year.

Hogan’s assistant coaches are her father, Anthony Miscia, Kelly Villa, Michael Sammon and Bob Finlay.