Kuzma, Gurrieri, Callahan All-District
Three teams made it happen on the softball diamond this spring in the Freehold Regional High School District.

Manalapan, Freehold Township and Colts Neck each had their own stories, but they had one thing in common: winning seasons.

Jeannette Bruno's Manalapan Braves overcame the graduation of most of its starters to challenge for the A North Division title with a young team. The Braves, led by catcher Nicole Gurrieri, outfielder Brianne Tanke and sophomore pitcher Deanna Daluise, came up one game short of a fourth straight division title. The Braves (13-10) were again a postseason team.

Beth English's Freehold Township Patriots were the team of the year. An afterthought when the season began, the Pats picked up momentum and confidence as the season wore on. They won the Monmouth County Tournament Blue Division title and upset Steinert, the No. 3-seeded team in the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs. Four-year starters Cole Callahan and Lindsie Sai led the 14-10 Pats.

A veteran Colts Neck team figured to be a major contender in A North. But an unexpectedly poor start took the Cougars out of the chase early. Chris Hoffman's Cougars were sub-.500 for much of the season, but displayed their veteran savvy by finishing strongly and qualifying for the postseason.

With a 15-12 mark, they won the most games of any team in the area. Power-hitting Kate Kuzma presented big problems for the opposition.

Callahan, Kuzma and Gurrieri head the New Transcript's 2008 All-Freehold Regional District Softball Team. The pitchers are Daluise and Freehold Township's Brooke Witcher. The infield has Callahan, Manalapan's Danielle LaCugna, Colts Neck's Brianna Dunbar and Freehold Borough's Kristi Lynch. The catcher is Gurrieri. Kuzma, Tanke, Sai and Freehold Borough's Meghan Gibson are the outfielders. The designated player is Howell's Sarah Owen and the utility player is Marlboro's Gayle Rotmil.

Kuzma, an outfielder, is well on her way to one of the finest careers ever put together by a District softball player. The junior is already one of the Shore's most feared batters. She slammed six home runs (tied for the most in the Shore) and had seven doubles among her 36 hits. She batted .468 for the season and had 26 RBIs and 25 runs scored, all of which were team-leading statistics for Colts Neck. She also had no errors in the field.

Gurrieri put it all together this spring. A superb defensive catcher, she excelled behind the plate and with the bat. She was among the Shore's best hitters with her .440 batting average and 33 hits.

She had five doubles and two home runs and drove in 13. Whether it was fielding bunts, throwing out on-base runners or working with pitchers, she was a major asset on defense.

LaCugna, a senior like Gurrieri, had a big season as well for the Braves. She batted .365 on 23 hits. She had three doubles and a home run and batted in 11.

Tanke followed up her big freshman season with a solid campaign in '08. The outfielder batted .323 and displayed the pop she had last spring with three home runs and five doubles. She led the team with 15 RBIs.

Daluise had some pretty big shoes to fill with the graduation of All-State hurler Ashley Rampino (now pitching for Manhattan College). The sophomore settled in nicely and proved from the start that she had what it takes to win. She went 13-9 with a 1.52 earned-run average for the season. She had 169 strikeouts in 163 innings. The Braves are in good shape on the mound for the next two years. Daluise helped her own cause with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Shortstop Callahan set several Freehold Township career records during her four years. This spring was her best as she batted .478 and had an on-base percentage of .641. She had eight doubles and three triples and slugged at .505. She led the team with 21 RBIs, many of them clutch. She had an equal impact in the field shoring up the infield defense.

Sai, a centerfielder, set career records as well. She batted .378 this spring, and her 10 doubles ranked among the Shore's leaders as did her 32 hits. She anchored an outstanding defensive outfield.

Witcher was 8-8 for the Pats, but pitched all the big games. She was on the mound for the county championship and she beat Steiner, the No. 3 seed in Central Jersey, 1-0. Witcher, a sophomore, fields her position well and her strength is that she throws strikes.

Dunbar was among the senior leaders who would not let the season get away from the Cougars. As the team's leadoff hitter, she jump-started the offense. She batted .325 and had 27 hits. She scored 19 runs.

Owen did her best to get the Rebel offense going. She batted .299 and rapped out 20 hits from the leadoff position. On defense, she was able to make a difference. She had five assists from centerfield. Teams were reluctant to go for the extra base, thanks to her strong arm.

Gibson and Lynch were a formidable one-two punch for the Colonials.

Gibson, a junior, was 43-85 and batted .505. She had six doubles and two home runs (one a grand slam) and scored 22 runs. She had 17 RBIs.

Lynch wrapped up a productive career, batting .486 and leading the team in RBIs (25). She scored 15 times and had three doubles.

Owen was a solid two-way standout for Howell. She had a great glove and arm from centerfield, and she was the team's offensive spark. She batted .299 on 20 hits.

Rotmil was Marlboro's MVP and one of the reasons that the Mustangs closed the gap. She was the team's most productive hitter, batting more than .400. She played just about every position in the field for Marlboro.

Those earning honorable mention for 2008 are: Nicole Wisniewski, Taylor Kuzma and Nicole Kelly, Colts Neck; Brittany Sinker, Carly Friedman and Christina Masitti, Freehold Township; Kelly Mormino and Michelle Piscitelli, Howell; Danielle Calogera, Manalapan; and Jocelyn Bellemare, Marlboro.