Fresh Off Win In Black & Gold
Johnson Sets Sights On UCT Seed

CEDAR GROVE - While the race between Johnson, Gov. Livingston and Scotch Plains-Fanwood continues for supremacy in the Watchung Division of the Union County Conference, there's another hidden, underlying battle taking place.

This one is a bit more subjective.

Just which team should be awarded the top seed for the upcoming 49th annual softball Union County Tournament?

As this week was underway, the above-mentioned schools seem to have the inside track on garnering the top three seeds at next week's scheduled seeding meeting.

Johnson improved to 12-2 with Monday’s 6- 1 independent victory over Bayonne, and that was 24 hours after edging Colts Neck 2-1 on Sunday, April 27, in Cedar Grove’s annual Black and Gold Invitational. The Crusaders were 9-2 in the Watchung Division to start the new week and have three division games remaining. They split with GL and Scotch Plains, beating both first at home. Scotch Plains defeated Johnson 5-2 in 10 innings at home on Friday, April 25.

GL began the week 10-3 overall and also 9-2 in the division. In addition to splitting with Johnson, GL lost at Scotch Plains and is to host the Raiders on Tuesday, April 29. Like Johnson, GL began the week with three division games to go.

Scotch Plains began the week at 10-3 overall and 8-2 in the division, with division setbacks to Johnson and defending UCT champion Dayton. The Raiders began the week with four division games still to be played.

Dayton began the week 7-7 overall and 6-5 in the Watchung Division. Roselle Park began 9-2 overall and leading the Mountain Division at 7-0.

Those teams, in addition to Summit and Watchung Division schools Westfield and Cranford, should be in line to be seeded just below Johnson, GL and Scotch Plains.

Summit began the week 11-5 overall and second in the Mountain Division at 8-2. Westfield was 8-5 overall and Cranford 5-10. Cranford won the UCT three years in a row before Dayton won the crown for the first time a year ago.

Johnson, which lost in the semifinals last year, is seeking to win the UCT for the first time since 2016 and for just the fourth time overall. Many players returned from last year's Central Jersey, Group 2 sectional state championship squad.

Johnson won CJG2 last year for the first time since the 2016 squad captured the crown for the first time since 1996.

Back on the mound for head coach Chris Di Nucci is sophomore right hander Cassie Conforti. She was on her game at Cedar Grove's Eagles Field Sunday, spinning a two-hitter that included five perfect innings.

Colts Neck managed to produce its lone run after its first two batters on a game-leading off double and then a sacrifice fly to center. The only other Cougar batter to reach base came on a single to center with one out in the third.

Conforti retired the final 14 batters she faced and tossed perfect 1-2-3 innings in the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

"We knew they could hit, so I trusted my defense," Conforti said. "If they were going to hit the ball, I tried to not let them get a solid hit."

Conforti's lone strikeout, which came swinging, ended the first. She did not walk a batter or hit one.

"It's no secret that the success of a softball team starts with a good pitcher," Di Nucci said. "Cassie has been our catalyst since last year. She has great composure, great stuff, she trusts her teammates and she's a tremendous kid and player."

Johnson also played flawlessly in the field, committing no errors.

Conforti induced 12 ground ball outs, including one back to her and three to sophomore second baseman Gianna Calleja. The other eight were cleanly fielded by freshman shortstop Giuliana Hamm, with every following throw to sophomore first baseman Addison Meyer on a fast-paced line right into Meyer's glove.

"I just try to get my hands in the right position and work on my mechanics," Hamm said.

With one out in the sixth inning Hamm's seventh chance saw her move smoothly to her left to field the ball and fire it right back to Meyer at first for the out.

"Giuliana, who also pitches for us, has soft hands," Di Nucci said. "She does everything asked of her and is very humble."

After immediately trailing Colts Neck 1-0, Johnson came right back to score what turned out to be the game's final two runs in the bottom of the first.

Junior leadoff batter Elizabeth Fitzharris got things started with a bunt single and then with one out junior Elizabeth Yanni slugged an RBI-double to left to tie the game at 1-1.

Hamm followed with another sacrifice bunt and after an infield error Yanni came around to score an unearned run for the game-winning run.

Yanni drove another ball deep leading off the sixth that the Colts Neck center fielder made a nice catch on.

"In the first inning I was focused on just trying to get the ball through," Yanni said. "Their pitcher got behind me in my at-bat in the sixth and when I hit it I thought I was going to get a double."

Through Johnson's first 11 games Yanni led the team in doubles with five and walks with eight.

"It always comes down to good players and our players want to win," Di Nucci said. "We have a lot of girls back from last year's team and they've been through it."

As far as enhancing its argument for as high a seed as possible for the UCT, Johnson began its week with a home game against Bayonne on Monday, April 28; was to play at division rival Westfield on Tuesday, April 29 and then come back home to finish the week with games against Brearley on Thursday May 1 and vs. Woodbridge on Saturday, May 3 at 1 p.m.

"There are a lot of competitive teams in the county this year," Yanni said.

"There are a bunch of great players," Hamm said.

"I think it will come down to which team wants it the most," said Conforti, who through 11 games led the team in batting average at .548, with sophomore left fielder Courtney Kilmer right behind at .542.

This is Di Nucci's eighth season at the helm of the Crusaders. He is a 2009 Johnson graduate who played football, track and field and baseball for the Crusaders and who is presently a physical education teacher at the Clark school.

"The teams in the Watchung Division, we've sort of beaten up on each other," Di Nucci said. "There are a lot of good teams in Union County. There is some really good softball being played there."

The year before Di Nucci took over, 2016, head coach Mike Mancino led the Crusaders to a 24-9 record that included Watchung Division, UCT and CJG2 championships. Johnson also reached the Group 2 final that season for the first time since back-to-back years in the title game in 1995 and 1996 under head coach Steve Petruzzelli.

In Di Nucci's first two seasons in 2017 and 2018 , the Crusaders reached the UCT final in 2017 and went 19-10 and the CJG2 title game in 2018 and finished 19-6. Di Nucci guided Johnson to 20 wins for the first time last year when the Crusaders closed at 20-12.

"We're going to give it our best shot again and see what happens," Di Nucci said.

2017: (19-10) - reached UCT Final - lost 1-0 to GL at Linden

2018: (19-6) - reached CJG2 Final - lost 5-1 at Robbinsville

2019: (14-11)

2021: (8-10)

2022: (12-10)

2023: (17-8)

2024: (20-12) - reached UCT Semis, CJG2 Champs

2025: (12-2 so far)

Total: 120-69