Mater Dei softball team an emerging power Seraphs enjoy stellar season, with plenty of talent returning BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer The youthful Mater Dei High School girls softball team completed its spring campaign with a 22-6 mark and won the nonpublic portion of the Shore Conference's Class B Central crown and tied with Shore Regional for the overall division title, but the best may be yet to come for the Seraphs. Mater Dei returns the bulk of its starting lineup next season, the only major loss to graduation is pitcher/left fielder Amy Brandon, who went 7-2 with a 1.31 ERA. "We caught some people by surprise this year, but that won't happen again next season," coach Jeanne Dickinson said. "But the girls will also have more experience and they know what it takes to win." The Seraphs qualified for both the Shore Conference and Monmouth County tournaments, reaching the second round of both events before losing to Toms River East and RBC, respectively. Mater Dei also made its way to the semifinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public South B tourney before bowing to Gloucester Catholic. A year ago, Dickinson's team showed flashes of promise when it recorded a 13-8 mark. This time around the Seraphs improved their already steady team fielding average to .959, from .953 in 2006. In addition, this year's edition batted .299 as a team. Another plus was pitcher Sara Cline, who transferred from Keyport. The junior went 15-4 with a 1.26 ERA to go along with 186 strikeouts in 133.1 innings. Helping her own cause, Cline issued just 36 bases on balls. Cline's strong showing combined with Brandon and the Seraphs' excellent defense to keep opponents at bay. Jaime Coppa, a four-year veteran, provided stellar fielding at first base, where she had the ability to ensure that potentially errant throws turned into outs. Center fielder Danielle Murphy was flawless in the field, picking up 28 put-outs and eight assists. Murphy, a sophomore, led the Seraphs at the plate with a .405 mark to go along with a pair of home runs and 17 RBIs. Shortstop Lauren Florio and third baseman Tess Gagliano, two juniors who switched positions midway through the season, batted .387 and .346, respectively. Another junior, right fielder Lauren McKeown batted .321. Dickinson noted that McKeown's knowledge of fundamentals often helped move runners over and her speed in the outfield frequently prevented opponents from taking extra bases. Sophomore second baseman Kristen Philpot finished at .304 despite a late-season slump and also proved invaluable in the field. Juniors Elyse Parker and Erin Carroll, who split the catching duties, were both solid behind the plate. Sophomore Jessie Sobko performed well in left field, and Katie O'Brien usually served as Mater Dei's designated player. "The girls took some big strides this year," Dickinson said. "One key for us was cutting down on our strikeouts. We stressed the importance of putting the ball in play and the girls really focused on doing that. Another key for us … was playing well against traditionally good teams like Toms River East and RBC. Those were good learning experiences because the girls know what that next level is like." Among the victories were successes against Middletown South and St. Rose, twice apiece, and wins over Ocean and Monmouth Regional. "We have a talented team and we're really on the right track," Dickinson said. "Obviously, they did a lot of things right on the field. That team-first, look-out-for-each-other attitude paid off, and that's something they can carry into next year."