Softball Starts Season 7-4; Perched at Second in Division and Fourth in Power Points

Sophomore Payton MacNair gets ready to throw out a runner

Liam Wharton

The Cinnaminson High School Softball team had an impressive 17-8 record last year. Although
this team lost seven seniors, this team had seven returning juniors, now seniors, step in for this upcoming season and are are looking to have one of their best seasons yet.

For this upcoming season, the Pirates have three returning players that received First-Team All-Patriot
Division and they also have two players that received Second-Team All-Patriot Division honors.
Their division consists of Burlington Township, Delran, Westampton Tech, and Pemberton.
Rebecca Martino, a First-Team All-Patriot Division returnee pitcher, has some very high hopes for how
their team will perform this season.

“Our primary goal is making it past the semi finals, where we have been held up for the past two years,” Martino said.

Martino had a total of 60 strikeouts in the 2016-2017 season, while maintaining a 7-6 record. In the 2015-2016 season she threw 23 strikeouts, while maintaining a 5-4 record. Martino has been putting in extra effort in the off season to be prepared what this season has to hold.

“I have been training since November, I’ve gained two new pitches that I’m excited to use in the games. In high school I have always wanted to throw a perfect game. So hopefully this last year, is the year that I can do it.”

The high school’s softball coach, Ms. Bart, has hopes for her team to be competitive within her
division and hopefully bring home the Patriot Division Title.

“We are looking to be competitive in our division again and we want to bring home a division title.”

Although losing four starters in the infield, there are some new rising stars that will hope fill the
roster and lead this team to a successful season.

“Some of our newcomers are junior Candice Delio and sophomore Maddy Thompson and I think that they are going to step in and make a huge impact on our team this year.”

Coach Bart also has good views on the leadership of her team this year.

“As a coach, it is amazing to have six seniors because you have a lot of leadership, you have a lot of people that know the program. You have a lot of people that know what they want out of the program and everybody has the same goals, and it is nice to have that from year to year,” Coach Bart said.

Currently, the team sits at 7-4 overall and 3-2 within the BCSL Patriot Divison.  Burlington Township leads the division with a 6-1 record and 3-0 within league play.  Not counting yesterday’s big 5-0 win over Delran, if the season ended today, Cinnaminson would be the four seed in the SJ Group 2 playoffs with an opening round game hosting Haddonfield before a possible game hosting West Deptford.  If the girls were to win both games, they could have a chance at avenging last season’s 1-0 loss to Cedar Creek as it would travel to Cedar Creek, the current top seed in Group 2 South.