By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
RUNNEMEDE — Kristi Galasso is in her eighth season coaching the Triton Regional High softball team, so she knows true talent when she sees it.
And while the Mustangs are only eight games into the season, it didn’t take long for Galasso to realize that her rookie class is legit.
Fueled by the freshmen pitcher-catcher duo of Ava Scuderi and Ava Cerminaro, Triton blanked Eastern, 7-0, in non-league action on Friday morning.
It was a needed comeback win after the Mustangs (6-2, 4-1 Tri-County Liberty) suffered a 5-4, walk-off loss to Delsea Regional on Wednesday. The Mustangs’ only other setback came against Kingsway Regional nearly two weeks ago.
“We’re starting to really come together now, I think,” Galasso said. “We dropped a tough one to Delsea this week, but overall I think that we are really trending in the right direction. I was just telling the girls that this is my eighth season, and we’ve never beaten Eastern before, so it feels really good — not only for them bouncing back from our Delsea loss, but it’s a moral victory for me.”
Scuderi recorded a strong showing in the circle, surrendering just two hits and fanning eight batters in the seven-inning shutout. At the plate, she went 2-for-3 with a key RBI that helped the Mustangs build a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning.
“I have not — not for us, anyway,” Galasso said when asked if she’s seen a freshman like Scuderi. “We’ve always had very good pitchers, but she has really elevated our game tremendously this year. Especially as a freshman, just the way she takes on bigger situations, both on the mound and at the plate, has far exceeded any expectation that I had.
“She’s incredibly confident at the plate. You can just see it by the way she steps into the box,” the coach added. “She does exactly what we ask her to do. We want her to put the ball in play, and that’s what she always does. She hits hard ground balls, hard line drives, she finds openings in the field and rattles the pitcher while she’s in the box with her confidence. She’s somebody that we have really been able to rely on in these first eight games to produce at the plate.”
Similar to most freshmen, Scuderi has a quiet demeanor and isn’t a big talker. Her consistency on the field does the talking for her. And as Galasso noted, she certainly doesn’t lack in the confidence department.
“It’s an opportunity. You have to be positive,” Scuderi said of her mindset. “You’re out there, and you’re given a job to do. I trust my defense. If they make an error, you have to keep your head up. Things happen. It feels good to come out here pitching and to throw my best. I try to get ahead.”
Rookie catcher Cerminaro has also made quite the impression for the Mustangs, making key plays behind and at the plate this spring. She walked twice and made it home as many times in the victory.
“We had a sad loss the other day and we came back and won this one,” Cerminaro said. “It felt really good. I love catching for her (Scuderi), she has a really good spin.”
Said Galasso, “they’re our little freshmen duo. Ava and Ava — Ava squared. (Cerminaro) has been tremendous back there. Having someone you can rely on (behind the plate), she really understands the game. She’s not afraid to try to throw people out at bases, she’s very confident back there and she moves very quickly. She’s made plays so far this year that I’ve never seen as a coach here at Triton. She has come and made an immediate impact in the field for us.”
GAME NOTES: Junior Makayla Hawthorne added two RBIs on a hit in the first inning. … Eastern star senior and Seton Hall commit Samantha Wakeley allowed six hits before being relieved in the fourth inning due to an apparent injury. Before giving way to the bullpen she had pitched every inning so far this season for Eastern (3-3, 1-2 Olympic American) and has 63 strikeouts in 38 innings of work. … Mia Paliatsas went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs for Triton, raising the senior infielder’s batting average to .400 for the season.
WHAT’S NEXT: Eastern travels to Cherry Hill West on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. Triton travels to Williamstown on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
