By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
After Emma Dick fanned yet another batter to end the fourth inning in a Colonial Conference showdown between No. 3 Gloucester and Haddon Heights on Wednesday, Lions coach Megan Mason was already talking about what kind of ice cream the team would be getting after the game.
Let’s just say it’s been that type of year.
Behind Dick’s 10-strikeout performance, the Lions shut out the Garnets, 7-0, to bring their record to 17-1 in what has been an extremely impressive start to defending their back-to-back Group 2 state titles.
“I try to just keep their mind off of some of the pressure,” Mason said of her ice cream talk. “We try to keep the pressure off of them and keep it light in the dugout, keep it light in the huddles, and hopefully their minds stay nice and calm out there.”
Arguably no pitcher in the region has been calmer under pressure this season than Dick.
The senior righty has a .84 ERA with seven shutouts this spring and a single season career-high of 126 strikeouts.
“We’re on the road to winning another state championship,” the William Paterson University commit said. “We don’t talk about it because it’s bad luck, but it’s definitely in our future, so that’s all we’re training for.
“We have to continue being positive and work together if we get an error. For instance, there was a high pop that no one communicated on. That’s totally fine. We move on to the next. Honestly, we just need to keep a clear mind and keep working hard in practice.”
Said Mason: “Emma is amazing, and she just keeps on getting better. She still has some work to do and a little bit of improvement to do, but she works hard. I know in these next couple weeks, she’ll put the time and the effort in, so we’re looking forward to it.”
While the Lions (17-1, 9-0 Colonial Liberty) returned several varsity members from last year’s championship squad, there are also new faces who are making an impact this spring.
One of those is Ava Moore, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs at the plate. The junior’s RBI-double in the third inning started the scoring for the Lions. She also drove a runner home in the fourth inning, helping the Lions cap off a three-run inning.
Another is her younger sister, freshman Alyssa Moore, who recorded an RBI single in the fourth inning. The younger Moore has 10 hits during her rookie season.
With the power-point cutoff approaching Saturday, Gloucester has all but secured the top seed in the upcoming South Jersey Group 2 playoffs, which start on May 26. The red-hot Lions own wins over No. 12 Audubon (twice), No. 10 Delran, and No. 4 St. Joseph Academy (Hammonton). This past Saturday, they picked up a 6-0 statement victory over No. 2-ranked Kingsway Regional.
“It’s one-game-at-a-time. Even right now, we just talked about it today,” Mason said of their mindset entering the tournament. “It was a great win, Haddon Heights is a great team, but we still have some things we need to work on. We have to keep getting better for any chance at playing those last six games. We know the amount of work we have to put in, and these girls are willing to do it.”
Following the win, the Lions turned their attention to the post-game ice cream trip.
“I’m a vanilla girl, so I’m definitely going to get a soft-serve vanilla,” Dick smiled.
WHAT’S NEXT: Gloucester travels to Haddon Township on Thursday at 4 p.m. Haddon Heights (14-7, 5-5 Colonial Liberty) host Timber Creek on Friday at 4 p.m.
