Through the first month of the season, Nutley softball coach Luann Zullo has seen the potential for this incredibly young group to do big things. Now, as the calendar turns to May and with tournament play looming, Zullo hopes that those brief glimpses can turn into an extended winning streak at the most important time of the spring.
Since being blown out against a Cedar Grove team ranked No. 5 in the state by NJ.com on opening day, only once has Nutley lost by more than three runs. And while the Raiders are in striking distance in the Super Essex Conference’s Liberty Division race and poised for a top 10 seeded in the Essex County Tournament, they have yet to string a winning streak together of more than three games.
“We show flashes of brilliance. We just need to be more consistent,” said Zullo before Nutley’s 7-2 loss to state-ranked Hanover Park on Sunday. “We’re in just about every game. We’re (7-6), but we could easily 10-3. We’ve had very close games. We’re close. We’re close. We just need to turn the corner.”
While Nutley hasn’t quite turned that corner yet, there has been marked improvement from a group that starts eight underclassmen. One place where that development has shown is in the circle where sophomore Makenna DeJianne has pitched to a 1.88 ERA entering the weekend, highlighted by a three-hit shutout against Newark Academy last Wednesday.
“There were times last year where I would call a pitch and we weren’t quite sure exactly where it would go. But this year, I feel that she has a much better command of her pitches,” Zullo said. “She’s growing as a pitcher and I like the direction she’s moving in.”
DeJianne has shared the pitching responsibilities with freshman Gigi Liloia, who recently posted wins against rival Bloomfield and at West Essex.
“They’re two different pitchers and they both offer a different look,” said Zullo. “We’ll use them in the same game. I’m 100-percent confident with both of them.”
Behind the plate is another freshman, Sophia DeLanzo, who is showing maturity beyond her years by taking over at catcher.
“That’s a big job and she has stepped in and she’s doing a very nice job,” said Zullo. She’s got a really nice arm, she knows the game. She just needs to get a little bit more comfortable taking control because she’s young.”
Three-quarters of the Raiders’ infield is sophomores. Kaitlyn Nellegar is a returning starter at first base and Zoey Von Roth has moved from the outfield to start at second base.
At third base, Camryn Ortega has continued to be a force in the Nutley lineup from the cleanup spot, hitting north of .450 for the second season in a row. When Liloia is pitching, Ortega shifts to right field with DeJianne moving over to third.
“(Camryn) hit the ball a ton last year and she’s hitting the ball a ton this year,” Zullo said. “She’s made the adjustment (to new positions) to help the team.”
Ortega, a natural shortstop, has shifted to third due to the presence of four-year starter Gabriella Mariano.
Mariano, one of just two players left from the Raiders’ North 2, Group 3 title team in 2022, has had several big hits this season, including two home runs in an April 8 win over Glen Ridge and a homer against Bloomfield. In addition, she’s become a vocal leader as one of the two seniors on the roster.
“She’s much more comfortable taking control and moving everyone around,” Zullo said. “She has done a very nice job helping Sophia because if it’s not the catcher, it’s the shortstop who has to take control out there.”
The other senior, center fielder Sianna Kantor, is a three-year starter in the outfield and has been a valuable source of speed as a slap hitter batting in the two spots of the lineup ahead of Mariano and Ortega.
Sophomore Sophia Rocha has taken over as the starting left fielder and leadoff hitter this season. Liloia has been the main right fielder along with Ortega and another sophomore, Olivia Miller, has become the regular designated hitter in recent games.
Freshmen Carmel Sarno and Madison Heal are also vying for playing time.
The Essex County Tournament is set to be seeded on Monday night, after The Observer’s deadlines with Nutley expected to receive a seed in the seven to 10 range.
Before their first round game on Saturday, the Raiders will play Hoboken on Monday before hosting a Columbia team currently ranked No. 12 in the state on Wednesday.
“It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish,” said Zullo. “So hopefully if we keep getting a little bit better, those one run losses will turn into wins.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)