By Jerry Del Priore 

This past New Jersey softball season found Montville High School buzzing through stiff competition and all the way to a Morris County Tournament (MCT) crown, the school’s first-ever title. 

The Mustangs posted a 22-2 overall record and went 10-0 in their conference. Plus, they defeated a tough Roxbury squad in the MCT final, 5-0.

With new additions to the club, including standout pitcher Caitlin Olensky, who transferred from Lodi Conception Immaculate, Head Coach John Immediato said he was confident that Montville would have an amazing season due to its cohesive team bond. 

“I wasn’t surprised (by our success),” said Immediato, who teaches Physical Education and is an Assistant Football Coach at Wayne Valley High School. “I knew we had new, talented players coming in, and they meshed well with the other players on the team. We had positive team chemistry. It was one of the reasons why we were so successful.” 

Olensky, a University of Arkansas softball commit, enjoyed a breakout campaign in the circle, striking out 252 batters to go along with a minuscule 0.52 ERA in 19 games. 

Immediato said Olensky proved invaluable to the Mustangs this season, putting the team in place to be ultra competitive and win big. 

“She was phenomenal this year in the circle,” he said.

As for beating Roxbury, who eventually advanced to the semifinal round in the Tournament of Champions, Immediato said it took a total team performance to upend a great club that day in the MCT final. 

“It’s probably the biggest win in school history. We played extremely well that night,” Immediato said. “It was a really big team win. We had a lot of players contribute to the win. It was a huge team effort.”

“I was very excited for the girls,” the 23-year Montville coach said. “It was one of my best seasons as a (softball) coach.” 

Another player who shined this season was two-sport (basketball) athlete junior Grace Kowalski, who slugged .474 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 78 at-bats, to go along with the 14 bases she swiped. 

“Grace had a strong year as my leadoff hitter,” Immediato explained. “She got on base, stole some bases and was a great table setter.”  

Immediato said the Mustang’s future looks promising, as freshman pitcher Daniella Biggio will complement Olensky even further next season, as she permitted just seven earned runs in 41 innings of work. 

“She has a bright future in the circle,” he said. “She is going to be very good in the future.”  

To handle the gifted pitching staff, there was junior catcher Gabby Doncoes behind the dish, who hit .280 with 16 RBI. 

“She did a great job with our pitchers,” Immediato said.

Seeded No. 1 in the MCT, Immediato said Montville proved up to the challenge in the ultra-competitive county tournament, though it came up short to Morris Knolls, 1-0, in the NJSIAA North Jersey Semifinal Round of the Section 1, Group 3 Tournament. 

“There was a lot of pressure being the number one seed and having to win all four games,” he said. “But it was great for them to win. The girls were elated and the community was so supportive.” 

Returning a full starting squad next year, Immediato said the Mustangs should be prepared to battle with any squad in the Garden State, that is if they do the right things. 

“We don’t lose any starters,” the Wayne resident said. “The ball is in their court. If they work hard, they can be even better next year.”