Softball duo makes for an inspiring combination
By doug mckenzie
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNWICK — Leigh Elko and Capri Catalano make quite a combination.

The two North Brunswick softball players have become a highly successful pitcher-catcher duo on the softball diamond and will bring that success to the high school level next spring.

Elko has already established herself as a premier player at that level, earning First Team all-conference honors as a freshman while making a name for herself as one of the top up-and-coming catchers in the state.

As for Catalano, she will enter her freshman season as a player expected to compete for the starting pitcher spot for the Raiders, after accumulating an impressive resume coming into her high school career.

The pitcher-catcher combination of Elko and Catalano has won over 200 games in travel ball over the past five years. It is a special relationship as Catalano overcomes both being deaf and having limited balance — the result of a case of spinal meningitis.

Catalano’s father, Tony, said the two girls have learned how to be effective together and are truly inspiring on the field.

"Leigh has done a sensational job in calling the pitches, relaying signs to Capri and keeping the games in control," he said. "Leigh has been [Capri’s] mentor on the field. She has directed Capri in what to do on the mound during game situations for the last five years."

Catalano is quick to credit local coaches with helping the players develop as a tandem.

"Their success can be attributed to the local North Brunswick and East Brunswick softball programs," he said. "Local coaches Brian Heimbuck, Karen Hrycyna, Larry Nicosia and Ed Pachuta have all played significant roles in developing both players.

"In initiating Capri’s development of the game, Karen Hrycyna, coach of the New Jersey Heat, exhibited great patience in teaching skills and working with Capri to overcome her disabilities."

Her abilities were never more apparent than this summer when both Catalano and Elko led the Central Jersey Tornado 14-and-under girls’ softball team to a pair of national tournaments. The Tornado faced some stellar competition this summer and did little to hurt its reputation as one of the nation’s premier youth softball teams.

The local girls recently placed second in the National Pony Softball Tournament in Sterling, Va., after claiming a ninth-place finish in the National Fastpitch Association Softball Tournament in Orlando, Fla., last month. In Sterling, the Tornado finished with an 8-3-1 record, losing to Naples, Fla., in their final game. It was yet another impressive finish for a team that has grown accustomed to finding success on the national stage.

As a 10-and-under team, the Tornado won the title at the National Pony Tournament, and they took 13th last year.

This summer they excelled once again in the Pony, placing second out of 144 teams from throughout the nation. In doing so, the Tornado made several valiant comebacks while playing six games in 24 hours to reach the championship game. There they fell to the Vienna All-Stars from Virginia. Overall, they finished at 11-1 for the tournament.

The Tornado finished at 56-12-1 for the summer, and won N.J. Pony and ASA state championships along the way.

During the tournaments, Elko was 18-for-53 for a .339 batting average, driving in 12 runs and recording eight doubles, two triples and a home run. Defensively, she threw out numerous baserunners from her catching position to help keep opposing players out of scoring position.

In the Pony nationals, Catalano showed a knack for coming through in the clutch when she hit a double in the bottom of the seventh inning against Sarasota with two out to drive in the winning run, helping the Tornado advance to the final 16.

In the quarterfinal game against the Chaos, she came through again, singling with two outs in the seventh to tie the game. She finished with a .353 mark after going 12-for-34 for the two tournaments.

Capri was impressive on the mound finishing with an 11-1 mark over the course of the two tournaments, including seven shutouts and two no-hitters, and providing local softball fans with a taste of what the North Brunswick High School team has to look forward to.

This year’s Tornado squad featured players from throughout the central New Jersey area. A pair of Old Bridge girls, Nicki Riggio and Kate Calogera, were key contributors throughout the summer. Riggio had a game-winning, 225-foot home run against the Jacksonville, Fla., Thunder, and batted a team-high .432 during the two national tournaments with 18 hits.

Calogera made several outstanding defensive plays at shortstop, including diving catches on three different occasions, while also hitting at a .373 clip (21-for-59).

Matawan’s Danielle Davenport and Kelly McGinnis were also key contributors with Davenport playing a flawless center field, making several nice catches and throwing out baserunners in the nationals, while McGinnis compiled a 3-0 pitching record throughout the two national tournaments. McGinnis also provided one of the highlights of the Pony tournament when she scored the tying run against the Pennsylvania Chaos, escaping from a rundown between third base and home plate.

Another Matawan native, Tina Soltren, also had a stellar summer for the Tornado and collected a key two-out single that ignited a rally against the Chaos in the quarterfinal game of the Pony nationals.

Manalapan’s Ashley Rampino had several key hits during both tournaments, hitting at a .383 clip, and pitched a 2-0 shutout in the Pony nationals against Sarasota.

Jackson’s Stephanie Byster was also a hitting star, batting .388 and collecting a team-high 21 hits, including six doubles, over the two tournaments while knocking in 13 runs.

Hamilton’s Nick Caplinger and Toms River’s Lisa Federico were also key components to the talented team, with Federico contributing the game-winning hit against Sarasota in the Pony nationals, and Caplinger using her speed to help the team succeed, stealing nine bases and chipping in with six sacrifice bunts.