4 road games in a week, 4 wins. Why Raritan softball is a stealth contender at the Shore

HOLMDEL -- It only took half an inning for Raritan to leave its mark on the softball diamond against Holmdel. The Rockets flew under the radar for five and a half innings aside from the lone outburst of offense in the top of the third, which was more than enough to redefine the game in their favor. After trailing 2-0 coming into that inning, they left with a 5-2 advantage and ultimately cruised to a 5-3 victory.

"We have something to prove this year," said senior shortstop Bella Plath. "Especially as the seniors, this is our last year. We have something to prove, we want to go out there and have a good run."

Raritan is on a very good run, particularly in the past week. The victory over Holmdel is the team's fourth road victory in five days and the Rockets have won five straight away from home overall. There will be a chance to secure another win Saturday against Ocean Township as the program hosts the 15th Stephanie Coonan Classic.

With a 6-2 record, the Rockets have emerged as a stealth contender in the Shore and potentially in the Group 2 postseason. But the key to their success has been the simplicity of their approach in straight-forward victories like Friday's win over Holmdel.

"We just try to go one day at a time," said Raritan coach Marc Rosner. "We knew today was a division game, but it's also a state game to gain power points and also a Shore Conference game."

More: VOTE: Shore Softball Player of the Week No. 2, sponsored by Larson Ford

Pitching and defense seals win. 'I felt that my team was behind me.'

Although the highlight of the game was a singular offensive outburst, it was the steady play across the lineup that made the key victory look easy. Five different hitters produced one RBI each, and pitcher Alexa Basile was sharp on the mound as she was buoyed by some exceptional defense.

"I knew I had to just do it for my team," said Basile. "The energy was high, I felt that my team was behind me."

The lone lapse by Raritan came in the bottom of the second as Holmdel utilized some small ball and a well-placed bunt to take an early 2-0 lead. The response from the Rockets came promptly as Julia DelMasto got on base and Plath's RBI double got the scoring going. That was followed by an RBI double from Holly Bellofatto and another RBI double from Molly Peters to take the lead. Scarlett O'Hea and Isabella Castillo added two more RBIs.

After lights out pitching and defense for the next four innings, the victory was sealed by two excellent catches by O'Hea in center field in the seventh inning, even as Holmdel got a token run to cut into the deficit. The symbiotic defense and consistency across the lineup bodes well for the Rockets as they firmly hold second place in the A North division with wins over Monmouth, Wall and Holmdel. In first place sits 10-1 Red Bank Catholic, which has emerged as a favorite to win the division.

"We had a strong schedule at the beginning of the season, playing teams like RBC (and) Colts Neck," said Rosner. "It's just all about building one day at a time in terms of trying to get back at the top of the division."

A revenge victory against the Caseys on the final day of April is a tall order after the Rockets lost 20-2 in the season opener, but they have won six of their last seven since then and are laying a strong foundation with their play this week.

"We're just looking to build as a team (and) as a unit each day, and we'll go from there," Rosner added.

The team might be ahead of schedule in constructing itself into a contender — more than half of the players in the lineup already have double-digit RBIs and as a team they're batting .468. The Rockets' four seniors have been the pillars of the early success, but major contributions from freshman like Bellofatto and Janelle Clausi make the team a legitimate one-through-nine offensive threat.

With its key wins so far this season, Raritan should be primed to avenge last year's first round postseason exit against Wall. There are still serious contenders from other divisions in Point Pleasant Borough and Manasquan, but the Rockets are establishing an early advantage with their red-hot week.

"The energy started off with the big win at Wall, like a huge win," said Plath. "Then it kept rolling and here we are. We're hoping for a clean sweep."

Raritan to honor former player Saturday with 15th Coonan Classic

The Rockets couldn't have planned a better opportunity to finish off a weeklong sweep. For the 15th year, the Raritan program will honor former player Stephanie Coonan, who passed away from stomach cancer in 2009 at age 24.

"The Stephanie Coonan Classic is a great event," said Rosner. "It's just a special event for the softball program here at Raritan and the Hazlet community."

The event that has been a mainstay for a decade and a half. The Stephanie Coonan Don't Stop Believin' Classic embodies the spirit of the former player, and Rosner has been part of the event since before his first year as head coach in 2017.

On the field, the Rockets will face an Ocean Township team that has shown some tenacity after an 0-5 start, upsetting Holmdel while winning two of their last three games.

The Rockets will take one day to slow things down and highlight the program's culture and history with the Coonan Classic, but after that they'll return to being a stealth contender waiting for the right moment to strike.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore softball: Raritan has 2024 contender status. Key players, analysis