Seneca softball prevails in playoffs, sibling rivalry

TABERNACLE - Seneca head softball coach Kait Konopka was anxious as soon as she saw the playoff bracket.

In the opening round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association South Jersey Group 3 Tournament, the Golden Eagles were slated to face Shawnee.

She's more than a little familiar with the district rival.

That's because Kait's younger sister, Madison, plays shortstop and bats leadoff for the Renegades.

"Of course I wanna see her succeed, but I gotta do what's best for my team," said Kait with a beaming smile. "With us being sisters, we understand and love the game, so we talk about it a lot. I'm actually happy I got to face my sister because it's really cool and something you hardly ever see."

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Despite a nine-year gap in age, Kait described their relationship as "very close."

"I taught her how to throw on the run when she was eight years old," the coach said proudly.

"It is very intimidating," Madison said of what it's like looking in the opposing dugout and seeing her big sis, "because she knows exactly where to pitch me. She knows how I am as a player and she kinda knows how to knit-pick that...But it's a great experience."

Eighth-seeded Seneca earned a sun-drenched 4-1 victory to advance to Tuesday's quarterfinals and a trip to top-seeded Moorestown. Ninth-seeded Shawnee, which threatened in the seventh, saw a fine season come to a close.

Madison Konopka was one of six seniors on Shawnee's squad.

"It's a very special group in general," she said. "It's mostly girls I played with since I first started. So it's just great playing with them all again. They're all so sweet and kind. It's just a phenomenal team."

Madison reached the 100-hit plateau during her career at Shawnee, as did her big sister, Kait.

"We both made our mark there," Kait said.

To say that sports is a big part of the Konopka family would be an understatement: they have a batting cage in their backyard.

Instead of picking sides for Wednesday's playoff clash, parents Raymond and Mary Ann sat in center field, to remain neutral.

"Just a lot of competitiveness," Madison said of her family. "We're always pushing each other to be better in general."

"She's a top-notch player," Shawnee coach Ashlie Donzuso said of her shortstop. "She had a really good season. She beat all kinds of school records."

Right-hander Chloe Carter blanked Shawnee until the seventh, racking up 11 strikeouts, while Seneca cleanup-hitter Madison Heller drove in four runs.

Seneca seized a 2-0 lead in the third and added to it in the fifth.

"It feels so good, honestly. I am so incredibly proud of our girls," Kait Konopka said. "They executed everything that I asked them to. In practice, we've been working on the little things - the mental aspect...everything, including our approach at the plate. And it worked.

"Madison came up clutch. I always tell the girls, all we need is contact, especially with a runner in scoring position. And that's exactly what Madison did.

"Chloe's been spinning the ball well, working on other pitches that we've kind of fine-tuned during the second half of the season. And that definitely showed."

Sydney Adamson added a pair of hits, a walk and a run scored for the Golden Eagles.

Natalie D'Angelo pitched well in defeat for Sahwnee and Jordan Dougherty-Fyfe had a couple of hits and a run scored. Kristi Barsocchi smacked an RBI, ground-rule double in the seventh for the visitors.

"They're tough kids. This team has such a special place in my heart," Donzuso said. "We made it all the way to sectionals with these girls (in 2023). We started off the season rough. They did not give in. We kept fighting. We beat a lot of big opponents. And we were able to come out on top and have that confidence."

Madison Konopka will continue her playing career at St. John's University next season. Fittingly, Kait sported an SJ visor for Wednesday's game.

"For good luck," she said.

Kev Hunter is a freelance reporter for the Courier-Post. He can be reached at cpvarsity@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Seneca softball knocks off Shawnee in South Jersey Group 3 playoffs