Five Middletown High School South athletic teams achieved success in the spring of 2019. One Middletown High School North squad, the softball team, achieved great success this past season.
A rundown of all six teams, and the seasons they enjoyed, is below.
Middletown South baseball
The Middletown South baseball team finished 17-7 and won the Shore Conference’s A North Division with a 12-2 league mark. The Eagles ultimately fell short in both the Shore Conference Tournament and the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament. The Eagles fell in the SCT quarterfinals and the first round of the state sectional tournament.
But Middletown South’s season was successful nonetheless.
The pitching trio of Chris Lotito, Danny Minze and Jack Shea spearheaded the Eagles’ successful campaign, with a combined record of 11-3 and a combined earned run average under 2.00.
All three will be back in 2020.
Middletown South softball
The Middletown South softball team was solid in 2019, going 15-10 and reaching the quarterfinals of both the Shore Conference Tournament and the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament.
Amanda Dembowski, Renee Lioudakis, Aleeah Randazzo and Sophie Wilson sparked the Eagles’ strong offense. Each player hit over .400 and produced more than 25 runs.
Dembowski and Lioudakis, the biggest producers in the group, will be back for years to come, too. In 2019, Dembowski was a freshman and Lioudakis was a sophomore.
Middletown South girls’ lacrosse
Like the Middletown South softball team, the girls’ lacrosse team was solid in 2019. It went 13-8 and qualified for the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 Tournament, falling in the first round to West Essex High School, 5-3.
Sophomore Caroline Harlow was an all around force for the Eagles, recording 28 goals, 49 ground ball pick ups and 104 draw control victories. Junior Haley Nicholas added 28 goals, 15 assists, 36 ground ball pick ups and 21 draw control victories.
Both should continue to lead the program to contention in 2020.
Middletown South boys’ lacrosse
The Middletown South boys’ lacrosse team also competed this past spring, going 12-5 and qualifying for the NJSIAA North Jersey, Group 3 Tournament, losing to Wayne Hills High School, 12-4, in the opening round.
Connor Ard and Matt Tardy sparked Mid South’s offense with 49 and 24 goals, respectively. Ard was a junior this year, so he will return for 2020.
Middletown South boys’ tennis
The Middletown South boys’ tennis team went 15-6 and advanced to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 Tournament quarterfinals in 2019.
Middletown South’s singles lineup featured Matt Cardano at No. 1, Dan Johnson at No. 2 and Colin Martin at No. 3. Cardano and Martin are slated to return next spring.
Middletown North softball
For the first time in program history, the Middletown North softball team won the NJSIAA Group 3 championship in 2019. Middletown North beat Chatham High School, 5-0, in the Group 3 state title game on June 2 at Kean University in Union.
The Lions would go on to lose their next game, 4-2 to Hightstown High School, in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions first round. But the season was still the best in school history.
Pitcher Malori Bell sparked it with a 27-6 record, a 1.22 ERA and 412 strikeouts in 221 innings. Offensive standout Cara McNulty recorded a .538 average, 32 runs and 28 runs batted in.
Both players were seniors in 2019, but the Lions will still return about half their starting lineup next year.
