MANSFIELD TOWNSHIP -- As hard as it is to win a Group 4 section title, it's even harder to win two in a row. And somehow, Marlboro's softball team found a way to up the difficulty even further.
The Mustangs began their postseason run with a .500 record at 12-12 as they battled through a tumultuous regular season. Within that, they made it to the Monmouth County Tournament final where the team lost 8-1 to St. John Vianney. That game came after the team's opening round victory in the state tournament and threatened to derail their late-season momentum. It didn't.
Marlboro proceeded to go on the road and upset two motivated teams (both were eliminated by Marlboro a year ago). No one was looking past Marlboro, and yet they upset top-seeded Old Bridge. And on Saturday, the Mustangs beat two-seed Northern Burlington 6-2 on the road to complete back-to-back section titles.
Marlboro High School opened its doors in 1968 and had no history of being an NJSIAA Tournament section final contender until last year. Now they've won two titles in a row.
The key to their success? Resilience. And no player exemplified that more than sophom*ore pitcher Emily Gaudio.
"It just proves to myself that I'm capable of coming back from things like that," said Gaudio. "I want to prove to all the people that career-ending injuries don't always end up being career-ending."
It's safe to say she's proven that and then some. Gaudio allowed only two runs, neither of which earned, and struck out five on the mound. She also went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for Marlboro.
She missed much of the regular season with a knee injury, a major reason for the team's record, and has been steadily working her way back. That's a theme for the Mustangs, who have traversed an incredible and unlikely path to win back-to-back section championships and will be back in the NJSIAA Group 4 tournament with a chance to defend their state title.
"Waiting in the wings and being behind the scenes," said Gaudio. "Knowing that day is gonna come and I'm gonna be able to get back out there and do everything that I did before. It's really magical moment for all of us."
Marlboro softball junior Aimee Notaro: 'We want it for each other, not just for ourselves.'
Marlboro's bats couldn't be hotter as the calendar turns over to June and the team is reaping the benefits of their offensive production in big games. The Mustangs scored or had runners in scoring position in six of the seven innings.
The Mustangs were unfazed by stranded runners in scoring position in the first two innings as junior Adison Ditillo's RBI double in the top of the third put them on the board first. Northern Burlington responded in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing with a score on a fielding lapse and subsequently walking in a run. It was the type of momentum swing that could derail most teams. The 'Stangs are not most teams.
In the top of the fifth, Isabella Pittaresi and Ditillo got on base to set up junior Aimee Notaro, who delivered an RBI double to regain the lead. Gaudio added an RBI on a groundout to make it 4-2. Marlboro finished the job in the seventh with a sacrifice fly by Gaudio and an RBI groundout by Alyssa Abadiatokis.
"We all were looking for that middle-in pitch," said Ditillo, who finished 3-for-4. "But she was staying on the outside corner and I think our ability to take it the other way got us those runs."
The Mustangs amassed 13 hits, an incredible offensive outburst against Northern Burlington pitcher Mikayla Fontana, who came into the game with a 1.16 ERA and 177 strikeouts.
"We bounce off each other's energy so well," said Notaro, who was also 3-for-4. "When one person is hyped, the entire team is up and it really helps keep the momentum going."
It's been an astonishing journey for a program that went from perhaps being considered a one-year wonder to instead cementing itself as a perennial power. Marlboro coach Nick Scalzo has been at the helm for 16 years, and he credits the commitment to the process for the program's surge to the top.
"It's routine," Scalzo said. "It's staying the course, trusting the process. I know that sounds cliche, but we do our routines. We don't change. We don't change the way we approach the game, whether we're playing the top team in the state or it's a division game. We're going after it and we're trying to be perfect."
It's been a long journey and Scalzo credits the generations of players and this current group for the success.
"It took a long time, but we got there," Scalzo continued. "These young kids are here and they're seeing it and they're believing too. This is hard to do in this state, there's a lot of good teams and a lot of good players. I'm just happy to be a part of it. And I just feel like I'm along for the ride, you know? These kids are fantastic."
It's hard to imagine another reigning state champion that endured so much adversity only to come out the other side stronger.
"We've just grown so much as a team. We've just gelled so much together," said Notaro. "We want it for each other, not just for ourselves."
Marlboro's Adison Ditillo: 'We're living for every moment.'
After going on the road to defeat Kingsway in last year's state semifinal, the rotation dictates that the Mustangs will be at home on Tuesday as they host South Group 4 Section champion Vineland, who defeated Egg Harbor 4-3.
Vineland comes into the game with a 25-2 record, a stark contrast to Marlboro's 16-13 mark. But the Mustangs have proven they don't a shy away from a challenge, and they're not taking anything for granted.
"We're living for every moment," said Ditillo. "We hope to get as far as we did last year."
At this point, there's no doubting what the Mustangs are capable of accomplishing. They have solidified their place among the state's elite softball programs. It's hard to fathom, even for those involved.
"I'd never imagine what happened. I mean, I came into Marlboro High School having an idea of what would go on, but never to this extent," said Gaudio. "To be able to continue doing that every year, It's something that I don't think a lot of people are able to do. So it's really special for all of us."
