2005-08 Softball Teams
The 2005-08 softball teams were something special, winning four consecutive MAPL titles and NJISAA Prep ‘A’ Championships during their reign.
The streak started in 2005, when senior Barbarajean Grundlock ’05 pitched a four-hitter and struck out seven as Peddie defeated the visiting Hun Raiders, 8-1, in the NJISAA Prep ‘A’ Final. This was Peddie’s first softball title since 2000, and they went 13-5-0.
But they were not done; the 2006 team would record an 18-1-0 record the following season.
In 2007, junior southpaw pitcher Cailyn Hennessy ’08 recorded 17 strikeouts en route to a no-hitter as the Falcons blanked Lawrenceville, 3-0, to make it a NJISAA Prep ‘A’ title three-peat. Head Coach Tim O’Reilly’s team used a three-run third inning to provide the cushion of victory. Hennessy threw 65 strikes on 78 pitches. In the fifth inning, she struck out the four-through-six hitters in Lawrenceville’s lineup on just nine pitches. They finished the season at 16-1.
“When I came here, we were a team that had played under-.500 ball for three years in a row,” O’Reilly said at the time, whose teams compiled a 47-7 mark over those three years. “So for us to get to where we have come is pretty amazing. All the girls did what we needed to do to get the win.”
And they wouldn’t stop there. The following year, in 2008, the Falcons would reach 20 wins, setting a new record for the program. Hennessy recorded 17 strikeouts and faced just one batter over the minimum in tossing a one-hit gem as the Falcons shutout Hun School, 6-0, to clinch their fourth consecutive NJISAA Prep ‘A’ title.
She pitched a no-hitter with no walks and 18 strikeouts in the semifinal game, a 2-0 win over Lawrenceville, to lead her team to its fourth straight championship game.
Hennessy was a critical piece of the team’s sustained success. She notched an 18-2 record on the mound during her senior year and threw 70 strikes and only 18 balls in the championship game, as she collected her 50th career win with only three setbacks, two of which were 1-0 heartbreakers.
Jamie Boccanfusco ’08 became the first prep player to be honored with a scholarship by the Trenton Softball Hall of Fame, as she completed one of the most storied careers of any local softball player in Mercer County history. The Trentonian Player of the Year finished with a lifetime .564 batting average with 119 hits and 87 RBIs in 76 games. Almost half of her hits went for extra bases (55-119). During her junior campaign, she hit a mind-boggling .725 (37 for 51) with 23 runs scored and 23 RBIs. Not to be overlooked, Boccanfusco was a phenomenal shortstop with a great arm and great range. Hennessy and Boccanfusco, along with seniors Tess Rex ’08, Christine Ladd ’08 and Madi McEvoy ’08, all played huge roles in the success of this special group of Falcons.
O’Reilly, Tami Parrott and Alison Edmonstone coached the 2004-05 and 2005-06 teams. O’Reilly and Sarah Somers led the way on the coaching staff during both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons and the Falcons’ softball program cemented itself in school history forever.