Published: April 11, 2009 08:26 pm      

HS SOFTBALL PREVIEW: Can NT account for key loss?

When the North Tonawanda softball team lost Lauren Lipinoga to injury last year, it altered the Lady Jacks’ season drastically. Lipinoga is back and healthy this spring, but now NT softball has to deal with another severe loss.

“Having her back is going to help, but losing a player who I think is probably one of the top three players in Western New York, and that’s Julie Harmon, is going to kill us,” said veteran Lady Jacks coach T.K. Murphy.

NT’s leading hitter a year ago with a .426 batting average, Harmon was the Tonawanda News’ 2008 Player of the Year, an honor she was looking forward to defending in her senior season. But the star short stop injured her knee during basketball season and likely won’t play at all this year.

Harmon’s injury has created some healthy competition at the short stop position, with Joanna Fretthold, Lipinoga, April Walker and Shaina Bunker battling for it.

It remains to be seen how the Lady Jacks will respond without their top player. After returning from Florida late next week, NT will slide head first into the 2009 schedule with its 26th annual tournament.

Despite such a key loss, Murphy’s squad has enough talent to be competitive in the always tough Niagara Frontier League.

The Lady Jacks have depth in the pitching circle, beginning with junior Allie Gibson, who pitched on varsity last year. “I like to think Gibson’s going to step up and take it to the next level for us,” Murphy said.

Bunker, who has been catching for Gibson, said she's looked pretty solid thus far.

“She’s throwing pretty hard. She’s got a lot more power,” said Bunker, who as a sophomore is already in her fourth season on varsity. “Our pitching’s definitely going to be better. That will determine a lot.”

Also returning is Natalie Hils, who improved her pitching by attending some clinics during the offseason. The Lady Jacks also will be counting on Chrissy Hempel, who pitched on the JV team last season.

“We’ve got three viable pitchers. I’d like to think we’ve got a good shot at doing something this year, but we’ll see,” Murphy said. “You never know. Last year, losing Lipinoga was a huge, huge blow for us and we just never got over it.”

While NT figures to be solid defensively, scoring runs will be key, and Murphy is looking for someone to step up and fill the void created by Harmon’s absence from the lineup.

“It’s going to be different,” Murphy said. And it won’t just be because of Harmon’s absence.

For the first time in his three-decade long coaching career at NT, Murphy will coach this season without his father, Tom, who passed away at age 84 in September. Tom Murphy was a fixture at Edward Belbas Fields, rarely missing one of his son’s games.

On a more positive note, Murphy will be joined this spring by former Wilson coach Larry Lash. Murphy and Lash are among the winningest coaches in New York state softball history.

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.



THE SCOOP

• KEY RETURNERS: Lauren Lipinoga, Allie Gibson, Shaina Bunker

• 2008 RECAP: Lost to Will. North in sectional quarterfinals

• COACH’S QUOTE: “We’ve got three viable pitchers. I’d like to think we’ve got a good shot at doing something this year, but we’ll see.”

— T.K. Murphy