Leaving familiar pastures

Even before the Goretti softball team plays Southern Division rival Hallahan next Thursday, the athletes know the game will make history.

It will be their last contest played at home as the Lambs — ever.

In preparation for its merger with St. John Neumann High, Goretti’s red and white home uniforms will be officially retired. So will the Lambs name.

The transition might be a sad one, but it hasn’t seemed to hit the players just yet. They are still laughing and smiling at games and practices. Last Thursday, they were reveling in a 10-5 victory over West Catholic.

The mood could be very different at next week’s game.

"It’s probably going to be a pretty emotional day," said junior third baseman Kristie Sandefur while taking a break from Friday’s batting practice. "I am looking forward to it because we are going to be pumped up that we’re playing Hallahan and that it’s our last [home] game."

Sophomore Stephanie McAllister, who plays junior-varsity softball, said she is looking forward to the new school.

"It’s exciting because we are going to have more challenges," McAllister said. "At the same time, we are losing what we had — an all-girl school."

Come next spring, the girls will take the field as the Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti Saints. Their new uniforms, which are still being designed, will include a blended color scheme of black (Neumann), white (Goretti) and newly added gold.

Some of the players aren’t too fond of the team’s new name.

"I don’t like it," senior pitcher Kim Janelli said. "It’s not very intimidating." (And the Lambs are?)

Any controversy aside, the squad will mark a fresh start for the players, who entered the week with a 2-6 record.

Scoring struggles have followed the Lambs’ softball program since it began in 1970.

The squad’s breakout season came in 1983, when it won its first Catholic League Southern Division championship. Goretti, led by the All-Catholic pitcher-catcher combo of Roe Amendola and Tracy McSweeney, clinched another division crown in ’84. That was the last time the Lambs threatened to win the whole ball of wax.

The lack of titles and postseason appearances hasn’t diminished the memories.

Athletic director George Bain, who is retiring after 14 years at 10th and Moore streets, said he enjoys every game so much that it’s hard to single out just one.

He remembers the Lambs upsetting powerhouse Archbishop Carroll and tying Little Flower for the fourth playoff spot during the ’90s, but for Bain, it’s about more than wins.

"The girls work hard and do the best they can do," he said. "They are having fun and that’s what it’s all about."

Some individual players managed to showcase their talents among the Catholic League’s elite. Stephanie Digneo (’99) remains in a class of her own. The former Review Female Athlete of the Year and Southern Division MVP hit .619 as a senior with 18 runs scored, 26 hits and 20 RBI. The All-Catholic shortstop also excelled in the field, committing just three errors in 72 fielding attempts.

"The other girls looked to her as a leader, like a second coach out there," said Jim Cappelli, who coached the Lambs’ varsity squad from 1994-2000. "There is no doubt in my mind that she is the best softball player I’ve seen in the past decade."

Yet Digneo never competed in the playoffs. Goretti narrowly missed claiming the fourth spot during the ’98 and ’99 seasons. The Digneo-led squad did score success in other areas, like defeating Carroll and winning the Hallahan Tournament.

At Division I Lehigh University, Digneo continued to shine by setting a school and Patriot League record for career hits. Her number 3 at Goretti will be retired at the school’s May 18 athletic banquet.

Deanna Biaselli, the Review‘s 1997 Female Athlete of the Year and team MVP, also left a lasting impression after hitting .523 and recording a .970 fielding percentage her senior year.

The Goretti softball program has been a family affair for some, particularly the Janellis, who have had four sisters on the roster. Fran, now 23, started the tradition, followed by two-time All-Catholic selection Kristen Janelli (’00), who batted .486 her senior year. Kim is the Lambs’ starting pitcher, while freshman Maria is waiting in the wings on junior varsity.

"I want to be an All-Catholic, too," said Maria, who plays right field. "My sister Kristen just told me to play hard and get the ball."

The end of the regular season will be especially tough for softball coach Chip Reitano, who is stepping down after two seasons to dedicate more time to his new post as assistant athletic director. He plans to continue coaching the basketball team.

But he won’t soon forget the softball players.

"They are like my kids," he said. "When they are sick, I feel for them. They are my family. They are very important to me."

Reitano is still looking out for the players, even as he prepares to help oversee the Saints’ entire athletic program. He is now working on procuring Neumann-Goretti uniforms with new athletic director John Murawsky.

Reitano is also in the process of finding his replacement. The new coach — the program’s third in four years — will have to work hard at building stability. Reitano said the goal is to find a replacement by the end of the school year, but noted there is no rush.

"It’s going to be an adjustment for the girls," he said. "We are going to bring in the best possible candidate."

For now, the Lambs hope to close Goretti softball history on a high note by defeating Hallahan next week.

The staff at Palumbo Rec Center — which will continue to be the Lambs’ home field next year — has a tradition of sending the departing seniors out in style. The players’ names are announced and written on the field.

"It’s going to be a very emotional end to the school year," Reitano predicted.