By Jim Hintelmann
MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP – It isn’t often that an area high school athlete gets recognized in a national sports magazine, but Middletown South high School senior softball standout Ciara Sullivan is one of the exceptions.
Sullivan was honored in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” (a feature that highlights outstanding achievements by younger athletes) last Spring and followed it up by having a stellar season for the Eagles.
Sullivan, an outfielder who will be playing softball at Georgetown University this fall, helped South to a 28-5 season including an NJSIAA North Jersey 2 Group III championship.
She led the state in home runs with 16 and batted .345 while scoring 44 runs and knocking in 37 despite hitting from the leadoff spot. She was also named Shore Softball Player of the Year,
“I didn’t know that I would be mentioned in Sports Illustrated,” said Sullivan, “But my special education teacher mentioned it to me and, a couple of days later, my coach (Tom Erbig) told me about it and my parents also knew.”
“I was dumbstruck to see my picture in a national magazine,” Sullivan said. “I never dreamed that it could happen to me.”
Sullivan had a career game this Spring against Red Bank Catholic when she smashed four homes run and drove in eight runs in an 18-5 rout.
“That was pretty cool,” she said. “Everything came together in that game. I had my eye on the ball and made good contact. I had another big day when I hit three homers in a doubleheader against Sayreville and Old Bridge.”
Sullivan was also an outstanding fielder and had a huge defensive play in South’s 5-3 win over West Essex in the Group III sectional final when she made a great catch to end the game.
“Their batter hit a short fly ball to center field but I ran in and made a diving catch,” said Sullivan. “That ended the game and my teammates all rushed out to the field and congratulated me.”
“We lost the state final to Steinert,’” she said “but it was still a good season for us, “We lost five seniors from the year before but the younger players stepped up and did the job.”
From a team point of view, Sullivan’s best season was in her junior year when South went 26-5 and won both the NJSIAA Group III state championship and also the A Shore Conference A North title.
Sullivan hit .477 with 36 hits to lead the team and the big game was against Sparta in the Group III title game when South scored an 8-1 victory.
“Julie Blarr opened the game with a home run and that set the tone for the win,” said Sullivan. “Everything came easy after that and it was awesome.”
The game came one day after South dropped a 1-0 decision to rival Middletown North in the Shore Conference championship game.
“It would have been nice to get the Shore Conference title under our belts,” said Sullivan. “We all know each other and they are our biggest rival, but it was still a big season for the Township since each team won a big championship.”
Sullivan didn’t start varsity softball until her junior season and hit only two home runs that season, but she found her power stroke as a senior.
“I just changed my steps and improved my stride,” she said. “I had a good eye for the ball.”
She also appreciated coach Erbig who stepped down this year after 35 years as head softball coach at South.
“He knows how to handle the players when he is light hearted and when he is serious,’ said Sullivan. “He’s was a very animated coach but we all liked him.”
Sullivan also played tennis all four years and bowled for one season.
“We had a good season in tennis last season,” she said. “It was a whole lot of fun. You want to win all the time, but it was not as important as in softball.”
Sullivan was a outstanding student, making the National Honor Society all four years, and being a Peer Leader.
“In Peer Leadership, we help the younger kids in orientation and in other things,’ she said.
Sullivan will leave for Georgetown this week but is not certain about her major. Math and Science were her favorite subjects I high school.
“My uncle graduated from Georgetown and got married in the campus chapel,” she said. “I visited the campus and it was just beautiful. They have a pretty good softball program and I’m not sure how much I’ll play this year.”
File Photos by Rich Chrampanis
