MOORESTOWN – If you want to know what type of player Christina Carideo is, just check out her uniform.
The black jersey and white pants are usually trimmed with grass stains and caked with dirt.
And that’s usually before first pitch is even thrown.
“We have every type of bleach in the house for my white pants,” the senior on the Moorestown High School softball team said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a clean uniform. It usually gets dirty in the first few minutes of the game.”
More: H.S. softball: Highlighting South Jersey’s best from Week 2
More: H.S. softball: Mean 15 rankings for South Jersey following Week 2
It’s more than just a fashion statement for the ballplayer, according to Moorestown head coach Bill Mulvihill.
“She loves to get down and dirty where she’s always diving to make plays, that’s just the way she plays every day,” Mulvihill said. “She’ll never come home with a clean uniform that’s for sure.”
Carideo’s style is to lead by example, but being a leader for the Quakers is a role she enjoys. She’s one of three captains along with Brianna Misselhorn and Corrine Miller.
“I like being able to bring the team together,” Carideo, a three-year starter, said. “When we’re all on the same page and having un in the dugout, I really think it helps us win games.”
And the Quakers have been doing plenty of that lately, stretching their winning streak to three games with an 8-4 win over visiting Northern Burlington on Wednesday. A year removed from a 13-10 record which included a trip to the South Jersey Group 3 semifinals, Moorestown is 4-2 to start this spring with its only two losses to Bordentown and Paul VI by identical 4-2 scores.
“We went far last year and we’re basically the same team,” said Carideo, who will attend St. Joseph’s University and study criminal justice in the fall. “So, there are high expectations for us this season.”
Along with her air-tight defense at shortstop, Carideo has worked on becoming a pesky leadoff hitter for the Quakers. She has hits in four straight games and has coaxed five walks. On Wednesday, she reached base three times, including a clutch two-run double.
Carideo produced one of the pivotal at-bats against Northern Burlington. Down 0-2, Carideo worked her way back and drew a two-out walk. The Quakers strung together four more hits and a walk – all with two outs – for a five-run frame that game the team the lead.
“If I get 0-2, I still have the confidence that I can work myself out of it,” Carideo said. “I’ve really concentrated on how to do better with two outs or two strikes. Our team has really developed that too. It really helps to put together big innings.”
Key plays
Mulvihill confessed there are times he enjoys yelling “You’re killing me, Smalls!” at junior Kaitlin “Smalls” Salerno.
However, Salerno didn’t give him a chance against Northern Burlington because she delivered a huge performance. The second baseman reached base three times and scored two runs. Her infield hit in the fourth inning, ignited the Quakers’ two-out rally.
Miller had the big knock, launching a three-run homer over the fence for her first round-tripper of the season and third of her career.
Game balls
Moorestown starter Violet Marta displayed some nasty off-speed pitches during her outing as she fanned eight over seven strong innings.
“She’s really improved (on her off-speed stuff) over the last year,” Mulvihill said. “It really keeps hitters off balanced and that’s a good thing to have.”
Moorestown sophomore Melania Locatell had two hits, including a two-run single in the pivotal fourth inning.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: H.S. softball: Carideo’s fashion statement suits Moorestown