Sunday, June 28, 2009

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Jen Keller lining a hit against Paramus Catholic in the Non-Public North A state sectional final a couple of weeks ago.

EDISON – After a wild three months, IHA’s Jen Keller was finally able to relax. From numerous one-run games in April, to a comeback in the Bergen County Final, to a wide range of emotions throughout the state tournament, to one of the wildest games ever in New Jersey softball in the Non-Public A state final, Keller, a Wood-Ridge resident, was in the middle of all of it. Both she and her team found a way to get through it and achieve all the goals they set out for themselves to finished ranked as the state’s best team.

Keller is playing this summer for New Jersey Pride, which is led by IHA head coach Anthony Larezza, before moving on to play at Division 1 Manhattan College next year. Although she is now two weeks removed from a dynamic senior season, Keller still reflects on a daily basis on the joyride of IHA’s season and what lies ahead.

“You always want to go out with a bang and it makes it 10 times better that it was my senior year,” said Keller. “As a player, you always wanted to do your job better win games for the upperclassmen. To have everyone pull together for us in my senior year made it that much more special.”

With IHA trailing 2-0 against Pascack Valley in the Bergen County final heading into the bottom of the ninth, Keller led off by working out a walk. She then had to sit and wait through a 30-minute lightning delay before play resumed. It was more than enough time to think about what they needed to do.

After a double by Juliette D’Ambrosio, Keller stood on third and watched Christina Miquel launch a three-run walkoff homer to win IHA’s first county title since 2002.

“I actually just went back to the bag and tagged and then just went nuts when it went over the fence,” said Keller. “We enjoyed that win so much, but the next day it was back to work. You never want to go down in your last game of the season and we focused on winning a state title.”

“If Jen doesn’t work out a walk, we probably don’t win that game,” said I Larezza. “She was always in the middle of a big rally and she did everything we needed her to do. Jen played every position in her four years except catcher and first base. She is a rare player that always brings something to the table every time she steps on the field.”

Keller, a second team All-Bergen County selection, played in the outfield this season and batted cleanup for IHA, which went 28-2. She was consistent throughout the season in the field and finished second on the team in RBIs.

Throughout the state tournament, Keller found herself in the middle of numerous thrilling games. She scored the winning run in the seventh inning in the section quarterfinals and followed with an RBI single in the sectional semifinal win over Mount St. Dominic. Then in the section final against Paramus Catholic, she set the tone by throwing out a runner at the plate en route to a 5-0 win on IHA’s way to a state title. She also made a diving catch in short rightfield to close out that game.

Next year, she will take her versatile play to Manhattan College where she hopes to compete for playing time right away.

“I went to visit this year and I just fell in love with it,” said Keller. “It was a perfect-sized school, a perfect distance from home because I didn’t want to go too far away, and it was just the right fit. As soon as I left my visit, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

Although he has most of his team returning next year, Larezza knows he still has some big shoes to fill. A player like Jen Keller is one of a kind and one that IHA will miss.

“Words can’t do justice what she meant to this team and to the program over the past four years,” said Larezza. “She did all the little things you need to win and played hard every single day. Jen and Juliette D’Ambrosio held the team together and their leadership was second to none. Hopefully we will find someone to step up and fill that leadership void. We may get more talented players in the coming years, but I’m not sure we will get the total package of what Jen brought to this team anytime soon. Jen was the ultimate leader and we wouldn’t have achieved the accomplishments we achieved without her.”

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