Brick girls keep on building momentum BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer Brick Township’s softball team not only has caught fire after a 1-6 start, but so have its star players statistically as the Green Dragons are closing in on their first NJSIAA Tournament berth in many years. Coming off a 2-1-1 week, the Green Dragons are 10-8-1 and need only one victory before this weekend’s cutoff to secure an NJSIAA tourney spot. Christina Rodriguez, who is headed to Drexel, has hiked her batting average from the low .300s to .490, the seventh best average in the Shore. The same can be said for Nichole Alvarez, who is up to .461. Add to the mix Jessica Wilenta’s .420 and three other players making consistent contact — freshman Joey Afflito (.379), Janice Parks (.330) and Brenda Miller (.317) — and it makes for a much easier job for pitchers Elizabeth Erbig (7-5-1) and Caitlyn McElroy (3-3), who have thrown effectively. “The players take the field with confidence,” said coach Mike Fletcher, whose squad played games this week at Howell on Monday, against Jackson at home yesterday and will play against Toms River North tomorrow at home. The Green Dragons earlier in the season beat Jackson, 7-4, and lost to Toms River North, 7-1. “It’s a different team taking the field now (from the beginning of the season),” said Fletcher. “I’m happy for them but they put in a lot of hard work getting to this spot. This team has overcome things. The seniors have been through the mill and have had a great experience. The juniors are coming along and the sophomores and even the freshmen are contributing.” Brick Township started last week beating Shore Conference B North champion Lacey, 7-5, last Monday, when Miller and Rodriguez cracked two-run singles in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, as the Green Dragons overcame an early 3-0 deficit. Rodriguez started the comeback with a run-scoring double in the third inning. Brick Township lost at Southern Regional, 2-1, on Tuesday and then tied Southern on Friday, 3-3, in a game stopped because of rain after the fourth inning. Erbig took the 2-1 loss and Ciara Iasillo poked a single in the last inning that drove in Wilenta, who singled. On Friday, Afflito knocked in the game-tying run in the fourth inning with a double after Iasillo poked a run-scoring single. On Thursday, Brick Township beat Toms River South, 5-0, as McElroy pitched a two-hitter and had a perfect game for 4 1/3 innings. McElroy served up a dozen ground ball outs and Wilenta at third base turned a game-ending double play. Sasha Fabrizio and Parks did something that hasn’t been seen by a Brick Township player in recent years in that game — both cleared the fences with home runs. Fabrizio blasted a solo shot in the third inning for a 1-0 lead and Parks belted a two-run homer to left in the sixth. Wilenta also drove in a run and Rodriguez had three hits. Those home runs have helped make this a memorable season for the Green Dragons.