Jackson liberty softball looking to get back on top in 2018

Jackson Liberty Softball Looking to Get Back on Top in 2018

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April 4, 2018

JACKSON-The Jackson Liberty Lions are looking to bounce back to their 2016 glory when the team finished the season 21-5 (12-2 conference), clinching the B-South title and a second place finish in the Shore Conference Tournament. That same year, Liberty knocked off the currently #2 state-ranked Donovan Catholic team 9-7 in the Ocean County Tournament.

Last year, the Lions finished the regular season with a 12-8 record.

This year the Lions enter the season without senior starting pitcher Meghan Conroy and will rely heavily on Junior DJ Diodato to be the workhorse in the circle. Coach Laura Borrelli will head into the season with a young and talented squad full of underclassmen. Returning players in 2017 include Juniors Kaylee Book (3B), Kayla Hayes (2B), Sophomore Emily Sanbeg (LF) and Illiana Flores (1B-3B). Junior Heather Tsapp will be the catcher for the team this year.

Junior Marissa Southon (OF/IF) will join the Lions after two seasons at Millville High School. Joining the Lions this year are freshmen Erin Stilton (1B-P), Ashleigh Tavaska (SS-P) and Emily Dubiago (CF).

The three freshman, along with Sanbeg helped to make up the core team of the 2016 McAuliffe Lions Middle School championship team.

Tavaska, the starting pitcher for the middle school the prior two seasons will pitch in relief of Diodato along with Stilton. This year, Liberty will have a tough schedule as the Lacey Lions dropped from A-South to B-South division and they will have to face the #2 New Jersey ranked Donovan Catholic twice in conference showdowns.

The Lions this season will play out of division games against Southern Regional, Toms River North, Barnegat, Toms River South and Raritan.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

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