JFK's Corica caps softball season with 22 shutouts
Junior pitcher had 27 wins, 0.18 earned run average
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer
Baseball fans love their statistics. Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters, Pete Rose's 4,256 hits, and Barry Bonds' 762* home runs are just a few legendary statistics.

This season, Heather Corica of the John F. Kennedy High School softball team compiled some rather gaudy statistics herself. The junior pitcher won 27 games this season, 22 of which were shutouts. In just over 228 innings pitched, Corica stuck out a staggering 409 batters while walking just 63. In the six state tournament games Corica pitched in this spring, three of them were no-hitters including a perfect game against Voorhees. She tossed a total of 11 no-hitters this season and three perfect games.

"The great thing about Heather is that she's such a classy kid," Kennedy head coach Nancy Cuntala said. "She never displays any emotion on the mound and never wants to show an opponent up."

Corica finished her magical season with anERAof 0.18.Opposing teams hit just .087 against her and were held without an earned run for 141 2/3 consecutive innings.

"Heather is almost sheepish about all the accolades," Cuntala said. "None of this welldeserved recognition has gone to her head."

An obvious choice to be namedMiddlesex County's Softball Player of the Year, Corica plans to work on her game this summer while playing for the Central Jersey Psychos. Corica will travel with the Psychos to various college showcase tournaments this summer.

"I think I can become a better hitter with some work this summer," Corica said. "I'd also like to bring down my walks for next year."

Always looking to get better, Corica is without a doubt one of the hardest-working players on the Kennedy team. Corica credits much of this spring's success to her relationship with battery mate Jessica Tymitz and Cuntala's coaching style.

"Coach Cuntala lets us play our own game," Corica said. "Jessica and I have been playing together since we were 7 years old, and there is a lot of chemistry in our relationship.We can read each other's minds, and this is why Coach Cuntala lets us call our own games."

One can hardly argue with Cuntala's decision, since the battery mates helped lead the team to an NJSIAA North 2 Group III title before ending the season with a 2-1 loss to Kingsway Regional in the Group III title game.

"Heather is just a terrific person," Cuntala said. "You can't find a teacher with a negative thing to say about her. I know she will work even harder this off-season to get better, because that's how she approaches the game."

While it is still a bit early, Division I schools such as Seton Hall and Manhattan College have expressed interest in Corica. Many college softball coaches will be out in full force at this summer's college showcase tournaments and should get good looks at Corica's talent. Older sister Kaitlyn was scooped up by Stockton College and is currently pitching for the team.