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By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.
Known for batting and pitching, Shore Regional junior Ayden Kampf, is also an outstanding defender who can chase down balls.
The 2026 softball season for the Blue Devils of Shore Regional has been record setting. Currently, they are 16-5 overall and are one of the three co-divisional champions in the Constitution division of the Shore Conference. They also had a total of four players making seven individual career milestones.
Olivia DeFonce, senior co-captain, set a new school record with 144 career hits and still going. She also achieved 100 career runs this season, and is now sitting with 125, and has 112 runs batted in. Over her four years on varsity she also smacked 14 homers.
Another senior co-captain, Dylann Lawrence is the main pitcher for the Blue Devils. She has 294 strikeouts and pitched 371 innings to date. And this season as a batter, she recorded her 100th career hit, and is currently at 110.
Junior power Ayden Kampf, hitter and pitcher, had three personal records this season. She earned her 100th strikeout, her 100th career run batted in and is currently at 107. She has her 100th career hit and has 106 with a few games left this season. Kampf is also one of the leading home run hitters in the Shore Conference with 21 over three years.
Another junior slugger is Kelsey Orth, who also achieved her 100th career hit this season. She is currently holding at 104 hits.
“We are having one hell of a run here this year. For the first time in 18 years, we are part of a division championships. Our 8-5 win over Manalapan on May 11, secured us a tie for the title with Manalapan and Ocean Township. It was our first title since 2008,” said David Porta, head coach.
Senior Olivia DeFonce set a Shore Regional record with 144 career hits during the 8-7 win over Jackson Township.
May 12, they hosted Jackson Township in the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament. The Blue Devils were the 15 seed. Porta said the last time Shore Regional hosted a tournament game was about 18 years ago. “We were definitely excited to be playing, but we never felt too much pressure about it. Everything was high energy the day before in our division championship game, and that’s hard to replicate so quickly,” Porta said. The Devils entered the game relaxed, with Lawrence on the mound who threw five strong innings. She has been battling an injury and Porta has been trying to get her some rest. That’s when Kampf moved from the outfield to the mound, and threw some heat.
After the first inning, the game was tied at one run each. Then both teams added additional runs in the third inning. “It was back and forth, but in the fifth inning, we broke it open with five straight singles from Kelsey Orth, Ayden Kampf, Kayla Delia, Mary Hennelly, and Alli Minner. After a few more ground balls, we scored three runs and went up 5-2,” said Porta.
However, the big at bat was when Olivia DeFonce was at the plate when the team had two outs. The Drexel University commit, according to Porta didn’t know that her single to right field scored two runs, but she also tied the school record for hits at 143.
Jackson Township battled back and tied the game at seven in the top of the seventh inning. With two outs in the bottom of that inning, DeFonce set the new Blue Devil record at 144 hits with a double. However, they couldn’t get her in and extra innings were played.
Kampf was on the mound at this time, and Porta said she had a dominating performance in the divisional title win over Manalapan. “I wasn’t sure how much gas she had left in the tank, but she showed it was full and she was dialed in. Extra innings of a tournament game can be stressful, but honestly, we have played in so many tight games all year that we kind of thrive in that atmosphere now. We are 6-0 in games decided by three runs or less this year,” Porta said.
The eighth, ninth and tenth innings the Blue Devils held Jackson Township scoreless. “We started the bottom of the tenth with senior Daniele Radisch on second, as the rules for softball games going into the tenth inning have a player starting on second. I knew she was a little nervous, but again, she plays her best in high stress situations and I was excited to have a senior captain in that position to score the winning run,” Porta said.
DeFonce, the batter at the plate for Shore, hit a hard shot towards the second baseman, who stopped the ball and overthrew first base. Radisch was able to score on the walk off hit by DeFonce. Porta added that the girls don’t just want to win, they want to win together. “I have been a part of this program since 2010, and this is the best team we have had since then,” said Porta.
May 14, Shore Regional traveled to Donovan Catholic, the second seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, for a second round game. It didn’t go well for the Blue Devils who lost 11-0. However, the season is not over as they have three regular season games left and then the NJSIAA tournament.
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Getting her name into the Shore Regional Blue Devils record book is Kelsey Orth (3), a junior who recorded her 100th career hit this season.
Making a catch for Shore Regional during the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament 8-7 win over Jackson Township is sophomore Allegra Minner (17).
