History Made: Barnegat Ends Gloucester’s Reign, Captures First Sectional Crown

GLOUCESTER CITY — For nearly a decade, Barnegat softball struggled to find sustained success.

From 2015 through 2023, the Bengals finished with a losing record every season, with the exception of the canceled 2020 campaign. On Thursday, that history became a distant memory.

Behind head coach Michael Palmieri’s vision and a senior-led roster that bought into the process, Barnegat captured the first sectional championship in program history with a 2-1 victory over two-time defending state champion Gloucester in the South Jersey Group 2 final to advance to the Group 2 state semifinals.

“This is more than just one game,” Palmieri said after the victory.

Palmieri feels the foundation for the championship run was established from the very beginning of the season, when Barnegat proved it could win close, low-scoring games.

“You know, I just said to them after the game that our whole season started out good with the first game against Jackson that we won. We knew we could hang with anybody because Jackson’s a great program and Barrelli knows what she’s doing. Those girls are well coached, and we won 1-0. Then we had to play Toms River East, a very good team this year. It was a scrap and it was close.”

The veteran coach said his team developed confidence by consistently finding ways to win those tight games throughout the season.

“We can win those close games, and we did that all year. The most runs scored against us this whole season has been four. So if we can put up two or three, we are super confident. Obviously, we have great pitching, but then solid defense behind her [Gianna Gomez]. Eva [Watts] makes a nice play in left, and then Brooke Rizzo makes a nice play behind first base in foul territory, and all of a sudden it all comes together.”

Palmieri also credited his senior-heavy roster for embracing the program’s long-term vision and helping turn Barnegat into a championship contender.

“It’s a great group, and we’re senior-heavy with our starters. They have all bought into the process, and we reached the goal. It took four years, but we reached the goal, and that’s so exciting.”

The Bengals provided just enough offense in the third inning to support another strong performance from junior ace Gianna Gomez. Senior Jadeyn Bodziak opened the scoring with an RBI single to bring in senior Eva Watts, and sophomore Brooke Rizzo followed with a sacrifice fly that brought home junior Gianna Skwirut for a 2-0 lead.

Gloucester responded in the fourth inning when sophomore Jenai Murphy drove in a run to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Barnegat never wavered.

Gomez continued her dominant postseason run, allowing five hits while striking out seven and walking one. The senior now owns 665 strikeouts on the season while maintaining a 1.29 ERA.

Just as importantly, the defense delivered in key moments. Diving catches and clutch plays in the field helped preserve the lead against a Gloucester lineup that had spent the past two seasons ruling Group 2.

For Gomez, the championship was a reflection of the bond shared throughout the roster.

“I go into every game with a positive mindset, and my best friends and teammates have my back every step of the way in every game. I can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish.”

The final out sparked a celebration years in the making. What was once a program searching for an identity became a championship contender, and now a champion.

After years of rebuilding, Barnegat has reached the mountaintop. The Bengals are sectional champions for the first time in school history, and their season is far from over as they prepare for Monday’s showdown with Central Jersey Group 2 champion A.L. Johnson.

The Bengals are tentatively slated to travel to A.L. Johnson on Monday at a time to be determined.