UNION COUNTY — What a day Thursday, May 28, was for Union County Conference softball teams in public schools sectional state tournament play!
As many as eight squads won to advance to their sectional semifinal matchups, which were scheduled to be contested Tuesday, June 2, after the press deadline.
Those fortunate enough were one win away from reaching a sectional state championship game, with those contests scheduled to be played this week on Thursday, June 4.
The state semifinals follow on Monday, June 8, at the site of the team still alive that has the most power points.
The state finals are scheduled to be played on Friday, June 12, at Ivy Hill Park in South Orange, which is near Seton Hall University.
UCC teams that advanced were Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School in North 2, Group 4; Cranford and Summit high schools in North 2, Group 3; Governor Livingston High School in North 2, Group 2; New Providence, Jonathan Dayton and David Brearley high schools in North 2, Group 1; and Arthur L. Johnson High School in Central Jersey, Group 2.
Summit, which improved to 20-9, lost at South Plainfield High School, 2-0, in last year’s North 2, Group 3 final.
The Hilltoppers took a Union County-best 26-3 record and seven-game winning streak into the sectional semifinal on Tuesday, June 2, at home vs. defending champion South Plainfield.
Summit also captured the UCC’s Watchung Division crown at 12-1 and won the Union County Tournament for the first time.
Summit is led by sophomore catcher-infielder Chloe Jacobson, who began the week leading the Hilltoppers in batting average at .578, hits with 52 and RBI with 54.
Arthur L. L. Johnson, at 11-1, finished first in the Mountain Division standings. Rahway, which closed at 12-10 for its second straight winning season, won the Valley Division perfect at 9-0.
Arthur L. Johnson is the defending Central Jersey, Group 2 champion and, on Tuesday, June 2, was a home win away against 11th-seeded Bordentown Regional High School from returning to the final. The Crusaders entered the state tournament game on Tuesday, June 2, with a combined record the past two years of 50-7.
Arthur L. Johnson is led by senior Elizabeth Yanni, who began the week leading the Crusaders in batting average at .385, RBI with 26 and was second in hits at 30.
Union County was guaranteed of at least one team playing in a sectional final on Thursday, June 4, because Jonathan Dayton hosted New Providence in a North 2, Group 1 semifinal on Tuesday, June 2. Jonathan Dayton won the UCT for the first time in 2024.
Here’s a look at the eight Union County softball teams that were active in state tournament play Tuesday and the other teams still alive in their sections:
North 2, Group 4
Semifinals were scheduled to be played:
Tuesday, June 2
4-Woodbridge at 1-Watchung Hills
7-Scotch Plains–Fanwood at 6-Bridgewater–Raritan Regional
Final
Thursday, June 4
At higher seed
North 2, Group 3
Semifinals were scheduled to be played:
Tuesday, June 2
4-South Plainfield at 1-Summit
6-Cranford at 2-North Hunterdon
Final
Thursday, June 4
At higher seed
North 2, Group 2
Semifinals were scheduled to be played:
Tuesday, June 2
4-Governor Livingston at 1-Caldwell
6-Rutherford at 2-Hanover Park
Final
Thursday, June 4
At higher seed
North 2, Group 1
Semifinals were scheduled to played:
Tuesday, June 2
8-New Providence at 4-Jonathan Dayton
3-Whippany Park at 2-David Brearley
Final
Thursday, June 4
At higher seed
Central Jersey, Group 2
Semifinals were scheduled to played:
Tuesday, June 2
5-Raritan at 1-Allentown
11-Bordentown Regional at 2-Arthur L. Johnson
Final
Thursday, June 4
At higher seed
