UNION COUNTY, NJ — Last year, Jonathan Dayton High School won it for the first time.
The team the Bulldogs beat in the championship game, Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, came a run shy of winning it for just the second time and for the first time since 1977.
Could this be Arthur L. Johnson High School’s year? The Crusaders have only won the UCT three times, their first two crowns achieved way back in 1979 and 1981. They last won it in 2016.
Jonathan Dayton, Scotch Plains–Fanwood and Arthur L. Johnson will surely be in the mix once again this year, as the 49th annual softball Union County Tournament will soon be seeded.
The UCT is scheduled to commence with first round games on Thursday, May 8. The second round is set for Saturday, May 10, which are the eight games at the higher seeds.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, and the semifinals at Kean University’s Cougar Field in Union for Thursday, May 15.
The championship game is set for Tuesday, May 20, at Kean, which is one night after the UCT baseball final is scheduled to be contested.
As the week began on Monday, April 21, the Union County Conference’s top teams in the Watchung Division standings had Arthur L. Johnson, 8-1 overall and 7-1 in the division, its lone loss at home to Governor Livingston High School, 7-5, on Thursday, April 17. Governor Livingston was 6-3 overall and 6-2; Scotch Plains–Fanwood also 6-3 overall and 5-2; Jonathan Dayton, 6-4 and 5-3; Westfield High School, 6-3 and 3-3; and Cranford High School, 4-6 and 3-4.
The two top teams in the Mountain Division were Roselle Park High School, 6-2 overall and 5-0 in the division, and Summit High School, 7-3 overall and 6-1. Roselle Park won at Summit, 7-6 in 10 innings, on Friday, April 4. The two are set to clash in Roselle Park on Thursday, April 24.
Rahway was 6-1 overall and leading the Valley Division at 5-0.
Union High School still leads the most UCT crowns captured with 11, although the Farmers have won only one title in the past 25 years, the 2009 championship. Before that, Union last won in 2000.
Westfield is second with nine titles and Cranford third with eight. Cranford won three in a row for the second time from 2021 to 2023.
Union has the record won for most consecutive titles with six from 1991 to 1996.
Governor Livingston has won seven championships, with its last coming in 2017. Roselle Park won its last two of its five crowns back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. Arthur L. Johnson has won three titles and the following schools have captured the UCT once: Scotch Plains–Fanwood, Linden, Union Catholic, David Brearley and Jonathan Dayton.
In their clash at Governor Livingston on Thursday, April 17, the host Highlanders took the lead for good in the first by pushing across three runs. Arthur L. Johnson got to within 6-4 with two runs in the fifth before Governor Livingston added an insurance run in the sixth. Arthur L. Johnson scored its final run in the seventh.
Arthur L. Johnson entered the game ranked 17th in the state.
Lily Sandholm and Chelsea Kiesewetter slugged home runs for the Highlanders.
Addison Meyer went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Crusaders. Meyer banged out three singles.
Arthur L. Johnson began the season with a 14-3 home win against Gov. Livingston on Tuesday, April 1.
Arthur L. Johnson was scheduled to play at Jonathan Dayton on Tuesday, April 22, and is set to host Cranford on Thursday, April 24, and then play at Scotch Plains–Fanwood on Friday, April 25. Arthur L. Johnson also has a game scheduled to be played on Saturday, April 26, vs. Colts Neck High School.
2025 UCT softball dates
First Round: Thursday, May 8
Second Round Saturday, May 10
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 13
Semifinals: Thursday, May 15 at Kean
Finals: Tuesday, May 20 at Kean
UCT championships won
Union (11), Westfield (9), Cranford (8), Governor Livingston (7), Roselle Park (5), Arthur L. Johnson (3), Scotch Plains–Fanwood (1), Linden (1), Union Catholic (1), David Brearley (1), Jonathan Dayton (1).