CRANFORD, NJ — When the Cranford High School and Governor Livingston High School softball teams, the two best in Union County, took to their home fields on Wednesday, May 31, they were both seven innings away from playing for a sectional state championship.
Second-seeded Cranford, with a record of 24-4 that included an eight-game winning streak, was scheduled to host third-seeded Randolph High School on Wednesday, May 31, with a trip to the North 2, Group 3 sectional final on Saturday, June 3, on the line.
Cranford won the section two years ago, beating West Morris Regional High School in the final. Last year, Cranford lost to West Morris Regional in the semifinals. West Morris Regional lost to South Plainfield High School in the quarterfinals this time.
Governor Livingston, which finished second to Cranford in the Union County Tournament and the Watchung Division of the Union County Conference and was the only Union County team that has defeated Cranford this year, was to host ninth-seeded Bordentown Regional High School on Wednesday, May 31, in its Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinal. The fourth-seeded Highlanders entered with a record of 19-6 and a two-game winning streak.
Governor Livingston advanced in dramatic fashion at home against fifth-seeded Arthur L. Johnson High School in its quarterfinal game on Thursday, May 25. The Highlanders won 6-5, after scoring the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Governor Livingston’s first state tournament win was a 13-3 home victory against Monmouth Regional High School on Tuesday, May 23.
Cranford softball, in the same manner as the Cranford baseball team, won its first two state tournament games at home and by shutout. The Cougars first blanked West Morris Mendham High School 7-0 on Tuesday, May 23, and then halted Nutley High School 10-0 on Thursday, May 25, at its Adams Avenue Softball Complex.
Both last year and this year, Cranford baseball and softball were UCT champions in the same season. The first two years that happened were in 2007 and 2010.
In Cranford’s state tournament triumph against Mendham, junior Sophia DeMarco pitched four innings and senior Avery Toddings pitched three innings to combine for a rare perfect game. DeMarco fanned nine and Toddings fanned four.
DeMarco also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-4, with four RBIs, one run, one single and one home run. Giulia Olear was 2-for-4 with two runs, one single and one double.
Cranford scored in every inning in its six-inning victory vs. Nutley. Maddy DeLong was 2-for-3, with four RBI, three runs, a single, a home run and one walk. Toddings tossed a one-hitter, striking out 12 and walking none.
For Governor Livingston in its win against Monmouth, Emma McElroy was 3-for-3, with three RBIs, two runs, two singles and a home run. Winning pitcher Katie DeBello pitched the first four innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Alina Murad pitched the fifth and final inning.
Elise Faxon had three hits and Chelsea Kiesewetter, Anna Popola and Kelly Hanratty had two hits each in the comeback win against Arthur L. Johnson.
Murad was the winning pitcher in relief, pitching the final three innings. She allowed two unearned runs on no hits, striking out one. DeBello pitched the first four innings, yielding three runs on five hits, but giving up only one earned run.
Hanratty drove in three runs with her two singles, while Kiesewetter had Governor Livingston’s only extra-base hit, which was a double.
Arthur L. Johnson had a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the fifth before Governor Livingston scored twice in the fifth to pull to within 5-4 and then scored twice in the seventh for the 6-5 victory.
Elizabeth Fitzharris was 3-for-3 for Arthur L. Johnson, with three singles, two runs and one RBI.
Arthur L. Johnson, which was the No. 2 seed for the UCT and eventually lost to third-seeded Governor Livingston in the semifinals, finished a fine 2023 season at 17-8. The Crusaders finished third in the UCC’s Watchung Division at 6-4.
North 2, Group 3 Semifinals and Finals
Wednesday, May 31
9-Warren Hills at 5-South Plainfield
3-Randolph at 2-Cranford
Saturday, June 3
Semifinal winners at the higher seed.
Central Jersey, Group 2 Semifinals and Finals
Wednesday, May 31
9-Bordentown at 4-Governor Livingston
11-Wall at 2-Delran
Saturday, June 3
Semifinal winners at the higher seed.