CRANFORD, NJ — There was simply nothing that this year’s Cranford High School softball team could not do, accomplish or achieve.
The Cougars repeated as the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division champion. Cranford then captured a third straight Union County Tournament championship, pulling off the feat for only the second time in program history and the first time since 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Then Cranford captured the North 2, Group 3 sectional state championship for the second time in three years.
Cranford came in at 26-5, two victories shy of capturing a first-ever overall group state championship.
In the Group 3 semifinals on Tuesday, June 6, North 2 champion Cranford was defeated by visiting North 1 champ Morris Knolls High School 12-11 in eight innings at Adams Avenue Softball Complex. The Cougars staged a pretty impressive rally when down 11-3 going into the sixth inning. Cranford scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 11-9. Cranford then tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, sending it to extra innings.
Morris Knolls went ahead again with a run in the top of the eighth on a squeeze play. The Golden Eagles of Denville then held Cranford scoreless in the bottom of the eighth to advance to the Group 3 final on Saturday, June 10, at Kean University’s Cougar Field in Union.
Central Jersey champion Steinert High School won at South Jersey champ Shawnee High School 13-4 in the other Group 3 semifinal on Tuesday, June 6.
Then Steinert edged Morris Knolls 3-2 in the Group 3 state championship game at Kean University on Saturday, June 10.
Steinert, which captured its first state title since 2018, finished 21-5. Morris Knolls came in at 24-5 and Shawnee at 16-10.
Although standout seniors Avery Toddings, right-handed pitcher; Sabrina Prata, catcher; and third-baseman Giulia Olear are graduating, junior standouts Sophia DeMarco and Maddy DeLong will be back to lead the way for the Cougars in 2024.
Toddings struck out 223 batters in 156 and one-third innings. Her earned-run average was an impressive 1.21.
DeMarco, who in Cranford’s 8-0 home win against Elizabeth High School on Thursday, April 13, became the first player in program history to reach and surpass 100 career hits and 100 career RBIs, led the Cougars in several categories.
DeMarco was first in hits with 54, runs with 43, home runs with 16, RBIs with 43, batting average at .529 and slugging percentage at 1.127.
DeLong and Prata both slugged seven home runs. Players with at least 30 hits included DeMarco with 54, Olear and Bendert with 34, Jones with 33, Prata with 32 and DeLong with 31.
Cranford began the season with a 10-game winning streak and had another one snapped by Morris Knolls. The Cougars won 15 games by shutout, including four in a row in one stretch.
Group 3 State championship game at Kean
Saturday, June 10 – Steinert 3, Morris Knolls 2
Group 3 semifinals
Tuesday, June 6 – Steinert 13, Shawnee 4 – at Shawnee
Tuesday, June 6 – Morris Knolls 12, Cranford 11, 8 innings – at Cranford
Cranford Cougars 2023 — 26-5
Division, county, section champions
Seniors: Avery Toddings, Karina Kilbashian, Katie Bendert, Madi Jones, Giulia Olear, Taryn Palm-Morrison, Emma Grace-Pachkowski and Sabrina Prata.
Juniors: Sophia DeMarco and Maddy DeLong.
Sophomores: Morgan Bond, Ava Orr, Adrienne Lettini, Hannah Semple and Alexa Stulpin.
Freshmen: Brook Bentrewicz, Grace Ingraham, Mady Garafalo, Ciara Conley and Lilliana Pardo.
2023 Cranford Cougars results
April 3: Cranford 9, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 1 – at Cranford
April 5: Cranford 14, David Brearley 2 – at David Brearley
April 6: Cranford 12, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
April 8: Cranford 2, Watchung Hills 0 – at Watchung Hills
April 11: Cranford 17, Westfield 0 – at Cranford
April 13: Cranford 8, Elizabeth 0 – at Cranford
April 14: Cranford 6, Jonathan Dayton 1 – at Cranford
April 16: Cranford 2, Immaculate Heart 1 – at Immaculate Heart
April 18: Cranford 2, Governor Livingston 0 – at Governor Livingston
April 19: Cranford 8, Arthur L. Johnson 2 – at Cranford
April 21: St. Thomas Aquinas 2, Cranford 0 – at Cranford
April 22: Cedar Grove 5, Cranford 3 – at Cedar Grove
April 25: Cranford 10, David Brearley 0 – at Cranford
April 26: Cranford 6, Westfield 0 – at Westfield
May 2: Cranford 12, Elizabeth 5 – at Elizabeth
May 5: Cranford 6, Arthur L. Johnson -0 – at Arthur L. Johnson
May 6: Hunterdon Central 1, Cranford 0 – at Hunterdon Central
May 8: Cranford 4, Old Bridge 0 – at Old Bridge
May 9: Cranford 12, Summit 0 – at Summit
May 10: Governor Livingston 7, Cranford 5 – at Cranford
May 12: Cranford 4, Hanover Park 1 – at Hanover Park
May 13: Cranford 10, Kent Place 0 – UCT at Cranford
May 15: Cranford 10, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 0 – at Cranford
May 17: Cranford 10, Jonathan Dayton 0 – at UCT at Cranford
May 19: Cranford 2, Governor Livingston 1 – at Kean
May 23: Cranford 7, Mendham 0 – N2G3 first round at Cranford
May 24: Cranford 3, Immaculata 2 – at Cranford
May 26: Cranford 10, Nutley 0 – N2G3 second round at Cranford
May 31: Cranford 7, Randolph 6 – N2G3 third round at Cranford
June 3: Cranford 5, South Plainfield 1 – N2G3 fourth round at Cranford
June 6: Morris Knolls 12, Cranford 11, 8 innings – G3 semifinal at
Cranford
Record: 26-5
UCC-Watchung Division: 9-1, repeat outright champs
UCT: 4-0, 3-peat champs
North 2, Group 3: 4-0, champs
Home: 14-3
Away: 11-2
Neutral: 1-0, at Kean, UCT final
Runs scored: 208
Runs allowed: 50