Last year the Roselle Park softball team scored a single run in the top of the seventh to win at top-seeded Dayton 4-3 in the North 2, Group 1 championship game.
On Tuesday the Panthers were a bit more dramatic scoring a single run in the bottom of the seventh to defeat seventh-seeded Brearley 4-3 in this year’s North 2, Group 1 title contest.
Maddie Hummel was the winning pitcher again, the sophomore right hander this time tossing a five-hitter that included eight strikeouts and one walk.
Roselle Park, now 17-9, will next face North 1, Group 1 champ Cedar Grove in a Group 1 semifinal on June 1 at 1:30 p.m. at Montclair State University.
The group finals are scheduled to take place at Kean University in Union this weekend – June 3 and 4.
For the second straight season Roselle Park is one win away from reaching its first group final and its first Group 1 final since last winning it in 2003.
Roselle Park head coach Fran Maggio, the program’s all-time leader in victories, has now led the Panthers to five sectional championships in his 21 seasons at the helm.
Roselle Park, the fifth seed, tied the game at 3-3 with a single run in the fifth off Brearley junior RH Michelle Capizzano.
Scoring runs for Roselle Park were Dara Czernikowski, Merissa Gilic, Samantha Graves and Sarah Lippin.
Capizzano also allowed five hits in a 6 and 2/3 innings stint. Seventh-seeded Brearley fell to 13-7.
The Bears, who were swept by Mountain Division champion Roselle Park in regular season play, scored first and had leads of 1-0 and 3-2.
UNION COUNTY
STATE TOURNAMENT
DIAMOND SCOREBOARD
FROM TUESDAY, MAY 30:
BASEBALL:
North 2, Group 3 semifinal
Cranford 7, Red Bank Regional 1 – at Cranford
North 2, Group 1 semifinal
Dayton 5, Ridgefield 1 – at Dayton
Non-Public, North A quarterfinal
Pope John 6, Union Catholic 1 – at Pope John
SOFTBALL:
North 2, Group 1 semifinal
Roselle Park 4, Brearley 3
MOVED TO WEDNESDAY, MAY 31
BASEBALL:
Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinal
5-Bernards at 1-Gov. Livingston, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL:
Non-Public, South B semifinal
8-Benedictine at 4-Mater Dei, 4 p.m.