UNION COUNTY, NJ — Whichever team is able to go 3-0 this week, weather permitting in this crazy non-spring-like weather we’ve been enduring, will be able to hoist the trophy on Friday night, May 17.
The 48th annual softball Union County Tournament was scheduled to continue Monday, May 13, with the top eight seeds facing off against each other in quarterfinal round play at the higher seed.
The four quarterfinal round matchups on Monday, May 13, which featured the top eight seeds, included eighth-seeded Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School at top-seeded Governor Livingston High School and fifth-seeded Westfield High School at fourth-seeded Arthur L. Johnson High School on the top side of the bracket. On the bottom side of the bracket, seventh-seeded David Brearley High School was at second-seeded Jonathan Dayton High School and sixth-seeded Elizabeth High School–Frank J. Cicarell Academy was at third-seeded Cranford High School.
The semifinals at Kean University’s Cougar Field in Union were set to be contested on Wednesday, May 15.
The final is scheduled to be played Friday, May 17, also at Kean University. As of Monday, May 13, there was no starting time listed for the championship game.
Governor Livingston, Jonathan Dayton and David Brearley all won by shutout when they played their first-round contests on Saturday, May 11.
Roselle Park High School, Union High School, Rahway High School and Kent Place School won first round games on Thursday, May 9, and were then eliminated in quarterfinal round play on Saturday, May 11.
The closest first round game featured eighth-seeded Scotch Plains–Fanwood vs. ninth-seeded Summit at Scotch Plains–Fanwood. The host Raiders scored their first two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 2-2 and send it to extra innings. Then, two innings later, in the bottom of the ninth, Scotch Plains–Fanwood pushed across a third run to win the game, 3-2, in nine innings.
Cranford High School overcame a 3-1 deficit by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third of its 7-3 first round home win on Saturday, May 11, against 14th-seeded Union.
Cranford began the week three UCT wins shy of capturing the UCT crown for a program-record fourth straight season. Cranford has won the UCT three years in a row twice, the first time in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and the second time in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The only team to win the UCT more than three years in a row was Union when the Farmer dynasty did so every season from 1991 to 1996.
In Cranford’s win against Union, seven Cougar players hit safely, with freshman Brooke Jones leading the way with a 2-for-3 game that included two RBI and one run scored.
Cranford pitchers included senior Sophia DeMarco for three innings and sophomore Brook Bentrewicz for four. DeMarco struck out four and Bentrewicz seven. Union was limited to six hits.
Softball
Union County Tournament
Seeds: 1-Governor Livingston. 2-Jonathan Dayton. 3-Cranford. 4-Arthur L. Johnson. 5-Westfield. 6-Elizabeth. 7-David Brearley. 8-Scotch Plains–Fanwood. 9-Summit. 10-Union Catholic. 11-New Providence. 12-Oak Knoll. 13-Roselle Park. 14-Union. 15-Rahway. 16-Kent Place. 17-Abraham Clark. 18-Linden. 19-Roselle Catholic. 20-Plainfield.
First Round
Thursday, May 9
Roselle Park 15, Plainfield 0
Union 12, Roselle Catholic 1
Rahway 11, Linden 1
Kent Place 17, Abraham Clark 0
Second Round
Saturday, May 11
Governor Livingston 10, Kent Place 0
Scotch Plains–Fanwood 3, Summit 2
Arthur L. Johnson 5, Roselle Park 2
Westfield 6, Oak Knoll 1
Jonathan Dayton 12, Rahway 0
David Brearley 10, Union Catholic 0
Cranford 7, Union 3
Elizabeth 3, New Providence 1
Quarterfinals
Monday, May 13
Top side of bracket
8-Scotch Plains–Fanwood at 1-Governor Livingston
5-Westfield at 4-Arthur L. Johnson
Bottom side of bracket
7-David Brearley at 2-Jonathan Dayton
6-Elizabeth at 3-Cranford
Semifinals
Wednesday, May 15
Quarterfinals winners
at Kean University
Finals
Friday, May 17
Semifinals winners
at Kean University
Start time to be determined.