New Providence Softball Advances to Union County Tournament Semifinals

In order to advance in the Union County Tournament, the New Providence varsity softball team had to beat a better-than-average Brearley squad for the third time in three tries.

In a very quick game Friday night, the fourth-seeded Pioneers did just that in turning back the fifth-seeded Bears 3-0 in the 36th annual Union County Tournament quarterfinals at Linden’s Flanagan Fields.

New Providence will return to Linden today for a 3 p.m. semifinal against top-seeded Governor Livingston, which is 19-2 and has won 12 straight. The neighborhood rivals have not faced each other this year.

THE RECORDS: New Providence improved to 14-4 with its fourth straight win, while Brearley lost its second straight and is now 10-7. New Providence previously swept Brearley in Union County Conference-Mountain Division play, winning 8-7 in Kenilworth on April 20 and 5-4 in New Providence on April 26. There’s the possibility of a fourth meeting, depending on how the seeding goes for the North 2, Group 1 playoffs. Friday was the cutoff date.

THE DIFFERENCE: Brearley was getting the bat on the ball in the early going, so New Providence sophomore right hander had to rely on her own defense, as well as her teammates behind her. She scattered six hits – five singles and a double – and managed to get out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings when Brearley had two runners on base in both frames.

In the sixth when Brearley had runners on second and third with one out, Squeri reached back and fired a high fastball past swinging cleanup batter Christine Grispart for the second out. She then retired Erin Clementi on a hard hit fly ball to right for the inning’s final out. Clementi produced the only Brearley extra-base hit when she doubled to the right-center gap with two outs in the fourth.

Brearley had runners on first and third in the seventh before Squeri struck out the next batter looking on an off speed pitch. Squeri then fanned Brearley leadoff batter Nicole Laurino on three pitches for the game’s final out. Laurino led off the game with a single to center on the first pitch Squeri threw. “They hit a lot of balls in the beginning,” said Squeri, who did not get her first strikeout until the fourth inning. “I had to mix my pitches up.”

New Providence snapped the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Amelia Ekert produced an RBI-single past the Brearley second baseman, which turned out to be the game-winning hit. “I remember our coaches saying to just relax,” Ekert said. “I was hitting popcorn before the game to focus a little bit.”

Courtesy runner Nicole Saitta came home to score. Saitta was running for catcher Michelle Ciarrocca, who opened the inning with a bloop single over the second baseman’s glove. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Christina Coppolino managed a bloop single to right field. Two batters later, Squeri belted a fastball over the fence in left-center – to the right of the scoreboard – for two very important insurance runs.

THE HERO: Squeri tossed a shutout and went 2-for-3, with a single, a home run and two RBI. She said it was her second home run of the year and the first over a fence. “I try to keep my hands back and like Amelia said, relax at the plate,” Squeri said. “I try to look for a good pitch and hit it hard. When I hit the ball, (her home run), I knew I hit it well.”

THE QUOTES: “Cassandra set the tone right away with her attitude and demeanor on the mound,” New Providence head coach Kelly Villa said. “Brearley was hitting the ball and hit some at her, and she was like a vacuum cleaner the way she fielded her position. We’ve been in difficult and tight situations before, and Cassandra and Michelle behind the plate — who have worked together now for two years — found a way to work through them in the sixth and seventh innings. Cassandra threw a changeup twice to get the final out. Her pitch selection was amazing.”

“This was one of our better games,” Squeri said. “We were all fired up, this being the county tournament.”

“We’ll have to bring our game again on Saturday,” Ekert said.

UP NEXT FOR NEW PROVIDENCE: The Pioneers will seek to reach the UCT final by trying to eliminate top-seeded Governor Livingston in a semifinal, which is now scheduled for today, May 14 at 3 p.m. at Linden.

UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL

AT LINDEN’S FLANAGAN FIELDS

5-BREARLEY (10-7)                               0   0   0     0   0   0   0 – 0  6  0

4-NEW PROVIDENCE (14-4)              0   0   0     0   1   2    x – 3  5  2

WINNING PITCHER:

Sophomore right hander Cassandra Squeri (13-4)

7 innings complete: 0 runs, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 0 walks.

LOSING PITCHER:

Sophomore right hander Melissa Stryker

6 innings complete: 3 runs, all earned, 5 hits, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk.

DOUBLES: Brearley – Erin Clementi. New Providence – None.

TRIPLES: Brearley – None. New Providence – None.

HOME RUNS: Brearley – None. New Providence – Cassandra Squeri.