IRVINGTON, NJ – The Irvington High School varsity softball team, under fourth-year head coach Jenna Weiss, enjoyed another successful season.
The Blue Knights finished with a 13-9 overall record, including finishing in third place in the Super Essex Conference-Independence Division with an 11-5 record.
“We have bounced back stronger from last season, finishing this year 13-9 overall and 11-5 in the conference,” Weiss said. “Our conference record fell short of winning the division, but we were able to secure the third place spot for two consecutive years. Our record at home keeps improving as we were 9-3.”
Weiss, indeed, was proud of her team’s success.
“Our team has shown great strides in learning and developing into softball players,” said Weiss.
Irvington had a memorable comeback win over Technology. They rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to win, 13-12.
“This early-season game once again showed the resilience and pride our team has,” Weiss said.
Weiss mentioned the tough conference and that the team needed good offense and defense in order to win games. Though they lost twice to North 13th Street Tech, the team was able to bounce back and defeat the other conference opponents, either by sweeping or splitting the two meetings with each opponent.
“Our girls know the importance of each and every game, but to be able to bounce back from losses one time to wins the next, proves that Irvington softball is on the rise,” Weiss said.
The Blue Knights were led by several players.
Senior pitcher Cassandra Cheridor did an outstanding job, Weiss said.
“She did a great service to our team by stepping in as our pitcher and one of the leaders on our team,” the coach said. “She was awarded First Team All-Conference in the SEC as a pitcher. Her stats this year were an improvement from the previous year.”
Cheridor also batted .446 with 29 RBI, one double, three triples and two home runs. She will be greatly missed next year, Weiss said. Cheridor will be attending New York School of Interior Design in the fall.
Another player who broke out this season is Sarah Smith. “She was our second baseman and has developed into an amazing softball player over the course of her four-year career. She is also a senior and was selected First Team All-Conference in the SEC as an infielder.”
Smith’s stats this year were astounding. She batted .547 with 25 RBI, three doubles, five triples and three home runs. She was also the only player to hit for the cycle, which is a base hit, double, triple and a home run in one game.
“She truly broke out of her shell and became a dominant force in our conference,” Weiss said of Smith, who will be attending Wagner College on a full academic scholarship, studying finance and business.
Another solid contributor was Malika Springer.
“Malika Springer transitioned from infield (catcher) to outfield (center field) throughout the season,” Weiss said. “Never once did she complain or say no. She has the heart of a gem and would play anywhere as long as she was on that diamond. She is a great team player! Malika is only a sophomore and we cannot wait to see what the next two years hold for her.
“Her stats this year were a vast improvement from last season. She batted .508 with 23 RBIs, four doubles and one home run. For those efforts, she was awarded Second Team All-Conference in the SEC.
“We will be losing seven seniors this year,” continued Weiss. “We have a great group of returners who have progressed very well and will be huge part of our program next season. Sol Berrios will be a junior next season and was awarded Second Team All-Conference in the SEC as an infielder. She batted .485 with the team-leading 45 RBI. This acknowledgment for Sol is just a sign of her greatness. Zekiah Enos, who will also be a junior, has been awarded Honorable Mention and our most improved player from last year. We are excited to see what her future holds as well.
“My coaching staff and I are truly committed to this team. We work very hard to develop our girls and they accept the challenge every season. We always look forward to next season and are already counting down the days to tryouts. We are humbled by how great our players are, on and off the field, and it will be a sad day as we say goodbye to some, but anticipate the future of others. To yet another great season, great group of girls, we are PROUD to be their coaches.”
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