Nutley HS softball team hosts invitational, sweeps pair to extend win streak to nine games and improve to 14-2

NUTLEY – The Nutley High School varsity softball team hosted the Nutley Invitational on Saturday, April 30, at Yantacaw Park.

The Raiders won both their games, beating Millburn, 3-2, in eight innings, and Linden, 12-1, to extend their winning streak to nine games and improve to a 14-2 record.

Alancis Concepcion singled home courtesy runner Melanie Conca in the eighth inning to lift the Raiders to a walk-off win over Millburn. Winning pitcher Emily Holden walked to lead off the inning. Conca came in as a courtesy runner.

Millburn scored single runs in the first and fourth innings for a 2-0 lead. Breanna DeMaio, who finished 2-for-4, drove in two runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie it 2-2. Holden went the distance, allowing five hits and striking out 14.

DeMaio fired a five-inning three-hitter in the win over Linden. DeMaio also went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Sam Eccheveria went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI; Concepcion went 1-for-2 with two RBI; Danielle Pomponio went 2-for-2; Stefanie Ziemer went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs; Sydney Kunz went 1-for-3; and Holden went 1-for-2.

In the previous day, the Raiders defeated Cedar Grove, 9-1, April 29, in Cedar Grove in a divisional game. Pomponio went 3-for-4 with an RBI; Cassie Angelo went 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBI; DeMaio went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI; and Ziemer, Lauren Hogan and Eccheveria each had two hits. Holden scattered five hits and struck out 14.

DeMaio went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs to lead the Raiders to a 5-2 win at Montclair in a Super Essex Conference-American Division game on April 27. Kunz went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Ziemer was 2-for-4 and drove in run. Holden scattered five hits and allowed two runs, one earned, with 10 strikeouts for the win. At the plate, Holden also went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run.