MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The fourth-seeded Columbia High School softball team defeated No. 20 seed West Caldwell Tech 10-0 in the second round of the Essex County Tournament on Saturday, May 6, at Meadowland Park field.
Senior pitcher Maddy Rowell tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out 14 and walking none. Sophomore Charlotte Klepesch, and juniors Jordan Juter and Keira Sims each went 1-for-1. Klepesch drove in a run.
The Cougars extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 11-5 overall on the season. Columbia will host No. 5 seed Caldwell in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 13, at 9 a.m. The winner will face the winner between No. 1 seed Mount St. Dominic Academy and No. 8 seed Verona in the semifinals on Friday, May 19, at Mike Sheppard Sr. field at Ivy Hill Park on the Seton Hall University campus.
In earlier action, the Cougars defeated Parsippany Hills 10-3 on Thursday, May 4, on the road. Freshman Eva Clevenger went 3-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, and six RBI. Freshman Claire Shupe had two singles and an RBI, and senior Juliette Lipari went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Junior Sam Stein and freshman Lexi Klaplan each had a single and an RBI. Shupe pitched six innings of four-hit ball, striking out 11 and walking four.
Rowell pitched a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts to lead the Cougars to a 7-0 home win over Morristown on Friday, May 5. Licata went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI; Stein had a single and two RBI; and Shupe also went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
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