MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE — The Columbia High School softball team, under longtime head coach Cliff Smith, received the No. 2 seed in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 state tournament.
The Cougars were scheduled to visit No. 15 seed Ferris in the first round on May 26 after press time. The winner will face either No. 7 seed Scotch Plains–Fanwood or No. 10 seed J.P. Stevens on May 28. The semifinals are June 2 and the final is June 4. Watchung Hills is the No.1 seed.
The Cougars lost at Morris Catholic 2-1 on May 18 and lost at Cranford 5-4 in nine innings on May 22 to move to a 19-7 record.
Columbia is seeking to reach a state sectional final for the fourth year in a row. They won the North 1, Group 4 state sectional title in 2023. They lost in the state sectional finals in each of the past two years in North 1 and North 2, respectively.
This year’s key seniors are Claire Shupe, Eva Clevenger, Lexi Kaplan and Emma Lerner.
Other key players are junior Maya Bernstein, sophomores Jamie Tarrow and Cassie Maguire and freshmen Alison Kelly and Olivia Ahlberg.
Shupe and Kelly are the top pitchers. In addition to being a standout pitcher, Shupe became the school’s all-time hits leader this season and has 155 career hits.
About the Author
