MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The No. 2 seed Columbia High School softball team defeated No. 15 seed Montclair Kimberley Academy, 8-0, in the first round of the Essex County Tournament at Meadowland Park field in South Orange on Saturday, May 3.
Junior Claire Shupe pitched a two-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts and no walks. Sophomore Maya Bernstein went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI, senior Scarlett Levinson went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI and junior Eva Clevenger had a double and two RBI.
The Cougars, who improved to 12-3 on the season, will host No. 7 seed Montclair in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 10. If the Cougars win, they will face the winner between No. 3 seed Mount St. Dominic Academy and No. 6 seed West Essex in the semifinals on Friday, May 16, at Mike Sheppard Sr. Field at Ivy Hill Park in Newark.
In earlier action, Columbia defeated Nutley, 4-2, on Wednesday, April 30, in a Super Essex Conference–American Division game at Nutley. Shupe went 3-for-3, Clevenger went 2-for-3 with an RBI, senior Anna Shalom went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs and junior Abby Coulter went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Shupe pitched a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts and two walks.
The Cougars lost at Mount St. Dominic, 13-6, on Thursday, May 1, in a divisional game in North Caldwell. Junior Lexi Kaplan went 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and two runs; freshman Jamie Tarrow went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Clevenger had a single and an RBI.
CHS defeated Cranford, 1-0, on Friday, May 2, at Meadowland Park field in an independent game. Shupe pitched a five-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter. Clevenger drove in the run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Columbia HS softball team reaches Essex County Tournament quarterfinals added by Joe Ragozzino on
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