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.
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