Columbia players meet at the pitcher's circle during the win over 11-1 home win over Caldwell on April 3.
MAPLEWOO/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Junior Claire Shupe pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts and three walks to lead the second-seeded Columbia High School softball team to a 5-1 win over Montclair in the quarterfinals of the Essex County Tournament on Saturday, May 10, at Meadowland Park field in South Orange.
The Cougars jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After Montclair scored in the top of the fourth, Columbia answered with two runs in the bottom half.
Junior Eva Clevenger had two singles; and junior Abby Coulter, senior Charlotte Klepesch and sophomore Maya Bernstein each had a single and an RBI for the Cougars, who won their fourth straight game to improve to 14-3 on the season.
The ECT semifinals will take place at Mike Sheppard Sr. field in Ivy Hill Park in Newark on Friday, May 16. CHS will face third-seeded Mount St. Dominic at 5 p.m. while top-seeded Cedar Grove will face No. 4 seed Livingston at 7 p.m.
The ECT final will take place Saturday, May 17, at Sheppard Sr. field at 7 p.m.
In earlier action, the Cougars defeated Westfield, 2-0, on Thursday, May 8, at Meadowland Park field in an independent game.
Shupe tossed a three-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts and three walks. Senior Scarlett Levinson and Bernstein each had two singles and an RBI. Clevenger and Klepesch each had a double.
Photos by Joe Ungaro
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