Cranford found itself in a familiar position on Wednesday night. The same cannot be said about head coach Melissa Moreno.
Moreno was looking to lead the Cougars to a Union County Championship in her first season in the dugout as head coach. After a five-run first inning, top-seeded Cranford was able to ride momentum to its second consecutive county title with a 9-0 victory over second-seeded Elizabeth at Kean University in Union.
“Those girls were amazing,” Moreno said. “I give it all to them because they came everyday and worked for this. It’s a surreal feeling.”
Cranford handled Elizabeth well during the regular season outsourcing the Minutemen 21-6 in two regular season matchups.
The Cougars wasted no time on Wednesday night. Sophia DeMarco lined a double following a Hannah Semple walk to set the table for Emma Ingraham. The senior delivered a two-run double to get the Cougars on the board early.
Maddy DeLong added an RBI single to extend the lead. The sophomore finished two hits, a home run, and three RBI.
“The baserunning was awesome,” Moreno said. “Obviously the hits but the baserunning from Sam and Maddy DeLong was great. It really kept us going. From there, it was just putting it in play and making things happen.”
Cranford was able to get to sophomore sensation Gabby Duran early, who got the start for the Minutemen on the mound. Duran currently leads Elizabeth in hits, runs scored, and strikeouts on the mound.
“We played them twice already and they’ve seen Gabby,” Elizabeth head coach Maggie Margadonna said. “I told Makayla, you have to be ready to come in because like I said, their lineup is relentless. I feel like they were on her tonight. They timed her up so I wanted to show something different.”
A five-run first inning was more than enough for Avery Toddings. The junior right-hander threw seven scoreless innings allowing four hits and striking out six without a walk. For good measure, the Cougars made sure to add some insurance.
DeMarco saw a line drive hit off the top of the high fence of Kean but made sure to clear it in her next at bat. She launched a two-run home run in the second inning.
Elizabeth’s best chance to score came in the top of the sixth inning. Kayla Cardozo lined a one-out double but Toddings was able to work out of trouble.
“I’m proud of them after this,” Margadonna said. “They could have easily hung their heads down 5-0 against a relentless team that has a really good pitcher. It’s hard to score runs on her but we didn;t give up. We put a lot of good swings on the ball. We hit a bit but it was right at them. No one gave up and I can’t be any prouder of my team.”
The sophomore duo of DeMarco and DeLong provided the power but Cranford showed an ability to play small ball as well.
In the bottom of the third, Samantha Brunton and Niah Murphy dropped down bunt singles. Emma Grace Pachkowski added a third straight bunt but was thrown out at first. Brunton showed heads up baserunning, scoring from second base on the throw.
“One through nine can bunt and can get it down,” Moreno said. “It’s all about putting things together. Getting a runner on, moving them over, bunting again if we have to. The girls, they’re good at it so it works for us.”
Both Cranford and Elizabeth were victorious on Tuesday in the first round of the NJSIAA Tournament. The Minutemen will move on to face J.P. Stevens in the quarterfinals of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 tournament.
This is a game the Minutemen will use as motivation for the remainder of the season.
“If anything, I think it’s going to be that we’ve tasted defeat and we don’t want to taste it again,” Margadonna said. “Let’s use this and learn from our mistakes to get better.”
Cranford cruised to a 14-0 victory over North Plainfield in the first round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament. The top-seeded Cougars are fighting for a state title but it is hard to ignore the youth on the roster.
The Cougars enjoy the luxury of six juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman making up their major contributors. This means that Cranford is prepared to be a force for years to come.
“We have a huge junior class that’s going to be sticking around,” Moreno said. “Even our sophomores, it’s awesome to see. Our motive, no matter who it is, is to just stay focused. Stay focused, swing the bat, and make the plays.”
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