2024 NJ SOFTBALL PUBLIC STATE FINALS RECAP

South Orange, NJ – Playing for a state championship is different. The knot in your stomach seems tighter, the beads of sweat feel heavier, and the cheers from the crowd sound louder. Senses are heightened when it’s game time, and when the adrenaline kicks in, nothing seems more important than taking home a title. These feelings and more were ever-present at Mike Sheppard Sr. Field on Friday when eight teams entered, but only four left with the right to call themselves state champions. Below are the stories and results of the New Jersey Public State Finals in Softball.

Game 1 (Group 3): Steinert Bats Roll Past Knolls to Capture Second Straight Title

The Steinert Spartans (24-5) hadn’t been bashing their way past opponents in quite some time, but found their offensive mojo just in time for the state finals, downing a talented Morris Knolls Golden Eagles (24-5) team 8-1. The win was their fourth state championship overall, and second in a row against Knolls.

A huge third inning proved to be all they needed to nab their hardware. After entering the frame tied 1-1, sophomore Bianca Walsh drew a leadoff walk to facilitate what would be a wild inning. A pair of errors, a hit batter, a wild pitch, and a sac bunt would all add up to a trio of runs, giving the Spartans a lead they’d never look back from. 

Walsh, who went two for three in last year’s final, topped herself this time around, going two for two with a pair of walks, two doubles, and four RBI, to earn Player of the Game honors. 

“It feels so good to help my team get on the board whenever I can,” Walsh said. 

Her performance wasn’t the only stand out of the afternoon. Junior pitcher Katie Simonka was excellent in the circle, allowing just a single run on five hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. This marked her fifth-straight complete game, and 17th outing allowing one or fewer earned runs. 

Next season, Steinert will have their sights set on becoming just the 12th team to win five total softball state championships, and only the fifth program to win three in a row. 

Game 2 (Group 4): An Early Rally Earns Watchung Hills 6-4 Win Over Vineland

In one of the closer games of the day (a real nail-biter is coming up later), the Watchung Hills Warriors (28-3) captured their second championship in three seasons thanks to a big second inning against the Vineland Fighting Clan (26-3). Watchung Hills became the 33rd team in state history to win a state title for a third time. 

Vineland started off strong with Megan Harrell-Alverez bringing her twin sister Morgan home with a single to left in the top of the first. The next frame, Natalie Ponce kept things rolling with a leadoff double, followed by a costly error from Watchung Hills to send her home.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the second, the Warriors knew that the game was still well within reach, and punched right back. Tia Shikar and Maddie DiSarno got the party started with back-to-back base hits to get the party started. Arianna Huges then set the table with a gorgeous sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position. 

Then the floodgates opened.

Behind in the count 0-2, catcher Maddie Cerami belted a long double to left, scoring two, inciting the rally. Sisters Riley and Morgan Bobrowski would each add an RBI single, before a wild pitch scoring Katie Wighard would cap off the scoring at five runs. 

After trading one run a piece in the third, Vineland opted to send Kashavi Patel to the circle to relieve their struggling starter. Patel responded, allowing just two baserunners in three and two-third innings, keeping the game close until the very end. 

Much like their nickname would suggest the Fighting Clan continued to battle, scratching across one more run in the fifth, but Riley Bobrowski would hold them down the rest of the way. The younger Bobrowski finished the day two for three with an RBI at the plate, and the game’s winner in the circle, tossing a complete game and striking out six along the way. 

“I knew my offense could execute, and that I was very confident in them,” Bobrowski said as teammates piled visors and towels on her during her postgame interview. 

She fought through the whole game, despite a barking throwing arm that took her out of the state semifinals a few days earlier. Truly a worthy performance from a player on a team called the Warriors. 

Game 3 (Group 1): Cedar Grove Blanks Haddon Township for Championship Number 7

When I asked the other members of the press for the scouting report on Cayce Kavakich, the general consensus was: “She throws hard.” And boy did she, propelling her Cedar Grove Panthers (23-8) to a 5-0 win over the Haddon Township Hawks (21-7), completing the title repeat. 

Throughout the game, Haddon managed just four baserunners and only had two girls on base in the same inning once. 

Kavakich was dominant from the get-go, striking out two of the first four batters she faced, and retiring eight Hawks in a row between the first and third innings. Despite these efforts, the game was still scoreless for both sides through the first two and a half frames.

But that would change quickly. 

The Panthers seemed to figure out the Haddon pitching in the bottom of the third, using four-straight hits to start the inning to score four runs and build a lead that was more than enough to earn them the win. The biggest bash came from centerfielder Bella Stolz, who cranked her third home run of the season into orbit on a 2-0 fastball. 

Marina Bryant also contributed a big day offensively, going two-for-two with a pair of RBI, a walk, and a run scored. 

Our player of the game was Kavakich, who struck out 13 batters, just enough to eclipse her previous season’s total of 329. She also picked up her 13th shutout of the season and sent down the final 11 Hawks she faced. 

“I was definitely in a groove, I felt really good today. My warm-up…really gave me the confidence to go into the game and pitch how I did,” Kavakich said. 

Like Steinert, Cedar Grove will also look to become just the fifth program in state history to win three state championships in a row when they return to the diamond next season. 

Game 4 (Group 2): Gloucester Edges out Ramsey in 3-2 Thriller Under the Lights

The evening couldn’t have been scripted any better as the scholastic sporting spirits blessed us with the best game at the very end. The Gloucester Lions (21-5) showed their mettle in a captivating victory over the Ramsey Rams (26-4), capping off their first championship run since 2009. 

Though the Lions never trailed, the contest was filled with ebbs and flows, driving fans to the edge of their seats all the way up until the final out. 

After a scoreless first inning, junior Lauren Parry worked a six-pitch walk to set the table for her teammates. A stolen base and a sacrifice bunt later, and the Lions were knocking at the door for the first score of the contest. First baseman Alexis Ullamn answered that call with an RBI single, putting her team up 1-0.

The next frame, Gloucester would follow a similar formula, using a lead-off walk and a stolen base from Bailey Schoenfeldt to set the kindling. Ava Rodgers then drove her in with an RBI base hit right up the middle to double her squad’s advantage. 

Not to be outdone, Ramsey would punch right back, but not without a play they wish they could have back. With a runner on third and nobody out, Cynthia Chetaitis attempted a sacrifice bunt to scratch across a run. Unfortunately for her, a brilliant pump fake to first baited the incoming runner too far off the bag, resulting in a 5-2-6-1 rundown resulting in an out and zero runs. The Rams didn’t leave the frame empty-handed though, thanks to a towering RBI double from Ava Greco to slash the deficit down to 2-1. 

Knowing insurance would be needed, the Lions once again put their hard hats on and got to manufacturing. Following a one-out single from Ryleigh Hunter, some savvy baserunning crossed up the Rams’ infield resulting in an outless fielder’s choice the very next batter. Kaelyn Zearfoss then sent the first pitch of the at-bat right passed the pitcher’s mound to score Hunter, giving Gloucester the last bit of offense they would need. 

Though Ramsey would score one more time, Lion’s starter Liv George’s masterclass in inducing weak contact made her 3-2 lead seem even larger, culminating in a lazy fly out to right to secure the win. 

“I just pitch to contact, I don’t worry about trying to blow it by people,” George said, “I trust my defense.

George’s defense certainly had her back, making key plays when it mattered to help her keep her pitch count to a staggeringly low 78. George finished with a complete game and four strikeouts, scattering four hits and a walk along the way to just two runs allowed with one of them earned. Her efficiency was dazzling fooling batters with a disappearing off-speed pitch that helped lead to a 69% strike rate and a 65% first-pitch strike rate. If you didn’t already guess, she was or Player of the Game.

Gloucester is now tied with Steinert, New Egypt, and Middletown South for 11th all-time with five New Jersey Softball State Championships.

Thank you for your support all spring season long. While softball is done, we aren’t, so be sure to follow us on Instagram @BigStateSports and subscribe to us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@BigStateSports to keep up with all the action!

-Stay Frosty