With temperatures reaching as high as 93 while the girls were playing, the Blue Devils fought to keep pushing against Watchung Hills, but fell short as they lost 1-12. Watchung Hills is one of the top-ranked teams in their conference, and Westfield knew they had their work cut out for them.
Junior Claire Kurtz, who was their previous first-baseman, has recently stepped up as the stand-in catcher due to injury and battled hard until the very end despite adverse conditions. She acknowledged the team’s unwavering perseverance through the extreme heat and went on to say, “I think our pitching stuck it out. Dylan coming in was good, but I think Stella really started us off strong.”
Senior co-captain and pitcher Stella Pugliese opened the game with a solid start, only conceding two runs in the first inning. But as the game progressed, Westfield’s defense unfortunately could not keep up with the force that was the Warriors’ offense. With hits left and right, they proved their record of 21-3, and after inning 5, the game came to an end under the mercy rule.
Even with the multiple runs scored by Watchung Hills, sophomore Giada Petrarca said, “We didn’t make as many dumb mistakes for them to get those runs. They are a good team, and they scored on their own. We did better today on defense than in our previous games, and that’s all we can ask for.”
Sophomore Darby Revock has been pivotal for the Blue Devils during her career, making key plays both offensively and defensively. Revock scored the only run of the game for the Blue Devils, stealing two bases and eventually finding home plate off a hit from senior Kayla Reyes.
Despite the unfortunate result, head coach Caitlin Cheddar focused her attention on what is left to come. For the 2026 team, their next game is their final time on the field together. For the Blue Devils, Cheddar said, “It’s about seeing if you can pull it out with a victory, and for the seniors, it’s about enjoying the last time when they’re on the field.”
The Blue Devils step up to the plate one last time this Wednesday away at Livingston, where they look to close out their season on a high note.
