In typical Westfield fashion, the cheers were loud and the energy in the dugout and on the field remained high throughout the game. However, this did not stop Governor Livingston from taking the lead and running away with a 4-1 win over Westfield.
Governor Livingston asserted its dominance early with an RBI double in the first inning that put the Highlanders up 1-0. They later turned up the heat with another run in the fourth, increasing the lead to 2-0.
Senior co-captain Grace Loder said, “Not starting off scoring definitely hurt us in the long run.”
But the Blue Devils didn’t quit. Sophomore Quinlan Doherty hit a key double in the fifth; she later ran through home for Westfield’s first run with the help of a single from freshman Natalie Ardente, making the score 2-1.
“If we want to win, it’s super important to stay motivated even when [the game] is not going our way. We try to keep up that winning mentality no matter what,” said Loder.
The score remained tight throughout the first few innings until Governor Livingston went up 3-1 in the fifth inning. The Highlanders then got another run in the bottom of the sixth inning, making the final score 4-1.
Governor Livingston had a strong offensive game, scoring in multiple innings. “They were able to tack on one run almost every other inning and we couldn’t capitalize on a couple of those bigger situations,” said head coach Caitlin Cheddar.
The Blue Devils had opportunities to close the gap, especially toward the end of the game, but would not be able to come out on top in the end. “I think that we left too many runners in scoring position too many times, and that’s really the difference between the win and the loss today,” said Cheddar.
Westfield previously played Governor Livingston in its second game of the season and came out on top with a 7-4 win, but Governor Livingston took home the win this time around. This is unlikely to be the last time these two will meet, as it is possible they will face off again in the county tournament.
The Blue Devils look to bounce back in their game against Cranford on Wednesday. Westfield lost 17-0 in its last game against Cranford but is looking to shift expectations. “Tomorrow is a new opportunity to play to the best of our abilities,” said Loder. “We are a stronger team than the first time we played Cranford, and we are ready to win.”
