After being up all game, the Blue Devils were ready to fight defensively at the top of the 7th to keep the score 5-4, but South Plainfield scored two runs and took the lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Westfield fought to get hits but couldn’t capitalize, resulting in a South Plainfield victory, 6-5.
As the Blue Devils went into the game, head coach Caitlyn Cheddar reiterated the same message she had most of the season: “We are not taking care of the little things. We’re giving away too much, whether it’s an extra base on a passed ball, an extra base on an overthrow or getting into the box and swinging at the wrong pitch. This game is hard enough; you don’t need to give anybody anything extra,” she said. Although the team has things to work on, Cheddar highlighted that they did many things well.
Even though the game resulted in a loss, there was something to celebrate as sophomore Ava Heuck recorded her 100th strikeout. “It felt really good. I put in a lot of work over the past two years, so yes, I’m really happy about it. It was a really exciting moment,” said Heuck.
Freshman Angelina Tessitore executed on both the offensive and defensive ends throughout the game. She spoke about her mindset entering the game, saying, “Losing a bunch of games just keeps us fired up and ready to come out the next game because we know we have something to prove. That’s what kept me through the entire game,” she said.
Heading into counties, the Blue Devils are gearing up to claim a win and move on. “We know that it’s going to be a tough game, so here’s the reality. The beautiful thing about a tournament is that you win, you move on; you lose, you go home. Every single team is starting from the exact same place. It doesn’t matter what you did; you can win zero games prior to that. As long as you made the tournament, you’re in,” Cheddar said.
Heuck echoed this message, as she had heard it from her coach before. “Nothing else in our past matters, because tomorrow whoever plays the best in that game is the winner,” said Heuck.
Tessitore is ready to continue showing that they have something to prove. The team is ready to come out with energy and wear psych wear throughout the day to get fired up.
The Blue Devils face Union Catholic this Friday in hopes of securing a significant county win that would advance them to the next round.
