Westfield’s season featured flashes of success and a pair of exciting tournament runs, but was permeated by struggles. The Blue Devils finished 13-14 overall and 3-7 in the Watchung division of the Union County Conference, a step back after last year’s 14-10 overall record and 4-6 division record.
“We graduated a very experienced and talented class last year so this year’s group had to learn a lot and learn it quickly,” head coach Caitlin Cheddar said.
The team started off with a tough loss, 11-6, against North Hunterdon. Despite this, Westfield came back strong the next game, winning, 7-4, against Governor Livingston. The next three games continued with this back-and-forth pattern, with Westfield losing to Union, beating Bridgewater-Raritan, losing to Cranford and Arthur L. Johnson, and crushing Summit.
“After a solid first two games, we really began to struggle. We were inconsistent defensively and we were not scoring a lot of runs,” said Cheddar.
The team then went 3-3 in its next six games, beating Brearley, Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Roselle Park, but falling short to Elizabeth, Governor Livingston and Cranford. The back and forth came to a halt, however, after three losses in a row, against West Morris, ALJ and Elizabeth.
Confirming the inconsistencies, senior captain Grace Loder said, “There would be times we would come off a big win and then fall short the next day.”
Despite their new losing streak, they went 5-1 in their next six games. This streak ended in the Union County Tournament semifinals when they lost to Governor Livingston, whom they had previously dominated in the beginning of the season.
Loder said, “Even though we didn’t get as far as we wanted, I think it was the first time we all connected as a team and worked more together.”
Going into the North 2, Group 4 sectional tournament, the Blue Devils had worked on building their relationship on and off the field with psych parties, karaoke and team breakfasts. Loder said, “I loved this because it felt like we were all close friends as opposed to just teammates.”
In advance of their common team meals, “They also volunteered for Buddy Ball together, an amazing organization dedicated to teaching softball and baseball skills to young people who have physical, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. I know that this has been a rewarding experience for those who volunteer,” said Cheddar.
This bonding proved useful in the first round of the sectional tournament, when the Blue Devils ended Woodbridge’s season with a 6-2 win.
Despite this success, Westfield failed to continue this triumph. Its season came to an end in the quarterfinals against Bayonne, where it fell short and lost, 1-0.
Regardless of their record, the Blue Devils were proud of all they accomplished as a result of the passion the seniors carried.
Next season, Westfield will focus on building on what it started this season. With 12 returning players, the Blue Devils will look to defeat Cranford, something they have not been able to do the past two years.
“We have a lot of players returning, which will allow us to be ahead of where we started this season,” said Cheddar.
