When a team starts four freshmen and one sophomore, you can say that it might be a year or two away.
That’s not the case with the Westfield softball team.
The Blue Devils, despite their inexperience compared to more established teams, are ready to win now.
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Just ask Johnson and Cranford.
Playing the role of the very young, underdog team to perfection, Westfield has advanced to the county tournament championship game for the first time in 13 years.
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The seventh-seeded Blue Devils did so after ousting defending champion and third-seeded Cranford 4-2 in one of the two semifinal games contested Saturday afternoon at Linden’s Flanagan Fields.
As a result, Westfield will face top-seeded Governor Livingston in next Saturday’s 36th annual Union County Tournament championship game. For the second year in a row it will be played at Kean University’s Cougar Field in Union.
First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
“We’re playing the furthest thing from tight,” Westfield third-year head coach Caitlin MacDonald said. “This is about having fun and learning and doing what you like to do. This is the approach our kids have and it’s working.”
Westfield reached its first UCT final since it last won the championship for the seventh time in 1998 behind senior right hander Shannon Wagner. Eight years later in 2006, Wagner coached Cranford to the UCT title in her only year at the helm of the Cougars.
Westfield also won the first UCT title in 1976.
Cranford went on to win four of the last five crowns and was seeking a sixth overall. The Cougars defeated Westfield 5-3 in Westfield on May 5, with sophomore lefty Julie Siragusa – one of the best pitchers in the county – earning the mound victory.
Westfield won at Cranford 4-2 on April 15, beating Cranford’s No. 2 pitcher, senior righty Megan Sawyer.
In Saturday’s game against Siragusa, Westfield managed nine hits and one walk.
“The first time we faced her she got us with her out pitch, which works up the ladder,” MacDonald said. “Being that we are a very young team, we were in a lot of 0-2 counts and making it easy for her to strike us out.
“Today we did a better job of laying off the high junk.”
Westfield took the lead for good in the top of the sixth by snapping a 1-1 tie with three runs. Senior catcher Emma Crossland led off with a double.
Junior third baseman Taylor Barber followed with an RBI-single to put Westfield ahead to stay at 2-1. Leadoff batter, freshman Cali Chambliss, produced a two-run single to make it 4-1.
Chambliss, who plays shortstop, was one of four freshmen in the starting lineup, along with right handed pitcher Elena Scarano, center fielder Julia Criscuolo and right fielder Chrissy Ferraro. Westfield’s left fielder is sophomore Sara Seitz.
Not often do you find a team that starts four freshmen and one sophomore that is able to knock off the second- and third-seeded teams.
Scarano limited Cranford to just three hits, while striking out seven and walking six.
Cranford had the tying run at the plate with one out in the bottom of the seventh after Scarano’s sixth and final walk. Scarano then retired the next two batters on pop ups to right field and center.
“We did a much better job defensively,” MacDonald said. “Again, like I said after Friday night’s win, we kept the ball in front of us.”
Chambliss went 3-for-4, with two RBI, while Barber was 2-for-3, with a run, an RBI and Westfield’s other double.
After winning quarterfinal and semifinal UCT contests inside of 24 hours, the Blue Devils get seven days to concentrate on GL.
“We have a week to prepare,” MacDonald said. “We will make adjustments and be ready to go.”
Westfield was swept by GL in UCC-Watchung Division play, falling to pitcher Dani Todaro 10-2 in Berkeley Heights on April 6 and then to GL’s more recent pitcher, Jordan Robbins, 3-1 at home on May 3.
GL lost to Cranford 4-3 in last year’s final and is seeking its fourth UCT crown and first since 2001. On Saturday, GL ousted fourth-seeded New Providence 10-0 in the other semifinal at Linden.
GL is now 20-2 and on a 13-game winning streak. After a 3-0 start, GL lost at home to Caldwell 4-2 on April 9. After a 7-1 beginning, GL lost at Linden 1-0 in Watchung Division play on April 20. GL then defeated Linden 10-3 at home in division competition on April 30.
“GL is a good team, there’s no doubt,” MacDonald said.
36TH ANNUAL SOFTBALL UCT
SEEDS: 1-Gov. Livingston. 2-Johnson. 3-Cranford. 4-New Providence.
5-Brearley. 6-Roselle Park. 7-Westfield. 8-Linden.
9-Union Catholic. 10-Elizabeth. 11-Union. 12-Kent Place.
13-Roselle Catholic. 14-Rahway. 15-Dayton. 16-Summit.
17-Oak Knoll. 18-Scotch Plains. 19-Roselle. 20-Hillside.
21-Plainfield.
St. Mary’s, Elizabeth and Benedictine Academy
were not included.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
Wednesday, May 4
Kent Place 17, Plainfield 1 - at Kent Place
Thursday, May 5
Roselle Catholic 15, Hillside 0 - at RC
Rahway 10, Roselle 1 - at Rahway
Scotch Plains 15, Dayton 11 - at Dayton
Friday, May 6
Summit 15, Oak Knoll 12 - at Summit
FIRST ROUND
Friday, May 6
Cranford 7, Rahway 1 - at Cranford
Saturday, May 7
Linden 3, Union Catholic 0 - at Linden
Gov. Livingston 11, Summit 0 - at Gov. Livingston
Brearley 14, Kent Place 11 - at Brearley
New Providence 9, Roselle Catholic 0 - at New Providence
Westfield 9, Elizabeth 0 - at Westfield
Johnson 14, Scotch Plains 0 - at Johnson
Roselle Park 9, Union 0 - at Roselle Park
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, May 13
At Linden
New Providence 3, Brearley 0
Cranford 9, Roselle Park 0
Gov. Livingston 10, Linden 3
Westfield 3, Johnson 1
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, May 14
At Linden
Gov. Livingston 10, New Providence 0
Westfield 4, Cranford 2
FINALS
Saturday, May 21
At Kean University’s Cougar Field in Union
JV: noon
Varsity: 7-Westfield vs. 1-Gov. Livingston, 2 p.m.
