The softball team staged a comeback against New Providence, leading to a 9–5 win in one of its last regular season games on May 19.
In the last week of the season, Head Coach Caitlin MacDonald expressed her desire for a win after two tough losses. She said, “We got off to a bit of a rough start, but we were able to pull it together, one inning at a time, and come out with a win.”
It was a difficult start to the game, with WHS allowing ground hits to make their way through the infield, placing New Providence girls on base. After the first inning, New Providence was ahead, 5–0.
New Providence’s quick advance ended there, as Westfield, with the help of sophomore pitcher Shannon Devitt, began to step up, holding New Providence scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Going up to bat in the second inning, the team started off well, scoring four runs. Senior Shelby Estevez hit a double into deep center field, allowing WHS to kick off the inning by scoring its first run.
After Estevez’s hit, a two-out rally began with senior Quad Captain Sam Velez and Devitt both hitting hard line drives into the outfield, bringing in three more runs, narrowing the score to 5–4.
In the fourth inning, the team brought in three more runs, pulling ahead with a score of 7–5. Estevez’s grounder to the outfield and smart base-running allowed her to drive in another two runs. Devitt’s double helped bring in the last run for that inning.
The game ended in the top of the seventh with bases loaded and New Providence up at bat. Freshman Molly Sheil caught a pop-up to shortstop, finishing the inning and the game in Westfield’s favor.
According to nj.com, the team ended its season with 9 wins and 12 losses, and the girls had a league record of 5 wins and 6 losses.
Estevez said, “Being a senior this year wasn’t easy, but I can confidently say that I’ve never felt so close to a team before.”
She added, “Although we didn’t come out on top, it was a memorable season with girls I can proudly call my close friends.”