This past week, the Livingston High School girls’ varsity softball team beat three teams ranked in the top 20 by the Star-Ledger, including two in the top ten.
On Wednesday, April 24, the Lancers beat Cedar Grove 8-1. Pitcher Sophia Mount was dominant, scattering four hits while striking out 11 in the SEC American Division contest. Offensively for the Lancers with multiple hits, Allie Nankivell was 3-4, with an RBI, four stolen bases and two runs scored. Val DiIanni was 2-4, with two runs scored and a stolen base. Maddie Rothfeld launched a three-run home run, which put the Lancers ahead for good; she finished the game with four RBIs.
The softball team played again on Thursday, April 25. They beat Glen Ridge with a score 10-0. Abby Kiem hit a two-run triple and scored, Heather Downey hit an RBI triple, while Rothfeld, DiIanni, Olivia Melucci, Alex Altieri, and Rothfeld each had a hit in the game. Nankivell swiped four more bases while going 2-3 at the plate. Mount fanned 12 in the circle in the five inning contest, collecting her thid shutout of the year.
The Lancers then traveled to Seton Hall University to take part in the Pride/Essex County challenge on Saturday, April 27. Livingston’s was one of the marquis games of the day, pitting the 14th ranked Lancers against eighth ranked Morris Catholic. The Lancers won by a final score of 4-1.
Mount was effective against Morris Catholic’s offense, limiting them to seven hits while striking out seven batters. Caitlin Hernandez was the defensive star of the game, collecting multiple assists and putouts as well as an unassisted double play with the bases loaded early in the game to prevent any runs. Downey executed a perfect squeeze bunt to put the Lancers up 1-0 in the fourth inning. Sophie Rothfeld scored on Hernandez’s infield single, avoiding the tag from the catcher with an athletic slide into home plate. Tvisha Reikhy put Livingston up by four with her two-run single to center to plate Melucci and Hernandez.
In their third and final game of the week, the LHS varsity softball team defeated Immaculate Heart Academy with a final score of 3-2 on Monday, April 29.
Downey came through again with a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning, to give Livingston the go ahead run in the game. DiIanni singled twice and scored two runs and Reijkhy finished with two hits. Mount was yet again in control in the circle, getting out of multiple jams and getting help with stellar defense from shortstop Rothfeld, second baseman Hernandez, center fielder Nankivell and third baseman Rothfeld.
