Whippany Park scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning on an errant throw and beat Cedar Grove 3-2 in a Group I semifinal on Tuesday, June 5.
The Wildcats (28-1) fell behind 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning when Cedar Grove put across both of its runs.
Sam Mellea got things started in the seventh with a base hit up the middle. Hannah Mucerino doubled down the left-field line for second and third. Jenn Sanislo was intentionally walked to fill the bases. The errant throw came with two outs.
Sanislo, a junior, picked up her 27th win with a five-hitter. Sanislo struck out 12 and walked one.
Alexa Cozzarelli had two of Whippany Park's eight hits. Courtney Simon, Sam Mellea, Hannah Mucerino, Ashley Belott, Sara Boyadjis and Sanislo had one hit apiece for the Wildcats, who will take no New Egypt in Saturday's Group I final.
Daniella Marinaro had two hits, including a double, for Cedar Grove (17-12).
Livingston 1, Roxbury 0
Kylie McLaughlin had two hits and drove in the only run in the fifth inning and Jess Peslak pitched a three-hitter when top-seeded and undefeated Livingston trimmed 10th-seeded Roxbury in the North Jersey Section 1, Group IV final on Friday, June 1.
Erica Figurelli had two hits for the Gaels. Katelyn Milling had the other off Peslak (12 strikeouts, 2 walks).
Livingston (28-0) managed only four hits off Roxbury ace Ashtin Helmer (6 strikeouts, 2 walks).
Roxbury, under Diane Naugle, had an excellent run in the state tournament, beating Memorial, Fair Lawn and sixth-seeded Morris Knolls to gain a berth in the sectional title game. The Gaels finished their season 16-10.
"It was a really good game and I am very proud of my team," Naugle said. "We played together as a group and worked for the entire game. Unfortunately, we came up short but Livingston is a great team and they made their plays when they had to.
"My team never gave up and that is a true sign of the character they have and what they have demonstrated all season long."
Hanover Park 5, Lyndhurst 1
Eighth-seeded Hanover Park won for the ninth time in 10 games, defeating fourth-seeded Lyndhurst in North Jersey Section 2, Group II semifinal action on Tuesday, May 29.
Senior center fielder Christina LoConte had two hits and Danielle Politi doubled and scored. Caitlin George had a two-run single in the seventh inning for the Hornets (16-10).
Sam Snyder, a sophomore, did her part, allowing five hits, striking out 10 and walking two.
The Hornets will meet second-seeded Rutherford in the sectional final on Friday, June 2 at 4 p.m. at Rutherford.
It will be Hanover Park's first appearance in a sectional title game since 1995 when they fell to Johnson Regional. In 2008, the Hornets were sectional semifinalists.
Whippany Park 2, Roselle Park 0
The Wildcats (26-1) rode a no-hitter by junior pitcher Jenn Sanislo to victory in a North Jersey Section 2, Group I semifinal on Tuesday, May 29.
Sanislo struck out 15 and walked one for top-seeded Whippany Park, the Group I runner-up last spring.
Sam Mellea, Ashley Belott, Sara Boyadjis and Sanislo had hits for the Wildcats. Belott drove in a run.
Whippany Park will play host to seventh-seeded New Providence on Friday, June 2.
Chatham 10, South Plainfield 0
The Cougars, behind Kendall Davies' two hits and four RBIs and Amanda Fazio's two-hitter, shut out South Plainfield in a North Jersey Section 2, Group III semifinal on Tuesday, May 29.
McCall Moore and Kelly Winans had three hits apiece for the Cougars (23-5). Winans knocked in two runs. Christine Cremmoni and Fazio added two hits each.
Fazio struck out nine and walked one.
Chatham will meet Warren Hills for the sectional crown on Friday, June 2.
Pequannock 7, Mahwah 0
Junior first baseman Bridget Carr doubled, homered and finished with three RBIs on Tuesday, May 29 to propel the second-seeded Golden Panthers into the North Jersey Section 1, Group II final.
Dana Torchia and Ally Thomas had two hits and one RBI each.
Dana Nielsen allowed one hit and notched 11 strikeouts for Pequannock (25-2).
The Golden Panthers will meet top-seeded Ramsey in Friday's sectional title game.
High Point 3, Jefferson 1
In North Jersey Section 1, Group III semifinal play, the Wildcats beat Jefferson paced by Ally Frei's one-hitter and 14 strikeouts.
High Point (23-1) did all of its scoring in the first and second innings.
Carly Satter had two hits while Frei, Collette LeDuc and Michaela O'Hern had one apiece. O'Hern's hit was a triple.
Villa Walsh 6, Morris Catholic 1
Senior third baseman Grace Edelson homered, tripled and singled, scored two runs and had two RBIs to lead Villa Walsh to victory over Morris Catholic in an opening-round Non-Public B game on Saturday, May 26.
Edelson's first-inning solo home run cleared the left-field fence at Morristown-Beard. Edelson's triple came in the third inning and scored Juliana Strelec, who had singled.
Winning pitcher Jessica Walsh pitched a seven-hitter, striking out a season-high nine and walking just one.
Walsh contributed at the plate, smacking a triple in the first inning. Villa Walsh second baseman Almarie Brennan was 2 for 2, including an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Cara Napolitano had three hits and Jeannie Kivlon had a double and single for Morris Catholic. Kivlon's fifth-inning single drove in Gina Tonini and provided the Crusaders with their lone run.
Villa Walsh plays Lodi Immaculate on Tuesday, May 29 in a Non-Public B quarterfinal.
Hanover Park 3, Caldwell 1
Hanover Park, which sometimes struggles at the plate, boasted a 10-hit attack when it upset top-seeded and defending champion Caldwell 3-1 in a North Jersey Section 2, Group II quarterfinal at Panthers Park in Cedar Grove on Friday, May 25.
The hits came off the bats of the eighth-seeded Hornets with frequency and occurred in clutch situations.
A two-run third inning put Hanover Park (15-10) in control. Christina LoConte walked and Nicole Fernicola drove her in with a double to left field. Caitlin George singled and was driven in by Dana Politi, who singled.
The Hornets, who will face Lyndhurst in the sectional semifinals, tacked on their third run in the fourth inning. Sam Snyder reached on an infield hit to start things off. Then, with the bases loaded, Fernicola was hit by a pitch.
"We've been a little inconsistent with our hitting," Hanover Park coach Kristen Hogan said. "I felt we would hit this pitcher (Cayla Lombardi). She's a freshman. We jumped on her early. Maybe that frustrated her a little bit."
Hanover Park's sophomore pitcher, Sam Snyder, was exceptional and certainly appreciative of the run support. Snyder, given the chance to pitch full-time after going 6-4 as a freshman, struck out 10 and surrendered only three hits.
Caldwell (17-6) got its lone run on Gianna Genello's RBI double in the sixth inning.
Hogan feels the Hornets' tough schedule prepared them for a strong late-season run. Hanover Park played Pequannock three times and Chatham and Morris Knolls two times apiece.
"We've gone up against some good competition," Hogan said. "We've seen some of the best. I told the girls that they're capable. If they want to win badly, they will."
Jefferson 5, Paramus 1
The fifth-seeded Falcons defeated fourth-seeded Paramus on Friday, May 25 to move into the North Jersey Section 1, Group III semifinals.
Amanda Gerritsen had two hits and knocked in two runs for Jefferson (19-7). Katie Lisa (3 for 4) and Jade Blanchard (2 for 3, double) were additional offensive standouts. Claudia Tietz, Anna Carlson and Caitlyn Dougherty knocked in a run apiece. Carlson homered.
Winning pitcher Melissa Jurkiewicz pitched a four-hitter. She struck out none and walked three.
The Falcons will meet top-seeded High Point in the semifinals.
Whippany Park 3, Belvidere 0
Junior Jenn Sanislo got it done with her bat and in the circle, leading the top-seeded Wildcats to victory over No. 9 Belvidere in a North Jersey Section 2, Group I quarterfinal on Friday, May 25.
Sanislo knocked in two runs in Whippany Park's three-run fourth inning and pitched a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts.
Hannah Mucerino had the other RBI for the once-beaten Wildcats. Sam Mellea went 2 for 3.
Morris Knolls 3, West Orange 0
Whitney Ellenberg's sacrifice fly and Kelsey Hanson's RBI double gave the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of this North Jersey Section 2, Group IV quarterfinal.
Elaine Hua's fifth-inning single provided Morris Knolls' third run in the fifth inning.
Ashley Lesch notched the pitching victory, allowing three hits, striking out seven and walking none for the Golden Eagles (21-7).