Cougars Cave to West Morris

Final Score

The season came to a frustrating end when the Cranford Cougars fell to the West Morris Highlanders 6-0 in the first round of the North 2, Group 3 sectionals on Tuesday afternoon at Adams Avenue Field. Five errors and only three hits proved too much for the Cougars to overcome as they finished a disjointed season – on in which 11 games were washed out – 13-7. 

Cranford had not played since the semifinals of the Union County Tournament, giving the defending county champions nine days to stew over that disappointing loss.

The quote

“Yeah, it’s a little disappointing,” head coach Bob Bruno said. “You lose a county game, you lose a state game. And we didn’t play well. We make five errors and didn’t support our pitcher. And we didn’t hit.” 

The player highlight

Kerry Wischusen had the Cougars’ only extra base hit, a double in the third, but she was thrown out when she rounded the bag too far. Pitcher Megan Sawyer was solid but was the tough-luck loser after surrendering nine hits, one walk and one hit batter while striking out six. Only three of the runs against her were earned.

The background

The Cougars entered the game not only rusty but shaken by an injury to top pitcher Julie Siragusa. The sophomore hurler tore ligaments in her ankle during practice on Sunday.

“This group – one day they’re on, the next day, they’re off,” Bruno said. “We just could never get any continuity. Then you lose one of your best players all of a sudden, and the kids got a little down. With all that being said, it’s tough. The season was disappointing.

“Julie missed most of the first half of the year with injuries and then pitched a little, but never any complete games. If you know this game, you know pitching makes a difference.”

West Morris hurler Jenny Skinner allowed only three Cougar hits  -- Wischusen ’s double in the third, and singles by Kathleen French in the fifth and Ali Verrilli in the seventh. 

“Their girl today was nothing special,” Bruno said. “She had two strikeouts but their defense was exceptional. They made every play. That’s the nature of the game – get kids that can throw strikes and kids that can play behind you and you win.”

Skinner faced the minimum through 4 2-3 innings before French broke through with a single. Nicole Ravetier walked in the sixth, and Verrilli lined a two-out single in the seventh and that was it. Cranford had only four baserunners all afternoon.

Other than a single in the first, West Morris was held in check by Sawyer until it sent eight to the plate in the fourth, scoring three runs on five singles. Sawyer settled down to retire the side in the fifth, but the wheels came off in the sixth when the Cougars committed three errors and the Highlanders put it away with three more runs.

“We have a core group of kids coming back,” Bruno said, citing catcher Melissa Moreno, Siragusa and second baseman Stephanie Bagniewski. “Those are all solid players. And we have two or three younger kids who got a year of experience.

“But I think we have to reinvent ourselves because we’re not that athletic. We look at kids on the other teams and they’re bigger and faster."