It was definitely a mixed bag for the Hasbrouck Heights softball team on Friday.
The Lady Aviators played well but lost to St. Mary, 2-1, in eight innings at home.
In addition, Heights made the state playoffs, but they had clinched that earlier in the week, in a 3-1 win over Harrison on Tuesday.
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The Lady Aviators reached the pivotal .500 record at 9-9 on Friday's state playoff cutoff.
"My goal was to be .500, make the county and state tournaments," said Heights head coach Jackie Ferranti.
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In the past against the Gaels, Heights would be fodder for St. Mary. But in the first game of two between the teams in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference Meadowlands B divisions, the Lady Aviators played the Lady Gaels tough and took St. Mary to extra innings.
Heights pitcher Julia Sheridan battled pitch for pitch with St. Mary's pitcher Lauren Hozak, with each only giving up a run each in the first seven innings. Sheridan only allowed four hits while striking out 11, of which six came in the last three innings.
"Her curveball was working and she was hitting her spots," Ferranti said about her junior hurler.
But Sheridan made one of the few mistake pitches of the game to Gaels catcher Caitlyn Llewellyn, who smacked it deep into left field for a triple that scored St. Mary shortstop Megan Maffei for a 2-1 lead.
Sheridan would only give up that run, but the Lady Aviators needed at least one run to at least keep playing.
Heights right fielder Swati Shirkumar was able to get an infield hit with one out, but she would be stuck at first as Hozak would shut down the Hasbrouck Heights offense the rest of the way. Sheridan, one of the Lady Aviators top hitters, was on the on-deck circle.
For the game, Ferranti tinkered with the lineup and moved Sheridan into the leadoff spot. "Our No. 2 hitter (Noelle Paredes) in the lineup is a good bunter so we are trying to somebody on in front of her," said Ferranti.
Despite playing St. Mary tough, head coach Jackie Ferranti would like to win some of these close games. The Lady Aviators came in off another tough loss, to Hawthorne, 3-2.
In that game, the Aviators backs got going after being down 3-0 in the top of the third inning. Danielle Castellanos had a pair of RBI, but it was not enough.
"We didn't start hitting until the third inning," said Ferranti. "We didn't wake up our bats until then."
After going down 1-0 in the first inning, Sheridan settled down after a couple of hits in that inning.
Heights evened it up in the fifth inning after a base hit to right field by catcher Jordyn Anderson scored second baseman Daniella Castellanos to tie the game at one.
"She has been up and down this year, but lately she has been getting some big hits," said Ferranti.
But the Lady Aviators offense could not put together a rally off of Hozak.
Heights' job now is to sharpen its game for the state playoffs and has a few more games to get ready including a rematch with St. Mary on the road in Rutherford on May 20.
Hasbrouck Heights softball schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)
May 17 Wallington
May 19 Wood-Ridge
May 20 at St. Mary
May 23 North Arlington