Hasbrouck Heights softball team gave Wood-Ridge all it could handle on Thursday.
But like they have recently for the last three games, the Lady Aviators came up short, this time 4-2 to the Blue Devils in Wood-Ridge at Donna Ricker Memorial Field.
Heights head coach Jackie Ferranti knew that one of the toughest parts of the schedule was going to be this week with not only Wood-Ridge and Immaculate Conception, both state sectional champs last season along with powerhouse Saddle Brook.
"I told the girls that I am tired of quality losses," said Ferranti after the game.
And like the tussle with neighborhood rival, the Blue Devils, the Aviators showed they can compete with some of the best small schools in the county in dropping a 5-2 decision to Immaculate Conception and 8-5 to Saddle Brook.
With the loss to Wood-Ridge, Hasbrouck Heights dropped to 1-3 on the season.
And Ferranti likes how the batters below the top four in the lineup are starting to contribute. The seven hits for the Aviators was scattered throughout the lineup.
On the day Aviators pitcher Julie Sheridan was staying batter by batter with Wood-Ridge pitcher Alyssa McKhann scattering eight hits while striking out six. After giving up two runs in the bottom of the first, Sheridan kept the Blue Devils offense in bay until the bottom of the fifth when they scored two more.
"She's definitely doing a good job," said Ferranti about her hurler who added. "She's still struggling with the top of the lineup."
While not putting the wins on the ledger, the Lady Aviators showed that they have moved up to the point where they are competition with very good softball teams.
The Aviators had Wood-Ridge pitcher Alyssa McKhann and the Blue Devils on the ropes in the top of the seventh inning with nobody out.
While Heights was able to get a run on a sacrifice, McKhann was able to squeeze it out and the Aviators could not take advantage of the Blue Devils wildness.
With the bases loaded Aviators Julie Sheridan crafted an infield hit to score senior Jhanna Arias from third base to slice the Wood-Ridge lead to 4-2.
But McKhann would get her control back and would gun down Aviators Jodee Giarratana at home and then get Jordyn Anderson to foul out and right fielder Swarti Shivkumar to ground out to end the game.
"We did not give up," said Ferranti. "I don't think we did a good job of running up the count on her (McKhann)."
Sheridan also had the other RBI for Heights as she collected a sacrifice foul that scored Giarratana from third base that cut the Lady Blue Devils lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning.
But Wood-Ridge came right back in the bottom of the fifth inning to get a pair of runs that put the Aviators on their heels.
For Ferranti and Heights they are hoping to go on a nice winning streak in the next couple of weeks starting on Friday at Verona in an independent game. The Aviators also host Weehawken on Saturday in the makeup game on opening day that was rained out and travel to Wallington on April 11.
Heights will get another shot at their neighbors, Wood-Ridge, in the last schedule regular season game on May 19 at home.
Hasbrouck Heights softball schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)
April 8 at Verona
April 9 Weehawken, 1:30 p.m.
April 11 at Wallington
April 12 at St. Mary
April 13 North Arlington
April 25 at Queen of Peace, 6 p.m.
April 27 Becton
April 28 at Harrison
May 2 Secaucus
May 3 Lyndhurst
May 5 at Weehawken
May 6 Immaculate Conception
May 9 at Saddle Brook
May 11 at Hawthorne
May 13 St. Mary
May 17 Wallington
May 19 Wood-Ridge