Gov. Livingston Softball Wins Third Straight JV UCT Title

Kasey Worswick had seen her team trail in big games before, so an early two-run deficit in the Union County JV Tournament final Saturday wasn’t a big deal.

“It really wasn’t anything to worry about be worried about, because we were down by two runs in the semifinal round (to Westfield) and came back to win by 10 runs,” said Worswick, a freshman catcher. “We kind of knew that we would score.”

Worswick had an RBI single in the first and added an RBI double in the fifth and freshman right-hander Peyton Murphy did the rest as top-seeded Gov. Livingston earned a 6-3 victory over second-seeded Johnson in the championship game of the UCT JV Tournament at Kean University in Union.

The title is the third straight for Gov. Livingston, which also defeated Johnson last year.

“We knew it’d be difficult,” said Gov. Livingston coach Mike Roof. “Johnson is a very good team and they don’t quit. They fought to the end.”

And from the start, things looked good for the Crusaders as Jamie Cheeka smacked a two-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the first inning to give Johnson an early 2-0 lead.

The Lady Highlanders came right back in the bottom of the first as Jess Merone reached on an error, took second on a passed ball and scored on Worswick’s single. Murphy then homered to left to give Gov. Livingston a 3-2 lead.

Johnson, which received a well pitched game from Ali Beck, knotted the score, 3-3, in the third. 

Cheeka, who played an exceptional game at short, led off with a walk, took second on a ground out and third on a passed ball, scored on Jackie Calo’s RBI double.

Gov. Livingston took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth as Jenny Pires reached on a one-out infield single and promptly stole second. She then came in on an RBI single by sophomore Rachel Henderzak that hugged the third-base line.

“I hadn’t been hitting real well lately,” said Henderzak, the No. 9 hitter. “So this feels really good that I was able to help the team out.”

The Lady Highlanders added a run in the fifth on an RBI double by Worswick and a run in the sixth on an infield RBI single by Merone. Merone, who had singled and scored in the fifth, drove in Henderzak, who had led off the sixth with a double.

Murphy, who surrendered eight hits and three walks, struck out four in earning the victory.

Murphy got out of trouble in the fifth as Johnson had runners on first and second and one out, but freshman hurler got a strikeout and a pop out to third to end the threat.

Beck and Ashley Marciano each singled to put runners on first and second with two out in the top of the seventh for Johnson, but Murphy came back to get a strikeout to end the game - and the tournament.

“I was a little nervous in the last inning, but we were able to hold on,” said Murphy. “We came back after being down early and now we’re county champions.”