SP-F Beats Elizabeth 10-9 on Grand Slam

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood softball team had been routed twice by Elizabeth before Saturday's Union County Tournament game.

But the Raiders proved that on any given day...

The ninth-seeded Raiders went nine long back-and-forth innings and beat the Minutemen 10-9 on School 28's turf field in Elizabeth. The big hit was junior first baseman Aysia Peterson's one-out grand slam in the top of the ninth that went over the left field fence and hit a school bus. Peterson's homer came on a full count pitch.

Elizabeth scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, but gritty junior righty Amanda White held on.

"It was a back-and-forth, epic game,'' said SP-F head coach Jess Hulnick.

White allowed 12 hits, but walked just four, striking out five.

"We had very few errors and Amanda hit her spots and they couldn't link their hits together. Elizabeth is a very good hitting team,'' said Hulnick. "She really spread those 12 hits out. She really did a nice job. We sent her home to ice her arm.''

Senior Andrea Barone went 2-for-5, senior Jen Kickenweitz went 1-for-5, but scored three runs. Barone started the ninth inning rally with a single and Kickenweitz then reached on a pretty bunt single before Chrissy Monroy walked. That was followed by Peterson's long home run.

"She really got a good pitch,'' Hulnick said.

The Raiders will now play top-seeded Cranford Friday night in the county quarterfinals. Cranford beat the Raiders 4-3 early in the season in a tournament game.