The West Orange High School girls' softball team's objective of winning a Super Essex Conference Liberty Division title ended Monday when the Mountaineers fell to Belleville 9-3.
The Mountaineers' attention will now turn to winning a North Jersey, Section 1 Group IV title. They open the tournament today with a home game with Fair Lawn.
The Mountaineers and Belleville are tied for second in the division behind defending champion Montclair.
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Belleville bounced back from a loss to Montclair, scoring five first-inning runs to take control.
West Orange scored in the bottom of the first when Gabby Badurek led off with a single and eventually came home on an error. Senior shortstop's Kim Reitmeyer's RBI double cut the Belleville lead to 6-3 in the fourth. But Belleville tacked on another run in the fifth.
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The Mountaineers loaded the bases in the fifth when Molly Rich walked, Alissa Catanzarite singled and Jahnaya Howard walked. But Badurek was robbed of a hit when senior shortstop Michelle Knafo snared her sharp grounder, threw home to catcher Vanessa Gomez for a force out at home. Gomez then threw to third for a double play to end the inning and threat.
West Orange loaded the bases once again in the sixth inning, but another double play ended that threat. West Orange is 17-7.
The West Orange baseball team also suffered a tough afternoon. The Mountaineers were eliminated from the North Jersey, Section 1 Group IV tournament, losing to Bloomfield 12-0 in a mercy-rule, five-inning game.
Bloomfield right-handed pitcher Cavan Penberthy allowed just one hit — a leadoff single by Nick Mockabee, but Penberthy struck out the next three batters.
The Mountaineers also threatened in the second and fifth innings, but couldn't score. West Orange is 13-10.
