Raiders Softball Earns Ninth Seed in UCT

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood softball team went 2-0 this past week and hopes to take that momentum into the 35th annual Union County Tournament, where it was seeded ninth on Sunday.

The Raiders are scheduled to play at eighth-seeded Elizabeth Saturday, May 8, in one of eight scheduled 3 p.m. first round games.

Some of those first round games might be switched to another starting time other than 3 p.m., so it would be a good idea to check with the schools before attending.

Scotch Plains lost at home to Elizabeth 17-6 on April 8 in Union County Conference-Watchung Division play.

The Raiders are scheduled to play at Elizabeth this Tuesday, May 4, at 4 p.m. in their second of two conference contests.

Scotch Plains downed conference rivals Linden 8-6 Thursday and Plainfield 19-8 Friday, both at home, to improve to 7-9 overall and 4-2 in the Watchung Division.

Junior shortstop Olivia Brokaw went 2-for-4, with a double, a triple, three runs and three RBI in her team's triumph over Plainfield Friday.

Union Catholic, sparked by freshman pitcher Colleen Dow of Scotch Plains, earned the seventh seed and will host 10th-seeded Westfield Saturday at 3 p.m.

Cranford earned the top seed for the third year in a row, with Governor Livingston receiving the second seed and defending champion Union the third seed.

Against the top two seeds, Scotch Plains and Union Catholic have held their own in very close setbacks. Scotch Plains lost at Cranford 4-3 in non-conference play on April 3, while Union Catholic lost at home to Governor Livingston 3-1 in UCC-Mountain Division action on April 15.

Cranford came back to beat GL 15-5 Friday night at Deerfield Middle School in Mountainside in UCC-Mountain Division play. After being down 5-0 after five innings, Cranford scored seven runs in the top of the sixth and eight in the top of the seventh.

As of Monday, May 3, both teams have only lost to each other in the county and each now have just one league loss in the race to win the UCC's Mountain Division.

GL was last the top seed in 2007, falling at home to Cranford 1-0 in the quarterfinals for its only loss in a 27-1 season that included the program's first state championship after the Highlanders captured Group 2 honors.

The championship game has been moved to Kean University's Cougar Field in Union, scheduled for May 22 at 2 p.m. The junior varsity championship game will be played first that day at Kean at noon.

The final had been annually contested at Linden's Memorial Field.

The quarterfinals and the semifinals will remain at Memorial Field, with the quarterfinals there for the second straight season after previously being held at the fields of the higher seeds.

With 20 teams seeded, four preliminary round games must be completed by this Thursday, May 6.

After this Saturday's eight first round games, the quarterfinals will be held at Linden's Memorial Field complex May 14, with two games at 6 p.m. and two at 8 p.m.

The semifinals will be May 15 at Memorial Field at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

In past years the semifinals took place at Memorial Field on a Friday night, with the championship game the next day on a Saturday night.

Union defeated Linden 3-1 in last year's championship game at Memorial Field, with the Farmers capturing their record 11th county crown and first since 2000.

Linden reached the championship game last year for the second time in three years after upsetting three-time defending champion and top-seeded Cranford 2-1 in 10 innings in the second semifinal.

Cranford won the most UCT titles in the decade of the 2000s, winning four. The Cougars won their first UCT crown in 2002 and then won again in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Cranford senior right hander Kelly Hardman was the winning pitcher in the 2007 and 2008 UCT finals, while Union senior lefty Amanda Kardys was the winning pitcher in the 2009 title contest.

Both will be continuing their playing days in college on the Division 3 level, with Kardys to attend Emory University in Atlanta and Hardman The College of New Jersey in Ewing Township.

35th ANNUAL SOFTBALL

UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT

SEEDS: 1-Cranford. 2-Gov. Livingston. 3-Union. 4-Johnson.

5-Roselle Park. 6-Brearley. 7-Union Catholic. 8-Elizabeth.

9-Scotch Plains. 10-Westfield. 11-Rahway. 12-New Providence.

13-Linden. 14-Oak Knoll. 15-Dayton. 16-Kent Place.

17-Roselle Catholic. 18-Roselle. 19-Plainfield. 20-Hillside.

PRELIMINARY ROUND:

(games must be completed by Thursday, May 6)

20-Hillside at 13-Linden

19-Plainfield at 14-Oak Knoll

18-Roselle at 15-Dayton

17-Roselle Catholic at 16-Kent Place

FIRST ROUND:

Saturday, May 8, 3 p.m.

TOP SIDE OF THE BRACKET:

12-New Providence at 5-Roselle Park

Hillside/Linden at 4-Johnson

9-Scotch Plains at 8-Elizabeth

Roselle Catholic/Kent Place at 1-Cranford

BOTTOM SIDE OF THE BRACKET:

10-Westfield at 7-Union Catholic

Roselle/Dayton at 2-Gov. Livingston

11-Rahway at 6-Brearley

Plainfield/Oak Knoll at 3-Union

QUARTERFINALS:

Friday, May 14

At Linden's Memorial Field complex

2 games at 6 p.m. and 2 games at 8 p.m.

SEMIFINALS:

Saturday, May 15

At Linden's Memorial Field

Bottom side of the bracket semi, 6 p.m.

Top side of the bracket semi, 8 p.m.

FINALS:

Saturday, May 22

At Kean University's

Cougar Field in Union

Junior varsity: noon

Varsity: 2 p.m.

UCT CHAMPIONS 
2009: Union 
2008: Cranford  
2007: Cranford  
2006: Cranford  
2005: Brearley  
2004: Roselle Park  
2003: Roselle Park  
2002: Cranford 
2001: Governor Livingston  
2000: Union 
1999: Governor Livingston  
1998: Westfield  
1997: Governor Livingston  
1996: Union  
1995: Union  
1994: Union  
1993: Union  
1992: Union  
1991: Union  
1990: Westfield 
1989: Union Catholic 
1988: Union  
1987: Union  
1986: Westfield  
1985: Westfield  
1984: Westfield  
1983: Union  
1982: Roselle Park  
1981: Johnson Regional  
1980: Linden  
1979: Johnson Regional  
1978: Westfield  
1977: Scotch Plains  
1976: Westfield 
Championships: Union (11), Westfield (7), 
Cranford (4), Roselle Park (3), Gov. Livingston (3), 
Johnson Regional (2), Scotch Plains (1), Linden (1), 
Union Catholic (1), Brearley (1).