HAZLET, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders varsity softball team went out on the road for the second round of the state tournament in a rematch with the Raritan High School Rockets. In a game that was close to the end, the No. 5 seeded Crusaders held off the No. 4 seeded Rockets by a final score of 4-3 in the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 Quarterfinals Tuesday afternoon.
“Raritan is a very good softball team so I was pleased with the resiliency our girls showed today even when things started to unravel a bit in the 6th,” Johnson head coach Chris Di Nucci said. “Our girls stuck together and found a way to win despite a few things that didn’t go our way.”
Raritan took the lead with a solo home run from freshman Morgan O’Donnell, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning, but Johnson would respond later in the game.
Junior Mackenzie Purcell drove in two runs with a double in the top of the fourth inning, to give her team a 2-1 lead.
Full Coverage of Johnson Softball’s Win Over Raritan HS in NJSIAA Central, Group 2 Quarterfinals