CLARK, NJ- Coming into Monday afternoon’s game, all the Westfield High School Blue Devils had to do was remind themselves what happened on May 7 of last season. After sweeping the 2017 regular season series against the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders varsity softball team, it was the Crusaders who upended the Blue Devils 7-4 in the 2017 Union County Tournament Semifinals.
Junior Genevieve Howell was on that team and helped give her team a big boost at the plate in a big third inning for her team with one swing of the bat as the Blue Devils started strong, but held off a furious Crusaders rally to win 6-5.
“[Johnson] has always been a rival of Westfield,” Howell said. “Ever since they beat us in the [2017 Union County Tournament Semifinals], they’ve always been tough competition against us and today, we really wanted this win.”
With the bases loaded and no outs in the inning, she took an 0-1 pitch to deep left field and out for a grand slam, as part of a five-run third inning as the Blue Devils took a 5-0 lead. She was met by her teammates at home plate in celebration, with all the runs being scored before the first out of the inning was recorded.
“Genevieve was on that team last year. To see her come through with the bases loaded, I’m not surprised,” Westfield head coach Caitlin MacDonald said. “She’s a great hitter, that’s why she’s in that spot. She’s had a rough game, one or two before this and it’s a heck of a way to break out of it.”
The Blue Devils opened the top of the third inning with a walk, a baserunner reaching on an error and a base hit to load the bases. They took a 1-0 lead on a mishandled ball in the infield before Howell’s big swing appeared to open it up early.
“[Westfield] was hitting the ball to spots that were up the gap and they had people on base, which was inevitable that they were going to score,” Johnson senior Nicole Cassano said.
