Softball Recap: Kent Place Comes Up Short

Kent Place had lost four straight at home, but on Tuesday they dropped their record down to 4-11 to make it five. They took a 9-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the New Providence Pioneers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Pioneers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 7-2 back in April.

Maya Hardy was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with five stolen bases and one run. Another player making a difference was Lyla Sartorius, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs.

As for New Providence, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 8-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games.

On New Providence's side, Ella Celoski made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. Celoski was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Haley Kessler and Emma Wetzel did most of the damage at the plate: Kessler got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Wetzel went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave Wetzel a new career-high. Carys Lee was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Kent Place will face off against Blair Academy on Wednesday. As for New Providence, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Rahway at 4:00 p.m. on the 16th.