Rutherford Triumphs Over Bernards in North 2 Group 2 Final
Payton Lewis, a rookie shortstop from Rutherford High School, had a memorable outing despite having a batting average of just.143 going into Saturday’s North 2, Group 2 title game versus Bernards. Lewis, who hadn’t had a two-hit game since April 9 and had struggled with a 3-for-20 mark over nine games in May, finally rediscovered her groove.
Lewis cleared the fences in left field and right center field with solo home runs in the third and fifth innings. Together with junior pitcher Giana Yaniero’s complete game six-hitter, her outstanding effort helped No. 9 seed Rutherford defeat defending section champion Bernards 2-0. The Bulldogs’ triumph brought them their first section title since 2008 and their first section final berth since 2012.
After finishing as the third seed the previous year, No. 6 Bernards defeated Rutherford 7–5 in the quarterfinal round. The Bulldogs’ victory this year served as a nice consolation prize. They will now play North 1 champion Ramsey (25-3) in the state semifinal on Tuesday.
Cherryl Bott, the Rutherford coach, described Lewis’s game-changing performance as “just pure battle, toughness.” Lewis hadn’t received a hit, in my opinion, for around four weeks. However, we simply continued to work and kept her in the lineup. What a day she had had. “It means the world to me,” Lewis continued, ecstatic by her significant efforts.
On June 1, 2024, the Rutherford High School softball team defeated Bernards in the North 2 Group 2 championship game. The players celebrated their win. The victory was a huge turning point for the Bulldogs, who hadn’t won a section title in sixteen years.
The sixth-seeded Bernards, who were playing in their third straight section final, concluded the season with an 18-7 record and the Raritan Division championship of the Skyland Conference. Madison Lardieri, the senior pitcher for the Bernards, pitched excellently despite the loss, giving up just four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. Maddy Lardieri is a fantastic pitcher, but she made a mistake, and that girl (Lewis) got a hold of one, said Bernards coach Leslie O’Connor, praising Lardieri. One pitch is the name of the game. However, it does not characterize her as a pitcher. She pitched a really nice game, in my opinion.
Along with praising the seniors’ accomplishments at Bernards, O’Connor also mentioned their influence on the program. “Making it to three consecutive section finals is not a cause for concern.” The seniors have left the program in a far better state than when they arrived, the speaker continued.
Rutherford prevailed thanks in part to Yaniero’s crucial pitching in the bottom of the sixth inning when Bernards had two runners on and two outs. She showed composure and efficiency under duress by getting a fly out to preserve the 2-0 lead.
Rutherford’s squad may take heart from their most recent performance and the resiliency they’ve displayed all season as they get ready to play Ramsey in the state semifinal. The triumph against Bernards, for Payton Lewis and her colleagues, is a monument to their diligence, tenacity, and commitment; it also sets the stage for what looks to be an exciting continuation of their championship quest.
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