Wednesday, June 8, 2022
The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Sports & Recreation
Memorable Nutley softball season ends with ‘epic’ 2-1 loss to Roxbury
Locals walk away with medals at NJSIAA Sectional track meet By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com
This weekend the NJSIAA State Sectional championship meets were held across the state and there were plenty of stellar performances from local athletes. Among them, a trio of golds from Lyndhurst on the girls side, and on the boys side, one of the more unique triplequalifying performances by Bloomfield’s Cristian Armstrong.
Photo by Jason Bernstein
By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com
Luann Zullo knows there will come a time when she and her Nutley players will look back upon last week’s Group 3 semifinal against Roxbury with reverence for the incredibly high level of skill and poise displayed by both teams over the course of two days. But for now, the feelings from that 13-inning, 2-1 loss at Roxbury are ones of pain. The epic game started last Wednesday before being suspended with it 0-0 in the top of the seventh inning due to rain, forcing Nutley
to make another hour-long drive west to Succasunna to resume the game Thursday morning. The two elite squads played another sixplus innings until Roxbury’s Natalie Otto doubled into the left field gap, scoring Jayden Pennella and ending the Raiders’ incredible season. “That last game was so intense, it was a shame that someone had to lose because it was so well-played by both teams,” Zullo said. “There were amazing plays being made by both sides. It just stings a little to be so close. “This game, we’ll be talking about for a long time. This was probably the most
intense, greatest high school contest that I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve been coaching for a very long time and this has to be among the best.” Future discussions will certainly revolve around the pitchers’ duel between Nutley’s Fallyn Stoeckel and Hailey Errichiello of Roxbury as the duo combined for 33 strikeouts and just nine hits allowed. Stoeckel, who took a perfect game into the fifth inning, escaped trouble in the fifth and sixth before the storm came. On Thursday, the star senior broke the See SOFTBALL, Page 10
Liliana Malinowski, Maria Gaccione and Julia Sales. Like Carrino, Malinowski also medalled in three events, taking third in the 3200 (12:37.23) and fifth in the 1600 (5:46.37).
Julia Tozduman took first place in the Triple Jump with a personal best 34-11. This weekend was just the latest bigtime performance in what has been a breakout sophomore season as she medalled in four events, finishing third in the Long Lyndhurst puts the Gold Jump (16-9.75) and 400 in Golden Bears Meter Dash (personal best 1:01.34) and fourth in the From a team standpoint, 200 Meter Dash (26.98). no one had more medal Overall, the Lyndhurst winners than Lyndhurst’s girls finished second in girls team this weekend in the North 2, Group 2 the North Jersey, Section 2, team standings with 77 Group 2 meet in Randolph. points, trailing only New In total, the Golden Bears Providence. had 14 medal winners, “We gave New including three first place Providence a run for their finishers. money and they didn’t Former The Observer expect it to be as close as it Athlete of the Week Kayla was throughout the meet. Carrino took home first These girls were absolutely in the 3200 Meter Run incredible,” head coach and smashed her previous Rich Tuero said. “I’ve been personal record with telling them for a month a time of 12:05.56. The that we have a shot at standout junior finished this section as a team and fourth in the 1600 Meter it’s going to take a lot of Run (5:46.20) and was great performances to do a part of Lydnhurst’s so. Even though we took first place 4x800 Meter See NJSIAA, Page 11 Relay team, running with
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