Pascack Valley softball bounces back
HILLSDALE, N.J. — Last season was a challenging one for the Pascack Valley High School Softball team. After the canceled season of 2020, the squad stumbled to a 4-15 finish. Still, the team鈥檚 perseverance and improvement during the season gave it a quiet confidence coming into the 2022 season. After all, at the start of the 2021 season, the team had 1 returning player with Varsity experience. The girls worked hard throughout a season that started with big losses and improved each day and every day. By the end of the 2021 season, they were fighting in very close games against some of the best teams in the county. This level of dedication and improvement left them with the motivation to build momentum from the end of 2021 and push themselves into a great season for 2022.
The 2022 season was an exciting one to say the least. The squad ended the season with an 11-9 record and made it to the second round of both the county and state tournaments!
Head coach Lauren Bacsik says, 鈥淭wo games against Tenafly helped define our season from the very beginning and propelled us into the second round of the state tournament at the end. Tenafly was our season-opener, and we were able to pull out a win against a very talented opponent, 3-2. We drew Tenafly (the 5th seed) in the first round of the State tournament in May as a 12th seed. We had lost our second league game to Tenafly 3-2, so this was our opportunity to prove ourselves once again. Offensively, we continued to battle, scoring 6 runs and defensively we held strong as we shut them out. This win pushed us into the second round of the state tournament which Pascack Valley has not been able to do since 2015.鈥�
Another standout game for the team was the first round of the county tournament against River Dell. They had played River Dell during the regular season and were tied 0-0 going into the 9th inning only to lose by a home run. The team was excited for a shot at redemption for the first round of the county tournament at River Dell. The game was an up and down battle. The seesaw action saw the team go from up 3-1 in the 5th to down 5-3 in the 6th, before winning 6-5 in the 7th with two outs.
One of the hallmarks of any successful team is leadership. The 2022 squad was led by Senior captains Alexandra Spadafino (P), Madison Silcher (C), and Caitlin Scacchetti (SS). Alexandra pitched well all season, holding good teams to minimal runs. She led by example by working hard throughout the season as a pitcher and the team鈥檚 #3 batter. She completed the season with an ERA of 2.50 and a batting average of .485, which earned her First Team All-League.
Junior Kiara Selby had an all-around great season. As a leadoff batter and Center Fielder with a great attitude, energy, and stats, she鈥檒l likely play college softball one day. She finished the year with 36 hits (including 5 home runs) and a batting average of .571, which earned her First Team All-League. First baseman Alexis Ban was another standout player who served as the #4 batter, drove in 18 runs, and came up with some incredible defensive plays.
When asked what made the 2022 season memorable, Bacsik was quick to say, 鈥淭he comradery of the girls, the desire to work together, and be the best they could for each other and the team was inspiring. They were selfless and excited for their teammates no matter where they were in the lineup or if they were on the field for a given game. They all understood the value and importance of the team over the individual player. Their positive attitudes and determination allowed them to earn the wins and play in great games throughout the year.鈥�
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