SOFTBALL

Faieta flawless again as Cedar Grove wins second Group 1 title in three years

Sophomore strikes out 13 in fourth perfect game of season to defeat Metuchen

UNION — With every round that passes, Cedar Grove pitcher Mia Faieta takes to the circle on the stage the sophomore has yet to experience. It seems that each time, Faieta rises to the occasion. In the biggest game yet this season, Faieta was perfect, literally. The sophomore struck out 13 without allowing a baserunner as Cedar Grove defeated Metuchen, 4-0, for the Group 1 title on Sunday at Kean University.

Metuchen  loses to Cedar Grove in Group I  Championship at Kean University in Union NJ on June 4, 2017.

"It's a surreal feeling," said senior Rianna Marinelli, a member of the 2015 team that last won the group title for the Panthers.

Cedar Grove provided its notable pitcher with early run support. Junior Ava Mandala laced a double to left field in the bottom of the first and scored on Marinelli's double to the same spot in left field. Marinelli would later score on an infield single by senior Daniella Cordasco.

"It took all the pressure off," said Marinelli, who was 3-for-3 with two runs batted in, including the 50th of her career. "We got that run early and it really pumped everybody up."

Marinelli would bat again in the bottom of the second, driving in courtesy runner Blaire Adams for Cedar Grove's third run.

"We all played for each other today," said Faieta about her offense, which had 10 hits on the afternoon. "We all came through hitting. One person got a hit, the next person followed and it just went on like that."

Faieta appeared to have surrendered a hit to lead of the top of the fifth against Metuchen catcher Rachel Wyetzner. Wyetzner swung at a pitch that looped over Cordasco at third and into left field. The pitch had actually hit off of Wyetzner's left hand on a swing. By rule, it was neither a hit or a hit batsmen, but rather just a strike and continuation of an at-bat that ended up a strikeout. It was the closest the Bulldogs, a team hitting .400 as a team this season, would come to a hit.

The Cedar Grove Panthers pose with the Group 1 championship trophy.

In the bottom of the fifth, junior Ava Fernandez, celebrating her 17th birthday, singled in Marinelli with the game's fourth run.

Sunday marked the fourth perfect game for Faieta this season with three of them happening since the start of the state tournament. In 40 innings total across six games in the tournament, Faieta has allowed just one run on four total hits, walking just nine and striking out a total of 91. Faieta struck out at least one in every inning Sunday, increasing her state-leading total this season to 364.

"I've never seen anything like that or heard of anything like that," said Marinelli. "She works her butt off and it shows." 

The Panthers will now move on to the first-ever Tournament of Champions in the history of New Jersey high school softball. Cedar Grove is the sixth seed among the group champions and will face Group 2 champion Robbinsville on Tuesday at 7:30 at Ivy Hill Park on the campus of Seton Hall University.