Braves compile 9-14 record

The Newton High School softball team finished the season with a 9-14 overall record and tied for second place in the division.

Both Newton and Hackettstown had 6-4 records in games against other schools in Colonial Division of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.

Paul Filan, Newton’s head coach, recalled some of the most memorable moments from the season.

“Our most impressive win was our last regular-season win when we played at Morristown Beard,’’ he said. “Morristown Beard was 11-4 and has a pretty good pitcher. It was our best team effort all season.

“We had girls step up at the plate: Catherine Vena hit two home runs, we had solid pitching and we played good defense. We ended up winning the game, 9-4.’’

Several players helped propel the Braves this spring.

“We had a lot of young outfielders this season and all of them improved as the season progressed,’’ Filan said. “We struggled with our consistency in the outfield at the beginning of the season. But by the end of the season, they all really improved and were much more confident in the outfield and were making plays out there.

“We bring back five outfielders with varsity experience so that will only benefit us in the future.’’

Newton, the No. 14 seed, lost to third-seed Indian Hills in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament May 22.

The coach is optimistic about next year.

“We lose some key players who played a major role for us the past few years, but we bring back around 10 girls who gained a lot of valuable varsity experience this past season,” he said.