The City of Champions added two more titles, as the Gloucester City High softball team won the NJSIAA Group 2 state championship and the Gloucester Catholic High baseball team won the Non-Public 2 state championship.
On Friday morning, June 13, Lions seniors Kloi Tighe, Ava Rodgers, Kaelyn Zearfoss, Rylie Zearfoss and Lauren Parry took a two-hour bus ride to South Orange in their softball uniforms and helped their team win its sixth state title.
They came back down the New Jersey Turnpike celebrating the 3-2 thrilling victory over Hanover Park, went home and changed into their caps and gowns, and graduated with the Gloucester City High School Class of 2025. What an exciting and wonderful day.
“Back to back softball state champions,” said Principal Sean Gorman during Commencement Exercises on the football field. The hundreds of parents and relatives in the bleachers roared with delight.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, June 11, the Gloucester Catholic High School baseball team traveled to Veterans Park in Hamilton Township and defeated Pope John XXIII, 7-4, to win its 22nd state championship – far more than any other sports program in New Jersey.
In the Lions championship game, they trailed 1-0 when Gabby Maldonado hit a run-scoring single with two outs in the fourth inning to tie the game. On defense shortstop Ava Rodgers and second basewoman Alexis Ullman kept the team in the game with great plays.
In the sixth inning Kaelyn Zearfoss hit a clutch triple to score Ava Moore and Lauren Parry followed with a single to scored Zearfoss. In the seventh inning pitcher Emma Dick, with the tying run on third, got the final out on a fly ball to right and the team celebrated their second consecutive title.
The Rams won their third consecutive state championship by scoring five runs in the fourth inning on key hits by Braeden Lipoff, Brody Gates, Noah Danza, Henry Pancost, Jude Morgan and Guy Lynam. The winning pitcher was Jackson Smallets.
Last week two of the best baseball and softball teams in New Jersey added another state championship to their trophy cases – Gloucester Catholic and Gloucester High.
