Softball team advances to PCT quarterfinals

Krista Keller pitched a seven-hitter and also hit a two-run home run to lift the ninth-seeded West Milford High School softball team to a 4-1 victory over eighth-seeded Clifton there in the second round of the Passaic County Tournament on April 28.

West Milford (3-10) advanced to the county quarterfinal round, where it was scheduled to play at top-seeded Passaic Valley (10-1) on Thursday, May 4.

The Highlanders took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and added two more runs in the third to extend to a 4-0 lead. Caitlyn Clarke added a triple, a walk and scored a run, and Allison Stein also scored a run for West Milford.

Keller, a junior, struck out two and walked none in earning the victory in the circle.

Here is how other West Milford sports teams fared last week:

Girls lacrosse

Led by four goals and an assist from Paige Fava and three goals a piece from Kailey Maskerines and Trista Starr, second-seeded West Milford rolled to a 12-1 victory over seventh-seeded Passaic Tech in the opening round of the PCT on Monday afternoon, May 1 at home.

Lily Kreutzer and Sarah Benowitz also scored for the Highlanders, who received 10 saves from Amanda O’Brien.

West Milford (9-1) was slated to play in the county semifinal round on Wednesday, May 3. The championship game is set for Saturday, May 6.

Boys lacrosse

West Milford earned an 8-3 decision over seventh-seeded Pompton lakes in a PCT quarterfinal round on May 1 at home.

The Highlanders, seeded second, held a 4-3 lead after the third period before closing with a 4-0 fourth quarter.

Vincent D’Andrea (three goals, four assists, two ground balls), Theo Bolger (three goals), Nick Lombardo (two goals, one assist, seven ground balls), Jake Kelshaw (two assists, 14 ground balls, won 7-of-10 face-offs), Nash Appell (seven ground balls), Brett Provenzano (six ground balls) and Tyler Acanfrio (three saves) paced West Milford.

The team (3-9) was scheduled to play in a PCT semifinal May 3.

Baseball

The Highlanders, seeded 13th, were held to just one hit by Matt Nicholson as fifth-seeded Lakeland earned a 3-0 victory in the first round of the PCT there on May 1.

In the PCT preliminary round April 27, West Milford defeated 12th-seeded Clifton, 6-5, there.

Chris Timmins (2-for-4, RBI, run), Ryan Lombardi (1-for-3, walk, two RBI, run), Jake Schwarzlow (2-for-3, run), Dan Jenkins (1-for-3, RBI, run) and Sean Conklin (1-for-4, run) paced the offense.

West Milford (2-12) was scheduled to play at Passaic at 4:15 p.m. Friday, May 5.

Boys volleyball

The Highlanders ran their season-high winning streak to five straight with a 25-15, 25-17 decision over Paterson Eastside on April 28 in Paterson.

West Milford (6-3) was led by Sean McNally (six digs, five kills, one ace), Matthew Landoline (10 kills, four digs, one ace), Jayden Huber (23 assists, two digs, one kill, one ace), Kyle Arciniega (six digs, two kills), Andre Christ (five kills), Matthew Lombardo (three digs, one block) and Michael Paulison (two digs).