By Brett Carroll
Staff Writer
The Metuchen High School softball team lost in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group I finals, 4-0, to Cedar Grove High School after Cedar Grove pitcher Mia Faieta threw a perfect game June 4 at Kean University.
The final was Faieta’s third perfect game of the season, striking out 13 Metuchen batters.
The loss ended what was a successful season for the Bulldogs, who won the Central Jersey, Group I tournament as the fifth seed by beating No.2-seeded New Egypt High School, 3-2. The team went on to beat a good Buena Regional High School team in the Group I semifinals, which allowed it to compete in its first Group 1 finals.
Metuchen head coach George Micak had high praise of his team after the game and focused on the strives made during the season.
“I’m very proud of this year’s team and the year they had,” Micak said. “They fought hard all year and played their best ball as the season bore on. This team has come a long way in just two years.”
Micak was also confident that his team will be able to compete again next year, having most of the team returning for the 2018 campaign.
“I’m very happy for the four graduating seniors,” Micak said. “They had a great year. They will be missed, and you can’t replace their leadership and talent. We have a good team that had a great experience this year. I’m excited to see how this team plays next year.”
