Phillipsburg Softball Reaches Semis After 23-Year Drought

For the first time in 23 years, Phillipsburg High School softball is heading to the county semifinals, and nobody on this team was ready to give up.

The Stateliners defeated Hunterdon Central 5-4 in eight innings on Monday at the Ruth Gibbs Complex, rallying from behind twice in a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament quarterfinal. Seniors Addison Fallon and Alexis Forder went a combined 6-for-8 at the plate, driving the offense when it mattered most.

Phillipsburg trailed 3-1 heading into the fifth inning. That's when pinch hitter Eleri Fersch singled home Fallon to cut the deficit to one run.

The magic continued in the sixth inning. Junior Brynlee Cahill looped a two-out single to left field, then Fallon drove a ground ball through the middle to score another run. Forder followed with a fielder's choice that tied the game at 3-3 when Hunterdon Central's pitcher failed to nail the runner at home.

The Red Devils scored again in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. But in the eighth inning, Phillipsburg loaded the bases and Fersch drew a walk that brought home the tying run. Moments later, the winning run crossed the plate for a 5-4 victory.

Junior pitcher Hannah Wodtke went all eight innings, striking out six batters against one of the region's best lineups. Only one of the four runs she allowed was earned.

The Ripple Effect

This win means more than advancing in a tournament. Phillipsburg is now 9-4 on the season and aiming for their first winning record since 2018.

Coach Kristin Polet credits the team's refusal to quit. "They have the attitude that they are excited from the first pitch to the last," she said. "You cannot count us out no matter how far we fall behind."

The fourth-seeded Stateliners already defeated top-seeded Delaware Valley 2-1 earlier this season, scoring runs in the sixth and seventh innings. They'll face either Delaware Valley or Vernon in Saturday's semifinal.

The entire roster has bought into the belief that every player matters. "Not everything rides on a couple of shoulders," Polet said. "They all shoulder the responsibility for our success."

After more than two decades away from the semifinals, this group of Stateliners is proving that persistence and teamwork can break any drought.