After starting the softball season with a shaky 1-2 record against division rivals, the JEC Thunder won their next five games, earning a tie-breaking sixth seed in the playoffs. They faced an uphill battle throughout the playoffs, but they were not to be deterred. Needing extra innings against DRS in the quarterfinals, JEC went ahead and stayed ahead with phenomenal fielding by junior Aaron Silver.

The semifinal matchup against Darchei Torah was no walk in the park, but the Thunder scored late runs to advance to the championship round with a 4-3 win.

JEC’s recipe for success throughout the season has been the unbelievable pitching of Jacob Winters, great fielding of Moshe Heller, Aaron Heller and Yehuda Pinsker, and timely hitting from Jackie Sutton, Hillel Glick, Ariel Braun, Aaron Silver and Jake Goldberg. The championship game, though, was against an undefeated Shaarei Torah team, on their concrete field in Brooklyn. Shaarei Torah cruised to the championship round, by beating HAFTR and TABC 13-3 and 8-4 respectively.

The game was a pitchers’ dual throughout as Jacob Winters (JEC) and Raymond Sakkal (Shaarei Torah) matched zeros all game long. In the top of the ninth, Winters led off with a hard-earned, infield single. Glick followed that with his own and JEC had a man on first and second with two outs. Aaron Silver then ripped a single to score Winters to give JEC the first and only run of the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Winters and the great Thunder fielding closed out the victory. JEC’s magical run ended in triumph, winning its first ever softball championship.

By JLNJ Sports Desk