The Hillbillies softball team defeated Midland Park 1-0 Wednesday, May 20 to advance to the state sectional semifinal game.

In another nail-biter, the Hillbillies scored one run in the third inning when Jackie Selby doubled, Meghan Yeates bunted her over to third, and Amber Reed, who was 3-3 on the day, drove her home with a single.

Senior pitcher Paige Ferrell made that one run stand up, battling through several tight spots to hold the Midland Park batters scoreless.

The next round will pit the Hillbillies against perennial rival Cedar Grove and will be played at Cedar Grove on Tuesday, May 26.

In their one prior match-up, the Hillbillies lost to Cedar Grove 5-1 in their first game of the season.

The team had won its first-round state playoff game, against Hasbrouck Heights, in suspenseful fashion as well, with a walk-off double by sophomore Meghan Yeates in extra innings.

Hasbrouck Heights had jumped out to a 3-0 lead, holding Verona scoreless until the fifth inning, when they had a big inning and tied the game.  A run for each team in the seventh inning sent the game to extra innings deadlocked at 4-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, junior Olivia Haveron bunted for a single, and was bunted over to second by Jackie Selby. Meghan Yeates’ double off the left field fence scored Olivia with the winning run.

The Verona Cedar Grove winner will play the winner of Butler  and Hopatcong in the state sectional championship on Friday May 29.  Butler is the top seeded team in the bracket, and ranked seventh in the nj.com top 20.