Softball

‘Dawgs’ discover the joys of winning

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — “How sweet it is,” a phrase made famous by comedian Jackie Gleason, could well become the new mantra for the Sullivan West Bulldogs.

The team earned a pair of convincing Division IV wins over Liberty this past week. The second of a three-game set began with the unleashing of a 14-run first-inning barrage. As pitcher Sarah Lander got her second win in as many outings, Sullivan West (2-3, 2-2 OCIAA) posted a commanding 20-13 victory over the Indians.

Lander had two hits and Angela Fortin went 3-for-5. Saritza Vazquez had two hits and five RBI for Liberty (2-5, 1-3 OCIAA).

The Bulldogs’ heavy hitting picked up right where it left off on April 19 when Sullivan West pasted Liberty 13-4. Autumn Darder had two hits and scored twice as she helped her team to its first victory of the 2005 campaign. Lander got the win. Trina Williams had two hits for Liberty.

The wins put the right spin on a week that began ominously with Cornwall’s 11-0 blanking of the Bulldogs in Jeffersonville. Nichole Halversen tossed a five-hitter and struck out four. Kristen Bidosky and Lauren Ruggerio each had two hits and an RBI for the Dragons (5-1), who handed the Bulldogs their third straight loss of the season. The young Halversen continues in the tradition of her older sister, who graduated last year, and standout Cornwall hurler Christina Stathes. Fortunately by week’s end, the memory of Halversen and the Dragons was in the rearview mirror as the Bulldogs sought to ride their two-game winning streak into this week’s battles against Burke and O’Neill.

Manor thwarts Eldred but Yellowjackets get a pair of wins to ease the pain

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — Historically, Eldred does not fare well in the land of the cats.

History repeated itself on April 20 as Livingston Manor pounced on Eldred to collect a Division VI win by scoring in every inning. Trouble began for the Yellowjackets in the bottom of the first inning when Megan Shafer issued a two-out walk to Dana Manell. A trio of singles by Emily Dalyrymple, Carrie Lewis and Kate Ellison along with a pair of passed balls allowed three runs to score. The Wildcats led 7-1 after three innings.

Eldred got its only early run off of a single by Kim French, who was then driven home by Jessica Cherry’s single. The Wildcats got strong pitching from starter Ashley Taggart. Shafer was relieved in the sixth inning by Ashley Tice, but by then the damage had been done. Kate Ellsion led the Wildcat attack with a pair of hits and three RBI. Carrie Lewis had three hits and two RBI and Dana Manell drove in two runs for Livingston Manor 2-2, (1-2 OCIAA). Cherry and Kim Hallock, who each drove in a run, led Eldred 3-2 (0-2 OCIAA).

Aside from the loss to Manor, Eldred had a good week, posting wins over Tuxedo and The Family School. On April 19 the Yellowjackets bested the Tornadoes 10-9 on Lori Henry’s one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Henry had two hits and three RBI. Cherry hit a two-run homer. Donna McCullough and Christina Baxter had two hits apiece for Tuxedo 1-6. The week ended on a positive note for Eldred with a solid 14-5 victory over The Family School. Cherry went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI while Ayla Kelty and Hallock each had an RBI, helping Eldred boost its record to 4-2 (1-2 OCIAA). Tice struck out five in the winning effort. The Family School’s record fell to 0-4 (0-4 OCIAA).

Tri-Valley gets a much-needed win over S. S. Seward after failing against Chapel Field and Chester

FLORIDA, NY — A season can turn on a key win, and for Tri-Valley that victory may well have been a 9-5 decision over S.S. Seward on April 25.

Following a pair of losses, including Chapel Field’s 6-0 shutout à la Lions’ standout pitcher Ashley Renwick on April 18 and a 7-6 home loss to Chester on April 20, the Bears (1-5) needed a win to turn things around. Renwick struck out 10 and Bethany Chiarot had two hits and three RBI for the Lions in the Bears’ first loss of the week. Things went from bad to worse when Tri-Valley let a win slip through their fingers by allowing Chester to score three runs in the seventh inning on April 20. Chester’s Danielle Englehart pushed across the go-ahead run with a single. Kristen Jung had a pair of hits and two RBI for the Hambletonians (6-6, 4-0 OCIAA). Melissa Bachmann blasted a three-run homer for the Bears (2-5) and Lindsey Nuzzo had two hits and an RBI.

In the Florida game Bachmann went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI to pace the Bears’ attack. Lacey Moore pitched in by going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winning pitcher Lindsey Nuzzo struck out 10. Theresa Space scored two runs for Seward (3-4).