Softball

Delgado and Brucher pace Bulldogs’ series- sweeping win over Liberty

Down to the wire: Sullivan West earns sectional berth in final league win over O’Neill

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — The success of Sullivan West’s softball season will likely be judged by coach Mike Ellmauer according to the criteria he holds dearest: making it to sectionals. As each new season starts out, it is a goal that Ellmauer holds aloft to his players, enticing them with the idea that making sectionals puts them among the elite teams of the state.

With a young team, a new starting pitcher and kids who are still learning the fundamentals that goal looked like a long shot this year. But with the Bulldogs’ convincing 14-5 win over Liberty on May 11, where the feisty Sullivan West got a big defensive game from right fielder Genna Delgado and timely hitting from Kristen Brucher, the team completed a season sweep of the Indians and kept itself in the running for a sectional berth.

The Bulldogs’ Friday, May 13, 11-1 loss to John S. Burke Catholic came as little surprise. Dealing with hard-throwing Michelle Bianchetti proved a little over the top for Sullivan West so it became the O’Neill Raiders that the Bulldogs would have to beat to gain entrance into the promised land of sectionals.

The Bulldogs got that win on May 16 by the scant margin of one run as Rebekkah Peters scored on a passed ball in the fifth inning. Allison Swendson went two-for-three with two RBI for Sullivan West (6-9, 5-4 OCIAA).

The win followed up the Bulldogs recent success against Liberty. The 14-5 win this past week completed a sweep of Liberty this season.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start with Sarah Lander recording a one-two-three first inning from the mound. Melissa Cohen didn’t fare quite as well once she got on the hill for Liberty. She soon learned that issuing a lead-off walk to Angela Fortin is like giving her a double. The speedy second baseman is a pitcher’s nightmare with her steals. As usual she promptly stole second and advanced to third on a dropped third strike swung on by Heather Lander. Lander reached first safely and the bases were then loaded when Cohen walked Autumn Darder. Cohen couldn’t find the strike zone and a run came in on a walk to Allison Swendson. Kristen Brucher knocked in a pair of runs with a single and the Bulldogs had a 3-0 lead after one inning. Liberty got one back in the top of the second on a pair of singles from Brittany Strysko and Keely Hamlin (RBI) and a dropped third strike that allowed Jackie Katzenberg to reach first safely.

The Bulldogs touched up Liberty for six runs in the bottom of the second. Kate Moloney got things started with a single and Jessica Pitz became the first batter to be hit by Cohen. Before the inning was over she had also plunked Darder and Sarah Lander. Walks, passed balls and a balk kept the runners moving across the plate and when the dust cleared the Bulldogs led 9-1. Liberty scored twice in the third as they got bases loaded with no outs by virtue of a walk to Cohen and singles by Jessica Franke and Michelle Fancher. A four-pitch walk to Brittany Melchick got the first run in and a sac fly by Sartitza Vazquez brought in the second.

Sullivan West continued to score runs though getting one in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth. Unfortunately all the news wasn’t good. Autumn Darder re-injured her knee as she took a lead off of third base and made a move to return. Darder may be lost for the rest of the season.

The game leaders were Brucher, who went two-for-three with 2 RBI, and Genna Delgado who astounded her teammates with five put outs in right field and an RBI. Pitz had an RBI for Sullivan West who improved their record to 4-8, 4-3 OCIAA. The subsequent loss to Burke on May 13 caused their division record to hang in the balance at 4-4 with only the O’Neill game to lose. Earlier in the week on May 9, the Bulldogs were shut out in Cornwall 4-0 behind Sarah Lindland’s three hitter. Fortin had a double in the Cornwall game.

Tri-valley makes sectionals with win over Tuxedo

TUXEDO, NY — Bouncing back from a heartbreaking 5-3 loss to the Tornadoes on May 9, Tri-Valley bested their Division V rivals on May 11 by the score of 5-1. The win, which evened their Division record to 4-4 and raised their overall record to 9-8, assured the Bears of a berth in the upcoming sectionals. Lindsey Nuzzo tossed a four hitter and struck out seven. Melissa Bachmann contributed two hits and three RBI while Maria Jeltsch added an RBI single to the winning effort. On May 10, the Bears lost to Chester 5-0. The win clinched the Division V title for the Hambletonians, who were paced by pitcher Krissy VanBenscoten’s no hitter.

Softball Briefs

HANCOCK, NY — Despite a convincing Division VI win over the Falcons, it looks like the Yellowjackets will fall short of a .500 division record which would have gotten them into sectionals this year. Meg Shafer pitched a three hitter and went two-for-four with an RBI. Jessica Cherry went three-for-four with two RBI for Eldred 6-8, 2-4 OCIAA. The Family School’s record fell to 3-8 1-5 OCIAA.

PINE BUSH, NY — Chapel Field is ranked number one among Class D teams in New York State and on May 10 they showed why. The Lady Lions defeated Class A powerhouse Cornwall 5-3 behind the great pitching of Ashley Renwick, who notched eight strike outs. Jenna Velenga had a pair of home runs. The Lady Lions (13-6, 6-0 OCIAA) locked up the Division VI title by knocking off S.S. Seward 12-5 (4-2 OCIAA) as Renwick threw a one hitter against the Spartans.