Softball sectionals

Sectional loss to Ellenville can’t take luster off of Bulldogs’ season

Sullivan West’s dean-of-softball Ellmauer takes the long view

By RICHARD A. ROSS

ELLENVILLE, NY — You’d have to be pressed to find a more upbeat, positive coach than Sullivan West’s Mike Ellmauer. One of New York State’s senior statesman when it comes to coaching softball, ‘Elmo,’ as his team affectionately refers to him just completed his 24th season and despite a tough 8-1 loss to Ellenville in the Class B quarterfinals Ellmauer remained positive and enthusiastic.

For Ellmauer, the constant goal is to make sectionals, something that only about 15 percent of the state’s teams accomplish. To him, the team’s 5-5 division record says far more than their overall mark of 5-11, which included numerous games against Class A schools and the sectional loss. At the outset of this season, Ellmauer knew it was going to be a learning process. With freshman Sarah Lander taking over as pitcher and only seniors Angela Fortin and Heather Lander having had experience playing last year, the season was going to be a challenge. But the younger Lander got better with every game. “She’s a good listener and works hard,” Ellmauer said.

Though the season had its share of distractions, including injuries and kids who found themselves in an occasional academic quandary, the team held together. Part of the glue was adding assistant coach J.P. Lang who was learning softball as he went along. “He provided us with a sense of freshness,” said Ellmauer, who also benefited from having Ken Uy take over as scorekeeper. “Ken kind of adopted us,” Ellmauer said, who described Uy as “insightful” and “able to analyze situations.”

Ellmauer had nothing but good things to say about this team, which he described as, “one of my best group of kids.” He doesn’t let things like losing to Ellenville detract from his positive take on the sport and working with the kids. That optimistic and affirming attitude rubbed off on the team, who kept their heads up while enduring some tough losses against bigger schools.

In the Ellenville game, they hung tough against the Blue Devils’ fireballer Sara Finkbeiner, who tossed a one hitter and struck out eight.

Ellenville got three runs in the third inning after Lander blanked them through the first two frames. A number of “seeing eye” singles combined to give Ellenville a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Lander held them scoreless in the fourth and the Bulldogs got one run back in the fifth inning when Fortin singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Genna Delgado. The lightning quick Fortin stole third and scored on a hit by Autumn Darder.

In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs had runners on second and third with no out but failed to score as Finkbeiner turned up the heat and struck out a couple of batters. Stranding those runners proved to be the game’s defining moment. Two errors opened the floodgates in the sixth and Ellenville went on to garner the win. Ellenville subsequently lost to Burke 5-1. The Eagles defeated Highland 2-1 in 11 innings to win the Class B Sectional title.

Sullivan West will move down to Class C next year and Ellmauer looks forward to bringing his young nucleus of players back to the fray. “It’s been a really fun season, Ellmauer said.”