Sullivan County Women’s Softball ‘B’ Division Championship Series

Hope springs eternal

New Hope Community’s meteoric rise punctuated by playoff championship

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONGAUP VALLEY, NY – Just two years ago New Hope Community finished dead last in the ‘B’ Division of the Sullivan County Women’s Softball League. Last year they moved up one rung but still struggled. But all of that is history now. Quietly and with great poise, confidence and efficiency, New Hope Community broke open the tied series with Nugget on August 17 to take a first inning lead they never relinquished. Before the game coach Mike Ward called his players together in the dugout and told them, “No one expected us to be here but we deserve to be here. You’ve played great now go out there and have fun. Remember, we beat this team before and we can do it again,” said Ward.

Nugget (15-6) got on the board first with an RBI double by Beth Fanning and a sac fly from Patti Anderson but New Hope came right back with four runs in the bottom of the frame as Nugget pitcher Roe Steuber struggled to find the strike zone. Four walks and a trio of singles accounted for the runs. For her part, New Hope pitcher Darlene Malewit was efficient and determined. Keeping a powerful Nugget team scoreless for the next three innings, Malewit gave her team a chance to extend their lead which they did with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings and a resounding six-run sixth that put lots of distance between the ladies in blue and those in red. New Hope hit the ball down and hard all night long. Moe Johnson went three-for-three and drove in three runs, Lauri Kimmes knocked in four while going four-for-four. Meanwhile in the field, Heather Bachmann reeled in hard hit flies despite the glare from the lights. Speedy base running helped New Hope’s mission, especially the quickness of Johnson, Jeannie Melchick and Cicero.

Nugget deserves a lot of credit. They won the league and fought hard but never seemed to get on track in the third game or sustain their rallies. Their seven runs on the night were scattered with two in the first, fifth and sixth and a run in the seventh. They hit the ball hard but New Hope’s infielders often turned force plays at second to get the lead runners.

New Hope finished their season at 10-17 but can go into the winter with a ‘B’ playoff title to be proud of and high hopes for next year. Congratulations to both teams on a great season and a rousing playoff series.

Game two: Nugget gets even to force game three

With their backs to the wall, Nugget responded with a 12-9 victory over the New Hope Community team on August 16 staving off elimination and forcing a deciding game three in the ‘B’ Division playoffs.

New Hope got out to a 2-0 lead in the first with RBI singles by Kelly Cicero and an E-10 off the bat of Moe Johnson but Nugget came right back and scored five in the top of the second with numerous hits off of New Hope pitcher Darlene Malewit. Cicero’s triple drove in two runs and the Nuggets got additional RBI from Sharri Biro and Rebecca Sykes. New Hope tied the score in their half of the third. The key hit of the inning was a two run double by Lauri Kimmes. Each team plated a run in the fifth as the game stood tied at 6-6 heading into the sixth. Nugget got the lead back with a two run outburst but New Hope took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth by scoring three runs propelled by a two run triple from Cicero and an RBI double from Kimmes.

But New Hope could not hold on ice the win and the series. Nugget came through with three runs in the top of the seventh. Linnea O’Mara tied the game up with a home run and the go-ahead runs came off the back of Julie Yewchuck and Amanda Davis. Trailing by three runs, New Hope failed to score in the bottom of the seventh. Nugget and New Hope were scheduled to play the third and final game on August 17, 2005. The two teams split their regular season games with each winning one.

Hope is alive in women’s ‘B’ finals

MONGAGUP VALLEY, NY — After watching Nugget manhandle Cobblers last week with 38 runs in two days, it was strange to see the tables turn on them as New Hope rode the long ball on August 15 with a trio of homers including Allison Whipple’s second inning grand slam to crush the ladies in red 19-8. Putting up multiple runs in every inning but the third, New Hope unveiled the same devastating offense that proved to be the demise of Combined Energy Services, their previous playoff victim in the Sullivan County Women’s League ‘B’ Division series opener.

Whipple was joined in the home-run derby by Kelly Cicero’s two-run blast in the first inning and Heather Bachmann’s two-run homer in the fifth. New Hope’s batters peppered the intervening moments with multiple singles and extra base hits. Lauri Kimmes hit two doubles driving in a total of three runs.

Rebecca Sykes hit a three-run blast for Nugget in the third, and Beth Fanning went three-for-three including a triple. But on this night, there seemed to be no stopping New Hope.