Softball

Awesome foursome

Tri-Valley notches fourth straight SCSO title with breakout win over Monticello; Liberty downs Eldred for first win

By RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Looking at the final score of 13-0 that enabled Tri-Valley to beat Monticello and take home its fourth consecutive Sullivan County Softball Officials title on April 26, one might readily conclude that this year’s championship game was a blowout from the get go.

It was anything but.

Actually, the teams were deadlocked in a 1-0 nail biter through the first three innings during which Monticello (3-6) had its chances to turn the tide and overcome the Bears’ narrow lead.

They did get Tri-Valley (4-3) on the ropes in consecutive innings but failed to score. Leaving runners in scoring position has been a bugaboo for coach Ed Kaufmann’s squad this spring and the same issue resurfaced, preventing the Lady Panthers from ending Tri-Valley’s recent dominance in this 18th annual spring softball classic.

Coach Mary Feusner’s team got the four-peat not only with its recently discovered power at the plate, but by playing solid softball in other requisite facets as well. Stellar pitching by Anni Hartman enabled Tri-Valley to keep threatening Monticello at bay.

Although not a power pitcher, Hartman struck out four batters. More importantly, she got the ball over the plate, and once the ball was put in play her defense did the rest.

Shortstop Karyn Sheeley showed her gold-glove form as she registered the first three put outs of the game. “Don’t hit it to her. She’s a vacuum out there,” said one of the Lady Panthers at the end of a quick first inning. Sheeley would throw out two more hitters before the day was done.

Second baseman Skylar Musa and first baseman Kaylie Ackerley also flashed impressive leather in the winning effort. Ackerley had a banner day, hitting the team’s first homer of the year in the fifth inning. Her two-run shot was part of four runs in the inning that would give the Bears the 10-run margin needed to win a foreshortened game. Following the game, the distribution of medals and the smiling photo opportunity, Ackerley signed the bat as part of a new Lady Bears’ tradition.

The Bears got one run in the top of the first inning on Ackerley’s RBI single. The seeing-eye base hit brought home Samantha Santiago, who had singled, stolen second and moved up on a passed ball to third. But Monticello shut the door, as senior pitcher Chelsea Reuss induced a fly out to left and a groundout to end the inning.

Hartman and company faced trouble in the second inning. With two on and no one out, the Panthers seemed poised to pounce. But a 5-2 put out, a strike out and a harmless pop up to third sent the Cats back out to the field without any dinner.

Monticello dialed up another threat in the third with runners on first and second and two out behind singles from Sam Cohen and Reuss. But Hartman fanned slugger Anita Stevens to end the inning.

The win by the Bears was their seventh overall in the tourney’s history. Monticello was seeking its fourth title. The last time the Panthers won was in 2003.

Tri-Valley broke the game open in the top of the fourth inning, but they had help from Monticello to do so. Tri-Valley had bases loaded with two out and were nearly erased on strike number three on Erica Costa. But a dropped third strike, a timely single by Hartman and a misguided throw to second by Monticello’s left fielder opened the floodgates. When the dust cleared, it was 9-1 Tri-Valley. The Lady Bears had batted around and took advantage of passed balls and defensive lapses to move runners up at will.

Monticello’s Maria Pavese reached third in the fourth inning, using an E-6, a passed ball and a groundout to fuel her trip. She was left stranded by a strikeout and a groundout.

Eighth-grade phenom Cohen came on in relief of Reuss. She, in turn, was relieved by Jessica Simpson.

The rest of the tourney

In the opening round, Monticello scored three runs in the first inning and went on to defeat Liberty 3-1. A trio of singles by Samantha Schoonmaker, Meghan Hughes and Reuss set the table for Stevens, who cleared them with a double.

Liberty scored one run as Ali Martese singled and then scored.

Tri-Valley battered Eldred 14-4 in its opener, scoring 10 runs in the first inning with a bevy of hits, stolen bases and passed balls. Laurel Wilsen and Sheeley were credited with RBI in the inning. Eldred had gotten four in the top of the first as Tri-Valley’s defense proved shaky in the early going. Celia Oset and Rachel Smith had RBI in the first inning.

But that would be it for Eldred, who was blanked for the remaining four innings of the shortened fray.

Liberty defeated Eldred in the consolation game of the tournament. Details are unavailable at the time of this writing.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of tournament pictures.