Softball

Moving on

Red Hook overcomes deficit for sectional win; Sullivan West seniors reach the end of a stellar sports era

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Sometimes, it’s hard beyond words, but it’s one of life’s most resonant truths: no matter what befalls us, we have to move on.

That lesson was strongly imparted to both Red Hook and Sullivan West in their highly competitive Section Nine quarterfinal softball game on June 3.

By day’s end, following Red Hook’s comeback 9-6 win, both teams would turn to face their next challenges. For Red Hook, it would be the task of encountering John S. Burke in the semifinals. A loss against the Lady Eagles prevented Red Hook from playing for the Class B championship.

For Sullivan West, in particular its host of seven fine seniors, the challenge of moving on would be far more daunting. For them, the game represented the coda of their exceptional sports careers. Dealing with that finality brought tears and hugs for friends, who have been through fiery frays together in soccer, basketball and softball over many seasons.

In retrospect, softball games are viewed in their totality, but are, in fact, comprised of a series of events that require players and coaches to constantly adjust to the game’s changing landscape.

Following a long bus ride, Red Hook seemed tight and tired as they threw the ball around in the second inning, committing four errors and allowing Sullivan West to roll out to a 5-0 early lead. At the conclusion of the disastrous inning, coach Tom Gilbert gathered his girls to settle them down.

“We’re playing way too tight. We’ve had our bad inning now and that’s all over,” he said calmly. “Last year, Sullivan West got up 4-0 on Pine Plains and lost 10-4. You can do the same thing. We’re going to get this back one run at a time,” he quietly affirmed, and his players, sensing his lack of panic, took him at his word. Gilbert had seen such bad innings before and knew his team could bounce back.

By the end of the third inning, Red Hook had countered Sullivan West’s opening flurry, which had been marked by the hard hitting of Cara Davies, Sarah Lander, Rachel Gruenke, Morgan Edwards, Kristen Niemann and Stephanie Meyer, with a comeback rally of its own.

Victoria Howland got things started with a booming triple to left. Following a walk to Camille King, Jen Picard knocked in the first run on an E-3. A single by Asia O’Han, a ground out, a sac fly and finally a RBI single by Katie Drummond left Red Hook trailing by only one run.

Gilbert’s message to move on had been duly noted.

Meanwhile, senior pitcher Kayla Abrial settled down. During the regular season, she had notched 103 strikeouts in 12 league games against tough MHAL competition, including Class AA FDR, Class A New Paltz and Class B rival Pine Plains.

Taking into account non-league games, including one against daunting Taconic Hills, that total had burgeoned to nearly 160. Used to throwing her riser for strikes, Abrial had to adjust to the strike zone of the day and turned to her curve. As the game progressed, she was able to return to her normal mix of pitches. By day’s end, she had recorded eight strike outs.

“Give Sullivan West credit,” said Gilbert. “They hit her hard.”

The Lady Bulldogs continued to swing the bat well, but many balls went right at Red Hook fielders, including a laser off the bat of Niemann that resulted in a leaping catch by shortstop O’Han, who also excels in basketball. Leaping for rebounds must have helped her to go skyward to snare that ball, to stop a potential go-ahead run in the sixth to end the inning.

Abrial held Sullivan West scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when a lone homer by Lindsey Bauer ended the drought. But, it was too little and too late.

Red Hook had tied the game up in the top of the fourth, as Howland singled and stole second. She scored on a RBI single/E-9 off the bat of Picard.

The teams stayed knotted at five-all until the top of the seventh, but the game was not without its share of high drama. Both coaches took chances sending runners to garner the lead. Sullivan West’s Morgan Edwards was called out at third, trying to stretch a leadoff double in the fourth inning. Photos show she may have slid in under Picard’s tag, but the umpire ruled her out.

In the seventh inning, holding a narrow one-run lead, Gilbert sent speedy pinch runner Heylon Trungard home on a passed ball, but a bang-bang throw by Niemann to Lander nailed the runner at the plate. It was one of those plays that could have come back to haunt Gilbert and his team, especially as Krissy Multpeter followed with a single. But the Lady Raiders would score a total of four runs in the seventh, making the aggressive gamble a non-issue.

“I’d do it again,” said Gilbert, following the game. “We had a one-run lead and I was trying for two.” The Lady Raiders got RBIs from Abrial, Emma Moore, Kaitlin Schoonmaker and Howland in the seventh.

Powerful Bauer’s two-out homer in the bottom of the frame was a solo shot. Niemann led the Lady Bulldogs with a pair of hits and two RBIs. Howland had three hits for Red Hook (13-10). Sullivan West ended its season at 6-9.

Seniors Lander and Niemann walked off the field together, each trying hard to hold their heads up in the midst of the all-too-painful passage of their last game. “It’s just upsetting that things fell apart. I definitely didn’t want it to end,” said Lander. Both girls would have greatly relished another crack at Burke. Lander notched seven strikeouts in her final high school game.

Ellmauer felt his team played well, but acknowledged that Red Hook didn’t rattle. “They had hits that dropped in and we didn’t. Balls went right at their gloves,” he said, crediting some fine fielding plays by the shortstop and outfielders.

Referring to his seven seniors—Davies, Edwards, Gruenke, Lander, Meyer, Niemann and shortstop Jennifer Pitz—Ellmauer said, “They worked hard and they grew. I’ve had Sarah for four years and Kristen and the others for three. They’ve been great athletically, academically and personally, and I’ll really miss them. Next year, we’ll have to rebuild. It’s tough but I guess the sun will come up tomorrow,” he added, stressing the notion that both he and his hard-working team would have no other choice but to move on.

Kudos to both teams for a hard-fought game and special thanks to the Sullivan West seniors for years of dedication, perseverance and impeccable sportsmanship that have yielded season after season of great efforts, and some storied wins and have evinced the best of what high school sports is all about.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of pictures.