Baseball, softball, track

Shockwaves

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Change defined the month of April with its shifting fronts and fluctuating temperatures. In its final week, along with a patchwork of varying weather, April left a torrent of momentous and historic events in the local high school sports spectrum.

Spring brings resurgence, but this past week was simply beyond the pale in baseball, softball and track.

On the baseball diamond, Sullivan West and Monticello were creating headlines as each won a league series, thereby improving chances to qualify for sectionals. Sullivan West won both of its games against Division IV nemesis John S. Burke Catholic by the scores of 8-3 and 7-3 respectively. The first game was on the road, the second was at home. With great pitching from Ryan Alsdorf in the opener and Austin Sauer in the sequel, the Bulldogs battered the Eagles in their aerie with a trio of homers from Mark Tesseyman, Jeremy Digori and a three-run blast by Jimmy O’Connor.

At home, the win was built on Sauer’s 6 1/3 innings of three-hit hurling that featured 10 strikeouts. This time out, Tesseyman and junior Cruz Burgos prompted the batting surge. This was the second year in a row that the Bulldogs, now 8-3 (3-2 OCIAA), have won the series against Burke. Sullivan West was 16-4 and Division IV champs a year ago, but this year’s surge is also impressive, given the bevy of new faces on the scene.

Monticello swept Goshen in a Division III trio of games. It was the first time the Monties have ever registered a series sweep in the modern era. The three games included a 12-inning opening game. The inning total for the series was 26. Monticello yielded only four runs over that span and never trailed. They won the first two games 3-2 and 4-1. The final win was electrifying, with freshman speedster Shane Jackson beating out an infield single in the seventh, stealing second, being bunted to third by Serafin Rodriguez and scoring on an infield hit by pitcher Bobby Wagner. On the mound, Wagner was dominant as he scattered just three hits and struck out nine. Monticello followed the series sweep with a non-league 8-6 win over Wallkill to improve to 6-5 (3-3 OCIAA).

Softball came into the limelight this week as Livingston Manor, led by junior firebrand Marissa Diescher, successfully defended its Ben Chesnick Memorial Softball Tournament title by beating Liberty and Monticello 12-1 and 11-1 respectively. Diescher fired a one-hitter against Liberty and a no-hitter vs. Monticello. Meanwhile at the tournament’s other site in Grahamsville, Sullivan West swept Tri-Valley and Eldred 11-2 and 12-1. Autumn Ackermann and Amanda Rosenberger were the winning pitchers as the Lady Bulldogs made a case for hopefully turning their heretofore struggling season northward. At 4-6 (0-3 OCIAA), the Lady Bulldogs look to their upcoming fray with Burke to get that first league win. Tri-Valley defeated Eldred in the consolation game 6-4; Liberty beat Monticello 5-4 in 10 innings in the other consolation match up. The tournament, organized by the Sullivan County Softball Officials Association, is now named for the late Ben Chesnick, who umpired games for 45 years. For more on Chesnick and the tournament, read “We Remember,” on www.sportsinsightsny.com.

In local track, Tri-Valley and Monticello continue to generate electricity that is off the scale. The Lady Bears upended Sullivan West 85-56 in their dual meet tilt, unseating the two-time Division IV champs. Outnumbered 45-13, Sullivan West needed its best day, but it was Tri-Valley that answered the call. Shockingly, Tri-Valley’s boys also won, knocking off the defending Section 9 champion Bulldogs 72.5 to 68.5. Liberty is the defending Division IV boys champion and only one win away from keeping its title. It needs to beat Tri-Valley to retain its crown.

Monticello boys are now just a win away from a first-ever Division III track title. With Cornwall and Goshen in the rearview mirror, all that remains is a vanquishing of Port Jervis for the unprecedented crown.

At the Tri-Valley relays, Lady Bear Tehnyat Khan was named the Most Outstanding Girl Field Athlete for her part in the winning shot put, hammer and discus relays. Liberty’s Jessica Dunnigan was the Most Outstanding Girl Track Athlete. Dunnigan shattered her PR in the 100 with a winning time of 11.8, her leg in the winning 800 relay and her contribution to the winning long jump relay. A spate of other Sullivan County track athletes registered medal-winning performances at the meet, including Sullivan West’s Kendra Barker, who surpassed her best in the high jump with a leap of 5-3. Tri-Valley’s girls won the Division II team crown. The Liberty boys were victorious as well.

Visit sportsinsightsny.com for all of the details about this week’s event and albums of pictures.