Molly McGuire and Jackie Gardner are the best of friends, and together, they’ve helped the Solvay softball team scale unprecedented heights.
For them, along with fellow seniors Nicole Antonacci, Chelsie Delperuto, Brandi Pidkaminy, Jordyn Everett and Kayla Emmi, Just one goal remains – a state Class B championship, barely missed a year ago, now again within the grasp of the Bearcats as big contributions from McGuire and Gardner helped the a return trip to the state final four.
Maintaining its perfect mark, Solvay moved to 20-0 by again upending Section IV champion Windsor in the Class B regional final, doing so by a 6-1 margin Friday night at the Gillette Road complex in Cicero.
“We chose to come out aggressive and do our thing, which is hit and play defense,” said McGuire, whose five RBIs accounted for most of Solvay’s run production.
These same two teams had met in this same regional round one year ago, and Solvay won, 6-3. The rematch was on familiar ground, and came on the same day that two other Section III champions – Liverpool (Class AA) and Hamilton (Class D) – won at Gillette to secure their own state final four bids.
The Bearcats’ senior core went to work against Black Knights pitcher Paige Rauch in the bottom of the first inning. Antonacci led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and watched Delperuto draw her own bases on balls.
Up stepped McGuire, in her usual clean-up spot – and she did just that, drilling a double just inside the right-field line that plated Antonacci and Delperuto. Gardner quickly followed with a single that scored McGuire to make it 3-0.
Back in her usual starting role in the pitcher’s circle (Lauren Nichols had started the sectional final against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown), Gardner allowed just one walk in her first three innings as Rauch settled down and retired nine in a row.
Windsor’s biggest threat came in the top of the fourth. Danielle Cary led off with a walk, and Gardner hit Rauch, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Then Mara Kohlbach singled up the middle, scoring Cary to cut Solvay’s lead to 3-1.
With the tying runs on base, Gardner struck out Liz Wickizer and then got big help from her defense. Delperuto, from behind the plate, dove to catch Jordyn Steele’s pop-up, and second baseman Maya Martineau made a terrific play on Cassidy Smith’s sharp grounder to end the threat.
An inning later, with the score still 3-1, the Bearcats gained its cushion. No. 9 hitter Aleah Yaizzo singled and Antonacci drew another walk (her sixth in two games) before Delperuto, on a 3-2 pitch, walked to load the bases.
Again, McGuire stepped up with a chance to deliver a big hit. Again, McGuire did so, crushing a drive to the base of the wall in left field that scored Yaizzo, Antonacci and Delperuto and gave the senior five RBIs for the night.
Gardner finished it from there, only allowing four hits and striking out six in a complete-game effort that will allow her, and her fellow seniors, to finish their storied high school careers chasing the one thing that eluded the Bearcats 12 months ago.
“We know what we are going up against, but we have unfinished business,” said Gardner.
That business involves Solvay trying to topple Marlboro (Section IX) in Saturday’ state Class B semifinal, held at the Moreau Sports Complex in South Glens Falls at 9 a.m. The winner goes to the state final against Ichabod Crane (Section II) or Alden (Section VI), to take place at 1:30.
