At some point, the reign for the Solvay softball team atop Section III Class B softball was going to end.
But even with a young roster (no seniors) and lowered expectations, the Bearcats went 16-2 in the regular season and made it to the sectional Class B semifinals before a long-time OHSL Liberty division rival got in the way.
Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, the no. 3 seed in the sectional tournament, edged Solvay 1-0 in Saturday morning’s semifinal at the Gillette Road complex in Cicero, seeing Amber Rice get one early run and use it to win a classic pitcher’s duel with Lauren Nichols.
They had split two regular-season meetings, and when APW prevailed 5-1 in the second of those games on May 14, it was largely due to a pair of two-run home runs by DeShae Jones.
So it only figured that Jones sparked the game’s lone rally in the top of the first inning with a single off Nichols, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt before Helaina Hale delivered a double to left field that brought Jones home.
From there, Nichols slammed the door on the Rebels. Over the next six innings, she never allowed any APW runner past second base and amassed seven strikeouts, waiting for her teammates to provide some help.
None would come, though. Rice had seen the Bearcats’ lineup twice this spring, and used that knowledge to keep Solvay’s hitters from getting too comfortable.
By far, the Bearcats’ biggest chance came in the bottom of the third. Nadea Davis and Delana Thomas reached base, bringing Nichols to the plate with two out. But Rice struck out Nichols swinging.
As the game wore on, Rice seemed to get stronger. She also got great defense from, among others, Jones, whose diving grab in the bottom of the sixth prevented Solvay from a hit.
To close it out, Rice retired the Bearcats 1-2-3 in the seventh. APW moved forward, while Solvay has already begun the work for 2017 with its entire roster set to return and challenge for a title again.
Solvay got to this round by taking out its neighbors from Westhill in the Class B quarterfinals, the Bearcats showing very familiar traits during a 12-0 shutout of the Warriors.
Even with two regular-season wins over Westhill, Solvay didn’t take the third encounter lightly. In top form, Lauren Nichols surrendered just two hits (one each by Dori Klein and Tatiana Wicker) and a walk to Katie Lobello, steadily accumulating 10 strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the game stayed 0-0 until the bottom of the third, when Solvay jumped all over Warriors pitcher Melissa Newcomb in a long rally that didn’t let up until the Bearcats had piled up nine runs.
Eventually, Solvay had 17 hits, three each by Hope Rivera, Caitlin McCann and Maya Martineau, who doubled and earned an RBI. Aleah Yaizzo tripled, singled and earned a team-best three RBIs as Delana Thomas added two hits and two RBIs. Nichols and Nadea Davis also drove in runs as Athlea Davies joined McCann, Thomas and Martineau in scoring two runs apiece.
During that same quarterfinal round, Marcellus, the no. 9 seed, saw its season end with a 7-1 defeat to top seed Adirondack, a game that was close most of the way.
Strong pitching by Laura Finn limited the Wildcats to a single run in the first five innings, and the Mustangs tied it, 1-1, in the top of the fifth. However, Adirondack maintained its patience and, in the bottom of the sixth, solved Finn for six decisive runs.
Meanwhile, Marcellus had just one clean hit at the plate, unable to do much against Wildcats ace Marissa McIntyre, who amassed 14 strikeouts and overcame three walks. But that was Adirondack’s last win of the season as it lost, 4-1, to South Jefferson in the semifinals, the Spartans earning a title-game date with APW.
