Jeffrey Cantor issued a challenge to the Jamesville-DeWitt softball team he coaches – to not just match the frequent success of past Red Rams sides, but surpass them and become, in his words, the “greatest J-D team” of all.
Now the Red Rams have a chance to fulfill that goal, thanks to Saturday’s come-from-behind, 3-2 victory over Section II champion Averill Park in the Class A regional final at Carrier Park Field of Dreams.
Beaten in this same regional round by Troy a year ago, J-D showed how much it had matured and grown since that point, not getting rattled even when AP jumped to a 2-0 lead with a pair of two-out singles in the first two innings.
“Unlike last year, this time we kept our heads up,” said pitcher Shayna Myshrall.
And Myshrall keyed that turnaround, both with her work in the pitcher’s circle and at the plate. From the pitching standpoint, Myshrall gave full credit to her catcher, Sara Gow, who said that using off-speed pitches helped keep the Warriors off balance after those early runs.
Still, the Rams needed to get something off AP pitcher Jadyn Lee, and did so in the bottom of the third. Alexis LeClair’s one-out single and stolen base led to Myshrall singling LeClair home and cutting the Warriors’ lead to 2-1.
Aside from the early patience, J-D didn’t get frustrated when scoring opportunities in the first and fourth innings got thwarted by a pair of AP double plays.
Instead, still trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Rams made its decisive move. A bad-hop grounder put Paige Keeler on first base, and she moved to second on LeClair’s groundout.
Makenzie Keeler stepped to the plate and drilled a single that brought her sister home with the tying run. Myshrall was up next, and, noting that Lee was trying to get her with outside pitches, adjusted her swing – and tripled to the wall to drive in the go-ahead run.
Getting stronger as the game progressed, Myshrall, helped by terrific all-around defense, retired the last seven batters she faced.
“Shayna is mentally tough,” said Cantor. “All the hard work she has done helps her keep going.”
Now J-D heads to the state final four at Moreau Park near Glens Falls, where next Saturday at 9 a.m. it will face Section VI champion Williamsville East in the state semifinals. The winner goes to the final later that day against defending champion Maine-Endwell or MacArthur.
