CENTRAL NEW YORK – The Bishop Ludden softball team smoothly managed to go from one celebration to another on Saturday and, by doing so, earned the Section III Class D championship.
Hours after graduation ceremonies, the Gaelic Knights went to Poland, still with caps and gowns on hand, and knocked off the Tornadoes 11-8 to complete an unlikely run from a no. 8 seed all the way to the sectional title.
Having already knocked off two higher seeds (Stockbridge Valley and Hamilton) in previous playoff rounds, Ludden jumped all over Poland with three first-inning runs brought home by Kaitlyn Kibling’s home run.
After giving up a run in the bottom of the first, the Gaelic Knights scored twice in the top of the third, but the Tornadoes countered with three runs in its half of the third to close within 5-4.
It stayed that way until the fifth, when Kibling drove in another run as part of a two-run rally. Then, in the top of the seventh, Kibling and Sophia Chemotti both drove in runs as Ludden plated three.
So it was 11-4 going to the bottom of the seventh, when it almost got away. Poland scored four times, but the Gaelic Knights were able to record the final two outs to secure the sectional championship.
All this happened after Ludden roared through its opening-round game against Sackets Harbor last Monday, sacking the Patriots 20-1.
This put the Gaelic Knights up against top seed Stockbridge in the quarterfinals, and here Ludden kept on hitting, crushing the Cougars 16-0.
Again on the road for Thursday’s semifinal, Ludden continued to hit at will against no. 4 seed Hamilton, not letting up until it had gained an 18-7 victory over the Emerald Knights to set up its title-game opportunity.
It didn’t matter much that Jordan-Elbridge carried a 9-5 record and South Jefferson was 12-4 going into the opening round of the Section III Class B playoffs.
For when the no. 12 seed Eagles went north last Monday afternoon, it put together a strong all-around performance and knocked off the Spartans 2-1.
The two sides traded first-inning runs. Then, in the top of the third, J-E broke out of the 1-1 tie, little imagining that it would prove the game-winning run.
Over the last five innings, Eagles pitcher Alexis Delfavero kept South Jefferson off the board, limiting the Spartans to three hits while striking out 10. She also scored one of J-E’s runs, With Riley Hill also crossing the plate as Heather Sorts had two hits and an RBI and Abby Ahern drove in the other run.
As that was going on, Skaneateles got to the brink of knocking off the reigning sectional and regional champions from Oneida, only to fall just short in a 6-5 defeat.
The Lakers broke out for three runs in in the top of the third inning and scored again in the fourth to answer the Indians’ first tally and lead 4-1.
Oneida tied it in the bottom of the fifth, only to have Skaneateles regroup and, in the top of the sixth, strike for a single run to seize a 5-4 lead.
Three outs away, the Lakers never got them, Oneida, whose six errors led to most of the Skaneateles runs, put across the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh off Laci Gaidis, who had relieved starting pitcher Lexie Cottrill.
Carlee Pitman and Chelsea Metz had Sknaeateles’ lone hits, with Metz getting an RBI as Ayla Pas’cal scored twice and single runs were scored by Cottrill and Gaidis. The Lakers’ season finished with a 9-7 record.
Now it was J-E’s turn to try and end Oneida’s championship reign in the quarterfinals, and it got off to a great start when Ahern singled and scored in the top of the first.
But the Indians tied it in the bottom of the first, struck for four runs in the second and went on to defeat the Eagles 8-1. J-E only managed four hits overall, one each by Ahern, Riley Hill, Erin LaVancha and Elizabeth Bartoszewski.
