EAST SYRACUSE – Bella Hotchkiss got Gracie Zankowski to strike out, and the entire Baldwinsville softball team celebrated a Section III championship more than half a century in the making.
Yet it wasn’t just the current Bees’ players, coaches and parents on the diamond at Carrier Park in the aftermath of its 9-4 victory over Liverpool in Wednesday night’s Class AA title game.
Every single player that was on the 2022 B’ville team as seniors returned on this night, spilling out to hug, high-five and share a few tears with the current players. They had every reason for it.
Exactly one year ago, they were on the brink of a sectional title, one strike away from victory, when it was snatched from them in a 4-3, nine-inning defeat – to Liverpool.
Now they, and everyone else associated with Bees softball, could bask in the collective glow of long-awaited atonement.
“It’s so great to do it with this group of girls,” said catcher Leah VerSchneider. “We made B’ville proud.”
In particular, VerSchneider was proud of the effort of her battery mate, Hotchkiss, who threw a complete game. Going into the final, said Hotchkiss, the team was focused on getting the small details right – which they did.
Setting the night’s tone, Hotchkiss struck out the side in the bottom of the first inning. Then the Bees took a 2-0 lead when, with two out and two on, Hannah Caughey recorded an RBI single and, after another Warriors error, no. 9 hitter Ella Amato singled home another run.
Even when the Bees saw a third-inning run taken off the board when Layla Trendowski left third base too soon on a one-out fly ball and Liverpool cut the margin to 2-1, it never lost its focus or poise.
In the fourth, B’ville chased Liverpool starter Cassie Wiggins from the game. With the bases loaded and one out, Jenna Martin, followed by Trendowski and Hotchkiss, all delivered run-scoring singles to make it 5-1.
When the Bees tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth, stretching the margin to 7-1, it seemed safe – until the Warriors almost provoked the ghosts of 12 months ago to return in the bottom of the sixth.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases. A ground ball thrown home was not in time for a force play and Lauren Ragonese’s sacrifice fly made it 7-3 before Joelle Wike was hit to load the bases again.
At this point, said Hotchkiss, she had “a lot of flashbacks” to the 2022 sectional final, but she regrouped and, against pinch-hitter Tristen LaForte, coaxed a grounder back to her. Hotchkiss threw home for one out, and VerSchneider got the ball to first in time for an inning-ending double play.
Fired up by this, B’ville got two more runs in the seventh, and despite some difficulties getting the final out and another Liverpool run, Hotchkiss fanned Zankowski and, at last, the Bees were champions.
“It’s amazing, pure joy and very emotional,” said Hotchkiss, adding that “110 percent” this was as much for the 2022 players that nearly won it all as it was for themselves.
B’ville returns to Carrier Park Saturday for the Class AA regional final against Section II champion Shenendehowa, which starts at 5 p.m.
