CENTRAL NEW YORK – Repeating as Section III Class A champions would require the Jamesville-DeWitt softball team to pass a big test in the semifinal round against the top seed from Camden.
The state Class A no. 5-ranked Blue Devils would battle the no. 18-ranked Red Rams last Saturday at Onondaga Community College, and it proved a classic, in doubt until the final out – which would not go in J-D’s favor.
The pain of a 4-3 defeat was made more acute by the fact that the Rams led late and appeared to have solved Blue Devils pitcher Layla Kilino, only to have her rebound and throw her best when it was really needed.
Even though J-D fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, it didn’t let things get away, pitcher Keira McMahon doing a solid job containing Camden’s lineup through four innings.
By then, the Rams were in front. A pair of runs in the top of the third created that lead, and J-D scored again in the fourth as Emily Bulone singled, doubled and got two RBIs, with Hannah Trevisani scoring twice and Savannnah Schnorr getting the other run.
Trying to protect that 3-1 advantage, McMahon saw it all get away in the fifth. A three-run Blue Devils rally was keyed by Kendall Musch’s double that plated two of those runs.
Now Kolino had a slim lead to protect – and she did so, recording the final six outs in a complete game where she limited the Rams to four hits, two by Bulone and two by Amanda Aitken.
J-D, assigned the no. 5 seed, had to go on the road May 23 for its quarterfinal game against no. 4 seed Central Valley Academy, but pummeled Thunder pitching start to finish on the way to an 18-5 victory.
A day later, at Carrier Park Fayetteville-Manlius went up against top seed Whitesboro in the Class AA sectional semifinals, having defeated Christian Brothers Academy 4-1 two days earlier to reach that spot.
The no. 4 seed Hornets fell behind in the top of the first inning, but that single run was all that pitcher Alexis Hamilton would allow as she limited the Brothers to five hits in her complete-game effort, striking out four.
F-M quickly answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to go in front for good, then added insurance runs in the fourth and sixth, all of it set up by Megan Woodridge, who singled, doubled, walked twice and scored three runs. RBIs went to Avery Howe, Avilene Terry and Keelin Coates.
East Syracuse Minoa was nearly the team to face F-M, putting a big scare into Whitesboro in the May 23 quarterfinal before one big swing ended the Spartans’ season in a 4-2 defeat.
Twice, Whitesboro went in front, with single runs in the first on Olivia Strife’s double and fifth inning on Emma Zyskowski’s solo home run.
Both times, ESM rallied, tying it 1-1 on Hannah Decker’s single that scored Mya Quonce in the second and again in the seventh when, again, Quonce singled, got into scoring position and was driven home by Decker.
Decker also pitched and, for six innings, did a terrific job containing Whitesboro’s bats. But in the bottom of the seventh, Addison Cook doubled, and though senior Reese Tucker only needed a single to win it, on a 3-0 pitch she drilled Decker’s pitch over the wall for a walk-off home run, ending the Spartans’ season with a 7-12 record.
As for F-M, it would find Whitesboro too much to overcome, the Hornets’ season concluding with a 10-4 defeat.
Twice, the Hornets led, 2-0 in the first and 3-2 in the third. Both times, Whitesboro quickly answered, and though F-M tied it 4-4 in the top of the fourth, Addison Cook pitched a shutout the rest of the way, finishing with 11 strikeouts.
Steadily, Whitesboro got away with a two-run fourth, a run in the fifth and three runs in the sixth as Casey Clausen, Emma Zyskowski and Reese Tucker had two RBIs apiece.
F-M lost despite piling up 13 hits. Woodridge was three-for-three and scored a run, with Terry, Coates and Anna Egan each picking up a pair of hits. Howe doubled and drove in a pair of runs as Lillian Fowler joined Egan with one RBI apiece.
