2024 Section IV Blog
4/28/24
Saturday brought a great day of action all across Section IV, with all six Mary Testa Tournaments getting every game in, despite some rain in the afternoon. Let’s recap the week that was in Section IV:
* We’ll start off at Greenlight Park, where Susquehanna Valley calls the former BAGSAI site home for this season, as their school is getting turf installed. It was the only site where each participant was strictly from Section IV, and it did not disappoint. The first game saw Edison stop SV’s unbeaten streak to start the season at 11. It was in comeback fashion as well, as SV got on the board first on Madison Evans’ RBI single in the 2nd. In the 4th, Kailey Ripley’s double scored Gabby Milazzo, and Ripley scored soon after on Charlee Storman’s RBI single. That was all Milazzo would need in the circle, as she went the distance, giving up eight hits and striking out five. That’s on the low end for her lofty standards, so it’s good for Edison to know their defense can win games too. SV ace LilliOnna D’Introno struck out 12, but Edison was able to hang 13 hits on her. I fully expect to see these teams cross paths in a few weeks’ time in the Class B playoffs. If this game was any indication, it will go right down to the final pitch.
* SV bounced right back by beating Elmira handily in the final game of the day, 18-6. What you probably didn’t know was that Elmira was up 6-3 going into the 5th, but the SV offense exploded for 15 runs in the final three frames. Kylee Richardson (double) and Danica LaBarre (single) each drove in a pair of runs to give the Sabers the lead for good. Paige Weaver was 4-for-4 with four runs scored, and LaBarre cleared the bases with a triple in the 6th, part of her seven RBI day.
* In between, Elmira earned a 5-1 win over Edison, as all three teams went 1-1 on the day. That shows how strong each team is. Ava Cornacchio gave up only four hits. The Express took the early lead on a Ryleigh Ogden two-run triple in the 1st, then got separation with three more runs in the 3rd. Addison Taft and Addisyn Chorney each had run-scoring singles, and another run was tacked on via error.
* At Chenango Valley, Corning got a split on the day. They lost their first game to a very strong team from Abington Heights, Pennsylvania 7-2 (who were coming off a 6-0 win over Chenango Valley). In the final game vs. CV, Corning found themselves in an immediate 3-0 hole thanks to some walks and singles. There was no hangover, however, as they came right back and put up a 10-spot in the bottom of the frame. Sophia Polzella started it all with a leadoff walk. Matti Johnston then tripled her home and scored on an errant throw, and Corning had two runs back. The onslaught was then on, as Kayleigh Sparks and Polzella hit back-to-back home runs, and 14 batters appeared to take the 10-3 lead. Lauren DeRosa tacked on an inside-the-park home run for good measure, and the game was over after five innings.
* Two teams that appeared in State Championship weekend last June tangled in Windsor, as Deposit-Hancock squeaked by the Black Knights 3-1. Much like in their 3-2 loss to Susquehanna Valley on April 15, it was Windsor’s defense that unraveled and let their opponent score some unearned runs. Don’t be misled by that, though. It’s D-H’s aggressive and masterful baserunning that puts so much pressure on the other team, leading to the opposing defense making mistakes at inopportune times. All three runs were scored on passed balls and errors. It ended up being a perfect day for D-H, who went on to down Class A Batavia 14-1. Olivia Johnston hit leadoff and drove in four runs, and seven players recorded hits off a team that just blew by Tioga in the game before, 16-2. It’s been said many times in the past, but so much credit has to be given to D-H coach Dan Briggs for constantly finding bigger competition to compete against. They got one-hit and lost to Maine-Endwell 3-0 on Thursday, then bounced right back and got two huge wins a couple of days later. That’s why they’re one of the best programs in the state!
* Some other notes from around the other Testa games: Maine-Endwell went from being no-hit against Webster Schroeder (a team that is currently unbeaten and won the Class AA State Championship two years ago), to beating Cohoes 14-1 later in the day. There aren’t any M-E stats that I can specifically tell, because the Cohoes Gamechanger lists the players as “Player A” down to “Player J.” “Player A” and "Player G” each drove in two runs, and “Player A” pitched a complete game (6-inning mercy rule). Kudos to all “Players” in the lineup… real names be damned.
* Union-Endicott swept a pair at their home field, and Chenango Forks and Waverly each went one up, own down. U-E started the day off very well with a 12-0 blanking of Forks, with Morgan Ashman driving in four, and Taylor McManus and Jordyn Frantz combining on a three-hitter. Forks shrugged that off and got an exciting 7-6 victory over Canandaigua, scoring two in the 7th to surge back ahead. Alexis Scott singled leading off, and tied the game on a steal of home a couple batters later. Jessica Stone’s RBI single gave Forks the lead for good. U-E capped their day with another big win, 16-4 over Canandaigua. Waverly held off Johnson City 11-7, as the offense pounded out 16 hits, led by Madison Cron’s 4-for-4 day. The Wolverines built a 10-2 lead before JC scored four in the 5th, but could get no closer. Megan Apgar had three RBIs. They then fell to Pittsford Sutherland 12-3, as the rain and wind were whipping around.
* Give the man behind this tournament, Jim Testa of Union-Endicott, plenty of praise for bringing in quality competition for the Section IV teams to face. Canandaigua, Abington Heights, Pittsford Sutherland, Webster Schroeder, Cohoes, and Batavia combined to go 6-4 against some of the very best Section IV has to offer. Keep those teams in mind when it comes state playoffs time.
* There’s a couple of notable unbeaten teams remaining. Union Springs has put up double digits in eight of their nine games, and in the one they haven’t, they beat Southern Cayuga 3-1. Grace Chalupnicki has a no-hitter this season, and leads a team that is one of the tops in the IAC. Bainbridge-Guilford is 10-0 after a four-win week. They won two close games (4-2 over Sidney, 8-7 over Unatego) and two blowouts (24-3 over Walton/Downsville, 18-3 over Harpursville). While B-G still has to get by Deposit-Hancock in the MAC, they do not have to worry about D-H in sectionals, as B-G is in Class C and D-H in Class D. Plus, Edison has been moved up to Class B, making Class C wide open this year. Union Springs is also in Class C, so keep an eye on both of these teams going forward.
* Next week, we’ll take a closer look at the individual league races across Section IV, as it’s almost playoff time with May here on Wednesday.
* In the meantime, here’s the big games coming up this week. Monday has plenty of great action, with some big tournaments this weekend to cap it off:
- Monday: Corning at Elmira, Horseheads at Sidney, Union-Endicott at Vestal, Chenango Valley at Windsor, Waverly at Owego, Susquehanna Valley at Oneonta, Moravia at Union Springs, Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, Charlotte Valley at Windham-Ashland-Jewett, Morris/Edmeston at Schenevus
- Tuesday: Elmira at Horseheads, Southern Cayuga at Tioga
- Wednesday: Horseheads at Corning, Union-Endicott at Maine-Endwell, Windsor at Susquehanna Valley, Union Springs at Moravia, Spencer-Van Etten/Candor at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Delhi at Bainbridge-Guilford, Windham-Ashland-Jewett at Roxbury/Gilboa, Morris/Edmeston at Greene
- Thursday: Waverly at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, Deposit-Hancock at Bainbridge-Guilford, Charlotte Valley at Morris/Edmeston
- Friday: Union-Endicott at Horseheads, Waverly at Chenango Forks, Windsor at Oneonta, Moravia at Union Springs, Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, Tioga at Owego, Schenevus at Roxbury/Gilboa
- Saturday: Vestal at Camden Invitational, Moribito Tournament at Greenlight Park (Horseheads, Edison, Deposit-Hancock), SFCU Tournament at Oneonta All-Star Village (Bainbridge-Guilford, Sidney, Seton, Norwich), Doug Calhoun Tournament at Charlotte Valley (Charlotte Valley, Walton/Downsville, Laurens/Milford, Worcester)
- Sunday: Moribito Tournament at Greenlight Park (Horseheads, Edison, Deposit-Hancock)
* The weather is warming up with lots of great games on the schedule. Enjoy the week!
4/21/24
We are rolling through the month of April, as teams are battling both their opponents and the weather! Despite the rain, plenty of action still took place this week. Let’s take a look at it.
* Monday was a very nice day (that yellow circle in the sky I think called sun, and decent enough temperature), and a couple of big games in STAC took place. Susquehanna Valley went to Windsor and took care of business 3-2. The game was knotted at 1-1 when SV plated a couple in the 5th, and it was the Windsor defense that did them in. Leadoff hitter Julia Ricci reached on a botched pop-up in the infield, and Kylee Richardson walked two outs later. Danica LaBarre drove in Ricci with an infield single, and Richardson scored on a wild pitch to go up 3-1. Windsor got a run back on an RBI double by Ashlee Hagerman in the bottom of the 5th, but SV starter LilliOnna D’Introno shut the door after, working around a little traffic on the bases. She finished with 12 strikeouts, and Windsor starter Danica Ball had 10. The rematch is on May 1 at SV, who are playing their home games at the new Greenlight Park at BCC, formally known as BAGSAI. Circle that one.
* The other big result from STAC on Monday was Union-Endicott’s dramatic 5-4 win over Maine-Endwell in 8 innings. With U-E up 4-1 going into the 7th, Mariana Cruz stepped up huge for M-E with a clutch three-run homer to tie it up. To extra innings they went before Dominika Diaz walked it off for U-E with a run-scoring double. Both teams went away from home for some good competition this weekend. U-E went to the Williamsport Tournament and went 1-2, with a win over Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania. M-E dropped a couple of tough ones to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Averill Park. Win or lose, it’s always encouraging to see teams get out of the comfort zones a bit and take on teams from other areas. It will certainly pay off, too.
* Speaking of which, a result that definitely caught my eye was Deposit-Hancock downing Elmira 3-2 on Saturday, with the game played at a neutral location in Greenlight Park. This was a game originally scheduled for last Saturday, so it was good to see both teams work together to still make it happen. Elmira built a 2-0 lead an RBI single by Addisyn Chorney and Ava Cornacchio scoring on an error. D-H started their comeback in the 5th. Elmira gave that error right back, as Abby Russell scored with two outs to make it 2-1. Addison Makowski, a First Team All-State selection for the Class D state champs from last year, proved why she is who she is with a two-run home run in the 6th to give D-H the lead for good. Makowski added in 12 strikeouts in the circle. Both teams could very well find themselves back at Greenlight Park in just over a month playing for Section IV championships (Elmira in AAA, D-H in D), so it’s good for them to be familiar with the new turf there.
* Two other non-league games (both STAC vs. MAC) that had close results were Oneonta defeating Delhi, and Sidney downing Chenango Valley. Oneonta already has a huge road victory over Windsor this season, and were able to get a comeback win over visiting Delhi on Tuesday. Delhi was down 7-5 heading into their half of the 7th, but were able to take advantage of two errors, two walks, and a hit batter to tie it. It could have been worse, but Delhi’s own baserunning did them in, as the last out was recorded when the runner failed to tag up from 3rd. Delhi took the lead in the 8th to go up 8-7. That set the stage for the dramatics, as Oneonta’s Ivy Tice smashed a two-run bomb to center for the walk-off, 9-8 victory. Sidney went to CV on Friday and took the lead for good in the 5th. Chloie Taylor’s two-run single tied it at 4, and she scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Ava Cirigliano, who finished with 11 strikeouts, added an RBI single in the 6th. She was able to hold the Warriors scoreless over the final three frames.
* One team to keep an eye on in Class B this year is Edison. People might not even realize they are in Class B, as they’ve been dominating Class C for many years. But with the sixth classification added this year across New York (Class AAA), it caused some schools to reshuffle where they land. Class B has the unique distinction of having two current Section IV champions in Windsor and now Edison. Last year, Edison downed a very strong Elmira Notre Dame team 2-1 to win Class C in a game that featured a one-hitter by Gabby Milazzo. She’s back again, and they have won three straight games by a combined score of 48-3. Milazzo threw a five-inning perfect game in a 21-0 win over Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour. That was no easy feat, as WG/O-M beat Edison 5-4 back on April 10, and have been enjoying a great season. Come sectionals time, it will be interesting to see how Edison fares in possible matchups against some of the STAC teams in Class B, including Windsor and Susquehanna Valley. The Spartans are no strangers to winning, going all the way to the State Semi-final last year. There’s no reason to think they won’t be ready for the challenge against new schools in the postseason.
* Coming up this Saturday is my favorite tournament in Section IV, the Mary Testa Tournament. It features several non-league games between teams that don’t get many chances to face off with each other. Over the last several years, the typical April weather has reared its ugly head time and time again for this tournament. Last year was a cold, miserable day, with three of the seven tournaments not taking place. As I type this, the weather currently looks like 60 with possible rain. We’ll see what it ends up doing, but at least it’s not 40 like it was last year. There are plenty of great teams from around Section IV participating in this, along with some from outside the area.
* The Section IV vs. Section IV games in the Testa Tournament that really stand out are Windsor vs. Deposit-Hancock, Chenango Valley vs. Corning, Johnson City vs. Waverly, and Chenango Forks vs. Union-Endicott. Plus, the three-team round robin between Susquehanna Valley, Edison, and Elmira. At the bottom of this entry, the full schedule is posted across the six sites. Should be a big day of great softball!
* Hopefully, teams have been able to go outside more often and practice on their fields. If there’s one thing that has jumped out a bit in looking at box scores and reading game reports, it’s the number of errors committed on defense. These are high school kids, so that’s not to bash or even blame them, as a lot of their practices have most likely taken place indoors. Think about it: How many sports are there where you can’t even practice on your field/court as the season starts? Other than softball and baseball, I’m not sure there are any others. You can get all the reps you want inside (and of course, that helps), but it’s hard to truly replicate what you’ll see in games if you can’t go outside on the diamond. As the season approaches the midway point, I’d count on seeing some cleaner action as teams are able to shake off the rust with better practice conditions.
* Here’s a look at the big games coming up this week. As always, dates are subject to change:
- Monday: Maine-Endwell at Vestal, Waverly at Susquehanna Valley, Tioga at Union Springs, Delhi at Deposit-Hancock
- Tuesday: Spencer-Van Etten/Candor at Edison, Sidney at Bainbridge-Guilford, Cherry Valley-Springfield/Sharon Springs at Schenevus
- Wednesday: Elmira at Corning, Waverly at Chenango Valley, Lansing at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Moravia at Tioga
- Thursday: Deposit-Hancock at Maine-Endwell, Chenango Forks at Chenango Valley, Oneonta at Johnson City, Sidney at Delhi, Charlotte Valley at Morris/Edmeston, Schenevus at Hunter-Tannersville
- Friday: (No big games now, as it’s a rare light day)
- Saturday: Union Springs at Newark Valley, Delhi at Roxbury/Gilboa, Laurens Tournament
* Here's the full schedule for the Mary Testa Tournament held on Saturday across various sites:
- at Union-Endicott: 10 am-Union-Endicott vs. Chenango Forks, noon-Chenango Forks vs. Canandaigua, 2 pm-Union-Endicott vs. Canandaigua
- at Maine-Endwell: 11 am-Maine-Endwell vs. Webster Schroeder, 1 pm-Webster Schroeder vs. Cohoes, 3 pm-Maine-Endwell vs. Cohoes
- at Chenango Valley: 10 am-Chenango Valley vs. Abington Heights, PA, noon-Corning vs. Abington Heights, PA, 2 pm-Chenango Valley vs. Corning
- at Greenlight Park (Susquehanna Valley home site): 10 am-Susquehanna Valley vs. Edison, noon-Edison vs. Elmira, 2 pm-Susquehanna Valley vs. Elmira
- at Johnson City: 10 am-Johnson City vs. Waverly, noon-Waverly vs. Pittsford Sutherland, 2 pm-Johnson City vs. Pittsford Sutherland
- at Windsor: 11 am-Windsor vs. Deposit-Hancock and Tioga vs. Batavia, 1 pm-Championship and Consolation games
* Lots of great games this week, so get out there and enjoy it!
4/14/24
We had a full week of action in Section IV, as every team in all five leagues is now on the board. The last team to play was Cherry Valley-Springfield/Sharon Springs in the Tri-Valley, as they downed Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville of Section II 7-6 on Saturday. That might be a battle of the longest names we’ll ever see! Even with the up and down weather, it’s good to see every team take the field at least once. Many teams from the Delaware and Tri-Valley have played only one or two games thus far.
Let’s take a look back at the week that was.
* Last week we looked at Vestal and the red hot start they’re off to. That only got better this week with a very impressive 20-6 win over Maine-Endwell, the defending Class A state champions. The top three in the order told the story. Kendall Brady hit leadoff and went 4-for-5 with a home run, double, and 4 RBIs. Caitlyn Petteys hit 3rd and went 3-for-3 with a home run, double, and 5 RBIs. Perhaps the most interesting stat line was #2 hitter Lauren Policare, who had no official at-bats because she took five walks! That led to four runs for her. They also had production in the bottom of the order, led by Alessandra Carter’s three hits. It’s still relatively early in the season, but right now, they’re the top team to beat both in STAC and Class AA. Heck, maybe even the whole state.
* Another team from STAC making noise is Susquehanna Valley, and it all starts with pitcher LilliOnna D’Introno. Through six games, she already has recorded three no-hitters over Owego, Norwich, and Binghamton. Through 35 innings, she’s only surrendered nine hits. She’s also hitting over .400 (.412), part of a team that currently has six players hitting at least .400. Leadoff hitter Paige Weaver leads the charge with a .682 average (15-for-22). The competition will start to heat up this week, starting with a road trip to Windsor and their brand new turf. Windsor had a close 3-2 loss to upstart Oneonta this week, but bounced back by blanking Norwich on Thursday. This will be a rematch of last year’s Class B Semi-finals, won by Windsor 7-2, who rode that win all the way to the State Semi-final. A pitching matchup of Danica Ball vs. D’Introno will be fun to watch.
* The wildest week might have come from the STAC Central, as the teams traded wins. Waverly was down 6-0 to Chenango Valley, only to storm back and take a 9-6 lead, then CV took a 12-9 lead, Waverly tied it at 12 in the 6th, then won it on a walk-off home run by Hannah Carpenter. Got all of that? There was a total of 260 pitches thrown in this game. The same day, Owego edged Seton 7-6, part of their 2-0 week that included a 7-3 win over Chenango Forks. Brooklyn Gaurnier hit a walk-off homer to down Seton. Seton went 0-3 this week, but give them lots of credit for their close losses to Owego and Chenango Forks (1-0). In their 18-6 loss to Chenango Valley, they actually started off the game up 4-0 before the CV bats got going and their own defense let them down. Still, plenty to learn from. This division looks to be a true battle all season long.
* Over in the IAC, one team that has started off on fire is Spencer-Van Etten/Candor (SVEC for short). They did something very few teams have done in recent memory, and that’s take three straight from Elmira Notre Dame (END had a victory over Sayre, PA wedged in between). None of the games were close either, with wins of 14-1, 12-3, and 11-1 (the last two games played as a doubleheader on Friday). As the Tioga County Sports Report pointed out, “The Spencer-Van Etten/Candor softball team proved that Wednesday’s 14-1 victory over Elmira Notre Dame was no fluke.” In the first game, a five-inning mercy win, Roni Presher gave up only three hits, and Phoebe Swartz and Nicola Soper combined for seven RBIs. The doubleheader sweep was more of the same, with Aubrie Kastenhuber pitching the first game and Presher the second. Simply put, losses like this just don’t happen to Elmira ND. A quick look into the archives of this site, which goes back to 2017, shows that this is their first three-game skid vs. IAC teams. Who knows the last time it’s happened, if at all? (Doubtful it was 2016 when they won a Class C state title, or 2015 when they lost in the state championship.) Now SVEC gets to play a three-game set vs. Edison, who like Elmira ND, have built their program up into one of the best in the state. Gabby Milazzo, Edison’s ace, pitched a five-inning perfect game with eight strikeouts over Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour in a 21-0 whitewashing. That was two days after WG/O-M pulled a 5-4 upset over Edison, so it was quite the bounceback victory. This will be a great test to see if SVEC can hang with the best.
* Another team that has made a statement in the early going is the Delhi Bulldogs of the MAC. They defeated the combined Walton/Downsville 17-0 on two separate occasions, but perhaps the most impressive win was a 13-12 nod over Greene, the defending MAC champions. Alli Ferrara has been the star in the circle with three hits total surrendered in the two W/D wins, but it was her bat that won the Greene game. Her triple in the 7th led to the winning run. The 12 strikeouts she collected pitching certainly didn’t hurt either. Delhi has had a strong basketball program (girls and boys) for many years, but softball hasn’t been as kind until the last couple of years. They qualified for sectionals last year before falling to SVEC 6-2 in the Class C First Round. That put their all-time Section IV playoffs record at 0-5 (0-6 combined with Downsville last year). Could this be the year they break through and make school history with a victory in sectionals? Time will tell, but to have a pitcher with huge strikeout potential like Ferrara taking the ball each game, they have to like their chances.
* Warmer weather seems to be the norm coming up this week (I know, I know… but let’s think positively). Here’s a look at some of the big games coming up, with Monday being absolutely loaded:
- Monday: Corning at Horseheads, Johnson City at Vestal, Maine-Endwell at Union-Endicott, Chenango Forks at Waverly, Owego at Chenango Valley, Susquehanna Valley at Windsor, Lansing at Dryden, Union Springs at Marathon, Edison at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, Elmira Notre Dame at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Greene at Bainbridge-Guilford, Stamford/Jefferson at Charlotte Valley, Richfield Springs at Schenevus
- Tuesday: Delhi at Oneonta, Charlotte Valley at Bainbridge-Guilford
- Wednesday: Elmira at Union-Endicott, Horseheads at Maine-Endwell, Windsor at Chenango Forks, Owego at Waverly, Dryden at Lansing, Marathon at Union Springs, Edison at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour at Elmira Notre Dame, Roxbury/Gilboa vs. Morris/Edmeston at Cooperstown All-Star Village
- Thursday: Johnson City at Chenango Valley, Delhi at Bainbridge-Guilford, Sidney at Greene
- Friday: Vestal at Elmira, Oneonta at Waverly, Lansing at Dryden, Union Springs at Marathon, Spencer-Van Etten/Candor at Edison, Elmira Notre Dame at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Greene at Deposit-Hancock, Richfield Springs at Morris/Edmeston
- Saturday: Sidney at Susquehanna Valley, Windsor at Mudville Tournament (vs. Troy and Schuylerville), Dryden at Greene
* Enjoy some softball this week!
4/7/24
Welcome back to the blog, 2024 edition! While many of our Section IV teams haven’t taken the field yet, a bunch of others have. Let’s take a look at what we’ve seen so far.
* Vestal already has six games in thanks to some good weather at the end of March, and a Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach. Six up, six down for the Golden Bears. They got right into things with two tough matchups against Corning (5-1 win) and Horseheads (5-2 win). Against Corning, Kendall Brady started things off with a leadoff homer, and they never looked back in knocking off the 2023 Class AA champs. Two days later, Horseheads came to Vestal in battle of Class AA contenders this year (Corning is up to Class AAA). This time, Vestal jumped out to a 2-0 lead, as Reilly Storer held the Blue Raiders to one earned run (two total) with six strikeouts. Through two games, that put up her totals up to two earned runs with 17 strikeouts against two very good teams.
The Golden Bears then went a perfect 4-0 in Myrtle Beach, defeating teams from West Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina. Their closest game was a 6-4 victory over Elizabeth Seton, MD. Tied up at 4-4 entering the 6th, Adrienne Mayes singled to leadoff the inning. After being sacrificed to 2nd, she soon stole 3rd and scored on a wild pitch. An RBI single by UConn commit Caitlyn Petteys made it 6-4. While this offense has plenty of power, they also showed they can score with small ball and good baserunning. That’s a great sign going forward.
* Two other teams that made the Myrtle Beach trip were Chenango Forks and Susquehanna Valley. Each only got two games in, with mixed results. In Forks’ first game, they got within 4-3 to Poca, WV, but were unable to tie it up in the 7th. In the next game, they built a 5-2 lead over Carlisle, OH entering the 6th, but couldn’t hold on, as Carlisle scored seven unanswered runs to win 9-5. Susquehanna Valley dominated their two games. It started off with an 8-0 blanking of Trinity Christian, WV. LilliOnna D’Introno hurled a two-hitter, and Kylee Richardson and Paige Weaver combined for seven hits and six runs. Their next game was more of the same, a 16-5 win over Robert C. Byrd, WV. D’Introno had 14 strikeouts, and the offense was led by Weaver’s three hits, and two hits apiece by Richardson, D’Introno, Danica LaBarre, and Madison Evans. Win or lose, it’s great experience for all of these teams to get away for a bit, test your skills against unknown teams, and learn from it to get better once you return home.
* There was a milestone reached on March 28, and it was a big one. Roxbury’s Jane Ware collected her 500th career victory, as the combined Roxbury/Gilboa squad dominated Margaretville 19-3. Nate Lull was at the game and noted the big crowd that was there. An 8-run 4th inning put the game away for good after R/G held a 4-2 edge. Mikalya Wright had a strong game in the circle. A great picture was shared on Nate’s X feed, showing many faces from the past that came for the big moment.
Along the way, Coach Ware has won 13 Delaware League championships, including three of the last four, with 2020 and 2021 not holding championship games. She took over program in 1982, one year after Roxbury’s only Section IV championship with a 10-9 win over Worcester. That was an exciting game, as Sue Van Aken hit a walk-off single to score Sharon Regan for the Class C title. They’ve appeared in six Class D Championship games since then, mostly running into the Afton dynasty that won 16 straight from 1995-2010, and the most recent vs. eventual state champion Deposit-Hancock in 2022. Even though the two schools are combined, Roxbury and Gilboa still have one of the lowest classification numbers of 74 (Elmira has the largest with 1,340). To have a team that is not only competitive, but still a contender for league and sectional titles, is a testament to the type of program Coach Ware has built. Much respect!
* The combined Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour team has opened up 2-0 with a couple of blowout victories. They walloped Dryden 23-5 in their opener, a team that one year ago was playing for an IAC Large School Championship. A few days later, they followed that up with a 17-1 win over Trumansburg. It’s early and the competition will only get better with division games on the horizon vs. Edison, Elmira Notre Dame, and SVEC. But, it has to be encouraging to start off so fast.
* The week ahead looks warm, and after many schools just suffered through a cold Spring Break, we’ll take it! Here’s a peek at some of the big games coming up. As usual, please note that games could, and sometimes do, change dates. Use the “2024 Schedules” page to click on the school you are checking the game status of:
- Monday: Oneonta at Windsor
- Tuesday: Horseheads at Elmira, Johnson City at Union-Endicott, Chenango Valley at Waverly, Edison at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Spencer-Van Etten/Candor at Elmira Notre Dame, Roxbury/Gilboa at Charlotte Valley
- Wednesday: Union-Endicott at Corning, Vestal at Maine-Endwell, Owego at Chenango Forks, Susquehanna Valley at Oneonta, Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour at Edison, Elmira Notre Dame at Spencer-Van Etten/Candor, Deposit-Hancock at Sidney
- Thursday: Greene at Bainbridge-Guilford, Schenevus at Charlotte Valley, Laurens/Milford at Deposit-Hancock
- Friday: Elmira at Horseheads, Maine-Endwell at Johnson City, Union-Endicott at Vestal, Edison at Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Sidney at Unatego
- Saturday: Horseheads at Deposit-Hancock, Johnson City at Chenango Valley, Cayuga County Tournament (Union Springs vs. Weedsport, Southern Cayuga vs. Port Byron)
* Enjoy the week, and get out there and watch some softball!