By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Stella VanGee took the opportunity to reminisce on the April day four years ago, when she hit her first career home run on the same Irondequoit field she and her teammates had just celebrated on.
“It was freshman year… it was freezing cold,” VanGee remembered. “The bases were loaded and I hit a grand slam over the right field fence.”
Things came full circle for VanGee on Saturday afternoon, when the senior hit home runs in consecutive at bats-this time to center and left field- to help power Webster Thomas to an 11-3 victory over Irondequoit in the Class A1 semifinal. The Titans will play Brighton in Monday’s championship game.
Thomas rapped 12 hits and the bats were active almost immediately, as Samantha Westley and Madison Hicks recorded RBI doubles in a four-run first inning. The Titans never trailed, adding to their lead in each of the last four frames. Westley drove in two runs, while Anna Bello, Isabella Giorgione and Mary Marrapese also plated a teammate apiece.
Thomas has scored 27 runs in its two sectional contests.
“The game plan was just to stay confident,” Titans coach Stephanie Zimmerman remarked. “We went in there knowing we can hit it and not playing scared. I think we had a rough finish to the regular season hitting and we’ve turned it on in the last week. It’s coming in clutch, just hopping into the box.”
Hicks pitched a complete game, only facing a trouble spot in the sixth inning when Irondequoit scored twice and left two on base. The Eagles recorded seven hits but Hicks struck out 13 batters, striking out the side in the second and third innings.
“I am blown away,” Zimmerman acknowledged of Hicks’s performance. “Maddie, this is her first year on varsity, a freshman, and she freaking came out and killed it today. She did awesome and I’m super proud of her. She dug deep today and it was impressive.”
The Thomas seniors grabbed their gear and eagerly left Irondequoit after the game in preparation for Saturday evening’s senior ball. Their last days of high school may be approaching, but they ensured they aren’t done playing softball yet.
“This is like a new group of girls on my team,” VanGee noted. “It’s really exciting to play with them and they’re all very excited to be here. I’m happy about it.”
“She needed that today, that’s for sure,” Zimmerman said. “She’s a senior, she’s been here for four years and that’s what we expect of Stella. We saw Stella VanGee today come out in all her glory.
“In the field, in the box, she did awesome today.”
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