By PAUL GOTHAM
WEBSTER, N.Y. — Bizzie Baglieri finished with a pair of hits, and Liana DeValder hurled a four-hitter as Webster Schroeder (No. 4 NYSSWA Class AA) defeated host Webster Thomas (No. 5 NYSSWA Class AA), 3-1 in Section V Softball action, Wednesday night.
With the win, Schroeder improved to 15-0 on the season.
“They know how to compete, and they know how to win,” Schroeder head coach Meaghan Keil said of her squad.
Baglieri led the game with a base hit and was one of two runs to come home on an error later in the inning. The senior singled and scored on a Kinsley Keil RBI groundout in the fifth.
DeValder struck out eight and walked one. The junior right-hander worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth when she retired the last two batters of the inning on strikes.
“She has great composure and trusts her defense,” Keil said of her starter. “I can’t say enough about her. She’s a competitor. She’s gritty and wants to win. You can’t teach winning. It’s a learned habit.”
Thomas (11-2) took advantage of an error to score in the second. Molly Sweeney walked and moved to second base when Emily Ford’s bunt was mishandled. Olivia Constantino delivered a two-out single to get the Titans on the board.
Schroeder has held seven opponents to one or fewer runs in a game this season with six of those coming as shutouts. The Warriors have allowed 21 runs on the season – five of those came in an 8-5 victory over Cohoes (II) this past weekend.
“We grind,” Keil said. “Defense is our thing, and we know that if we play clean we’re going to win. Obviously, on the one run we made a mistake and they capitalized on it.
Baglieri finished 2-for-4 on the day. Amber Kohlmeier went 2-for-3 with a double in the win. Ava West connected on a double of her own. Keil added a single to what ended up being a six-hit attack that felt like more.
RBI groundout Kinsley Keil gives @schroedersball a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Bizzie Baglieri scores on the play. pic.twitter.com/bYIEIDwKUe
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 2, 2024
Liana DeValder paints the outside black and leaves runners on first and second. @schroedersball 3-1. pic.twitter.com/b1pZwpTmiU
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 2, 2024
“You got to give them credit, they made some nice plays,” Keil said of Thomas. “We hit the ball on the nose. They took away a double on one play and took away a triple on another.”
DeValder reached on an error and scored in the first.
Schroeder lost in the Section V Class AA semifinals last spring. This after claiming the program’s first state title the previous season.
“They’re mentally strong,” Keil said of this year’s squad. “We practice hard. These girls want to compete. We have a little bit of redemption. We won the state championship in 2022. We didn’t go as far as we wanted to last year, but these kids were young. We got winners.”
Olivia Bowers doubled for Thomas. Ford and Ella Maloney both had a single.
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