by TYLER HATHAWAY
ROCHESTER, N. Y — For the second consecutive year, and third time in the past four seasons, Pittsford Sutherland has won a sectional title.
The Knights collected 14 hits, four of which being extra-base hits, as top-seeded Pittsford Sutherland defeated No. 2 seed Eastridge 10-5 in the Section V Class A softball final on Saturday. Gabrielle Lyons, who hit the deciding home run in the sectional final a year ago, finished with two triples, two RBI, a drawn walk, and two scored runs. She was named the Class A Sectional MVP.
Pittsford Sutherland head coach Mike Scialo had high praise for his junior shortstop not only as a player, but as a leader.
“She’s a leader by example,” said Scialo. “She doesn’t say a lot, but she does everything right. We kind of have a thing where the veterans don’t have to do a lot [in practice], the younger girls go get the balls, set up this, set up that. We can’t get Gabby to not do it.”
After no team scored a run in the first inning, Pittsford Sutherland got the scoring started in the second inning, plating three runs, including a two-RBI single by Alexandra Sippel. But the Lancers responded, scoring three runs over the next two innings to tie the game at three runs apiece entering the bottom of the fourth inning.
Pittsford Sutherland and Eastridge split the two regular season games they played against one another, with Eastridge winning the most recent game on May 12th by a score of 4-2. Scialo knew that the Lancers would battle.
“The last five times we’ve played that team, it’s been a one or two-run game,” Scialo said. “So we knew after that loss [in early May] that we didn’t hit very well that day, but that’s softball. We had to tell the girls that we didn’t blow a game, we just lost to a pretty good team, and this is a team we might see down the road.”
In the bottom of the fourth, Hannah Glanton led off with a single, before Lyons delivered her first triple of the game to score Glanton and retake the lead for Sutherland.
“She’s just that kid who’s gonna do everything all the time,” said Scialo of Lyons. “She’s just a coach’s dream. And, she’s got ridiculous talent.”
The Knights went on to score three more runs in the fourth inning before scoring another three runs in the fifth inning. Through five innings, Scialo’s bunch had built themselves a 10-3 lead. A mix of confidence after scoring 16 runs in the semifinal round and strategy helped Pittsford Sutherland at the plate.
“Our goal was just to not swing at anything up in the zone today, so plan-wise that’s what it was,” said Scialo. “But we came into this game with just a lot of confidence because of what we did in the semifinal. Dunman over there in HFL (Honeoye Falls-Lima) was probably the best pitcher in our league, and we scored 16 runs. Just a lot of confidence going into today and carrying over confidence from the other day into today.”
After a scoreless sixth inning for both squads, Eastridge started to mount a rally in the top of the seventh. Josslyn Siembor singled for the Lancers, and Emma Johnson sent the first pitch of her at-bat over the left field fence. Suddenly, Sutherland’s lead was shrunk to five. But the Knights’ pitcher, Amanda Myers, forced three straight outs and closed the door. Scialo knew that it normally gets tough trying to seal the game, but that his team’s experience would eventually get them through.
“It’s those last two innings. You get that lead and then you got six outs to go, and two, three years ago those six outs were hard to get. Just making routine plays, you can screw them up. And right now they’ve been through it three or four times now and those last six outs were a lot easier. Just from the experience of doing it over, and over, and over, so I give them credit for that.”
Myers struck out five batters over a complete game in the circle for the Knights. She also had an RBI double, scored, and got on base once via a walk. Scialo praised both Myers and teammate Julia Devaney, sophomores who shared the role of pitcher throughout the season, for helping Pittsford Sutherland throughout the year.
“They’ve done a really good job and they’re pretty comfortable because they got a group behind them that’s a bunch of veterans.”
Sippel finished 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a walk for Pittsford Sutherland. Glanton singled twice, walked twice, and scored three times. Julia Devaney collected three singles and scored. Ella Devaney singled twice. Emma Hollenback paired a single with a scored run. Katie Sarr knocked in a runner. Caralynn Orlando singled.
Josslyn Siembor had a two-run home run, two singles, two RBI, and two scored runs for Eastridge. Tierra-Nicole Green singled twice and had an RBI. Harper Keuhne singled and scored. Chloe Welch walked and came around to score. Marley Siembor drew a walk. Jalissa Crittenden was in the circle for the Lancers and struck out two batters. At the plate, she added a single.
“We feel pretty good,” said Scialo about his team. “On to the next round!”
Pittsford Sutherland (20-2) advances to the NYS Class A Far West Regional, and will face the winner of the Section VI Class A title game between Williamsville South and Iroquois.
Leave a Reply