By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Kendall Schiffhauer capped a dramatic seventh-inning rally with a walk-off single as top-seeded Our Lady of Mercy (13-5) came from behind to defeat No. 3 Batavia, 4-3 in the Section V Class A championship, Saturday at Gates Chili High School.
After Mercy managed four hits through the first six innings of play, Schiffauer connected on the Monarchs’ third single of the seventh and drove in teammate Leah Sperry with the game winner.
“That was nuts,” Mercy head coach Rick Sylvester said of the rally. “You try to stay positive. We actually hit the ball earlier in the game. It just happened to be right at them. I mean, all game. And so it was just, look, we just gotta get a couple breaks with our hits.”
Trailing 3-0, Alannah Riley led the frame with a single. Kristina Ciccariello drew a walk to put runners on first and second.
“The bottom of the order came through,” Sylvester said. “Seventh inning was seven, eight, nine. Most people thought that we were done. But you know what? The bottom of the order came through.”
One out later and the top of the order at the plate, Lillian Seiffert reached on an error and two runs scored.
Sperry tied the game with a two-out base hit and moved to second on the play setting the stage for Schiffhauer.
“Hit the ball on the ground,” Sylvester said of the encouragement he gave the ninth-grader. “Line drive, line drive.”
After fouling off the first pitch, Schiffauer lofted a ball that dropped among three Batavia fielders in shallow right center.
“Doesn’t matter how it looks,” Sylvester said. “It’s scored as a hit. It did the job.”
The title was the program’s first since back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
“I’m excited for the kids,” Sylvester said.
Sperry finished 3-for-4 at the plate and struck out 10 to get the win.
None of the three Batavia runs were earned.
Arianna Almekinder doubled and scored as part of a two-run third, and the Blue Devils grabbed an early lead.
Kyleigh Kabel walked and came home on a Drew Stevens two-out single in the fifth to give Batavia a 3-0 lead.
Mercy will face Section VI champion, Depew (15-6) on Wednesday in the NYS sub-regional. A 6 PM first pitch is scheduled at Honeoye Falls-Lima.
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