Meet the standout teams in Section V softball as season hits the midway point
What's one thing many Section V's hottest softball teams have in common?
Spring break trips.
Just ask Pittsford Mendon. Senior stars Lilly Goldberg and Greta Marino credited their team bonding in Florida for the Vikings' 10-0 start, and high spot in Tuesday's New York State Sportswriters Association softball poll.
"Having the time to bond together, the difference it makes when you all know each other (and) trust each other, it's a really big difference," said Goldberg, who threw her third one-hitter of the season in a 4-0 win over Canandaigua Monday.
"We were happy to get an early start on the season and get some experience. ... We got to go to Universal (Studios) together. A lot of team bonding," Marino said.
Bishop Kearney
Record: 7-1 overall.
NYS rank: Class AA No. 19.
Bishop Kearney's fast start is no fluke. Carmella Phelan's Kings lost a heartbreaker to Webster Thomas in the 2023 section semifinals. Kearney will be competitive as long as Phelan's around. Phelan bats leadoff and has torch on her fastball. Coach Dave Herbst is impressed how his returning All-Greater Rochester first teamer has pitched this spring, especially during a 5-0 start in South Carolina.
Coral Enscoe hit her second home run Thursday. Alaina Ruffino and Dyanni Rivera are two of Kearney's top hitters.
"We did a lot of work in the offseason and I think we've got some things to tighten up. We'll be fun to watch," coach Dave Herbst said.
Pittsford Mendon
Record: 11-1.
NYS rank: Class AA No. 10.
Thanks to Quinn Sargent's bases-loaded walk that scored Maddie Fallows, coach Scott Parsons Vikings' began the season 10-0 after squeaking out a 1-0 win over Penfield Friday. Pittsford Mendon fell to state-ranked Lancaster (Section VI) Saturday but bounced back Monday.
Mendon last appeared in a section final in 2022. That was Goldberg's first year as the ace. She's pitched every inning every since. A two-time AGR first teamer, Goldberg leads a young team with two eighth graders in the outfield, a freshman at shortstop, and sophomores in the corners.
"I knew we'd have a chance in every game just because of Lilly. She keeps us in every game," Parsons said. "We're very young throughout, but having Lilly on the mound, and Maddie (Fallows), whose caught for three years now, those two make a big difference having that experience."
Wellsville
Record: 10-1.
NYS rank: Class B No. 1.
Loaded with talent, Wellsville's three-time Section V champion Lions are unbeaten against NYS competition. Senior Makenzie Cowburn's Lions lost their season opener to St. Mary's (Pennsylvania) in Maryland before rattling off 10 straight, thanks to Natalie Adams' two-run triple during a 2-0 win over Pennsylvania's Dubois Central Catholic Saturday.
Wellsville also defeated Section VI's Iroquois in a rematch of last year's region final. Makenna Dunbar, an AGR first teamer, hit two home runs that game and continues to be one of the state's most fierce hitters as a sophomore.
"Our chemistry. We're all kind of locked together so when we're on the field it's not (stressful). ... That's why we succeed, because everybody's in it, and everybody does something different every single game," said Cowburn, a two-time AGR first teamer.
Wellsville's wins have continued despite a coaching change. Shelley Chaffee and Jaime McLaughlin were appointed as co-coaches to replace Matt Burke, who was removed from his post after two games and placed under conditional suspension for the remainder of the season after a school board meeting April 16. No definitive reason was given for Burke's removal. According to the Olean Times Herald, Wellsville superintendent David Foster declined to comment.
According to The Evening Tribune, Burke's record was 144-30 since taking over in 2015, and in 2023 guided the Lions to their first NYS final four in 23 years. Chaffee and McLaughlin are in Wellsville's hall of fame after previously playing for and coaching the Lions.
Friendship/Scio
Record: 8-2.
NYS rank: Class D No. 2.
Led by 2023 AGR Player of the Year Nevaeh Ross, the Golden Eagles have won eight straight since losing their first two games in South Carolina. A Division I Le Moyne commit, Ross threw a perfect game this season and struck out 20 in a one-hitter against Portville (Section VI) Monday. Ross is just as dangerous batting leadoff.
Her sophomore sister, Morghyn, is Friendship/Scio's catcher. She swings with power and she throws ropes from home. Much of coach Deb Warner's infield graduated, but the Golden Eagles are hopeful for a third consecutive state final four appearance. They lost in the 2023 NYS title game in a 13-inning thriller.
"(This team is) brand new, but they're doing the best they can," Morghyn Ross said.
"There's a lot of young talent that is thriving very quickly," Nevaeh Ross said.
Bloomfield
Record: 10-1.
NYS rank: Class C No. 2.
Junior Ashlyn Wright's Bombers have won seven games against teams in higher classifications. On Monday, Wright, an AGR first teamer in 2022, pitched a gem and collected key hits during an eight-inning 6-2 win at Victor, the 2023 Class AA finalist. Calla McCombs drove in the go-ahead run, Wright followed with an RBI and Cece Falsone drove in the final two runs.
Bloomfield coach Mark Jacobs' Bombers beat Bishop Kearney and three-time Section V champion Bolivar-Richburg. Their lone loss was a 1-0 setback at state power Wellsville.
"We've had issues in the past with our team camaraderie. This year we've been super together. Our Myrtle Beach trip brought us a lot closer," McCombs said.
Wednesday night in Webster
Webster Schroeder (14-0) will visit Webster Thomas (11-1) in a Class AA state-ranked clash at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Linda McCoy Field. Schroeder is ranked No. 4 and Thomas is fifth.
Thomas coach Emily Castro's Titans are the reigning Class A champions who advanced to the state final four. Schroeder coach Meaghan Keil's Warriors won section titles in 2022 and 2023, capping their consecutive title reign with a state crown.
Both loaded rosters are led by premier pitchers and returning AGR first teamers. Thomas senior Maddie Hicks threw a no-hitter April 19 while the Titans won their first nine games. They eventually fell to state-ranked Ballston-Spa (Section II). Schroeder junior Liana DeValder threw a no-hitter during an 8-0 win over Section III Maine-Endwell in the Mary Testa Tournament Saturday.
Section V's other one-loss teams include Haverling (7-1), Dundee/Bradford (5-1), South Seneca/Romulus (7-1) and Batavia Notre Dame (5-1).
— Marquel Slaughter is a journalist for the Democrat and Chronicle, specializing in high school sports. He has been reporter for 14 years. Follow him @MarquelSports on X or on Instagram. You can contact him at mslaughter1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V softball 2024: Standout teams midway through the season
