Softball: North Rockland wins 3rd straight Section 1 Class AAA title
THIELLS — For the last three years, every time you get North Rockland and White Plains on the same diamond, it's a nailbiter.
Each time these teams faced each other in the Section 1 softball finals; it always seemed to come down to the last at-bat, whether it is in extra innings (2022) or in regulation (2023).
North Rockland defeated second-seeded White Plains 2-1 in nine innings to win its third straight Section 1 championship and first in Class AAA.
It was the same score the Red Raiders won by two years ago.
"White Plains is a great team," North Rockland catcher Ava Jacobs said "The coaches are great and they play smart. They have great hitters and fielders but I think that's what keeps us up. Knowing that you're facing an opponent that will beat us up if we don't stand up is exhilarating."
Saturday's Section 1 Class AAA finals at North Rockland were no different.
With runners on first and second with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied, Red Raiders shortstop Kerry Finnerty took a pitch to center field off of White Plains ace Alexis Tighe scoring Maddie Burns from second with the winning run.
"She's (Tighe) really good," Finnerty said. "I took a deep breath and calmed down and kept my eye on the ball."
"It's a shocker," Red Raiders coach Jackie DiNuzzo said. "They did everything I asked all season. I told them it was going to take the culmination of hitting, baserunning, defense, pitching and our dugout vibe. It would carry us through. I couldn't be more proud of these guys."
In the bottom of the sixth inning, down 1-0, with one out, Jacobs took the second pitch she saw to left field for a triple. Red Raiders ace Tara Murphy then followed with a single driving in Jacobs with the tying run.
"I had gotten up a few times before that so I tried to stay in my zone and not be nervous," Murphy said. "I knew what I had to do to get her in."
White Plains got on the board in the top of the first inning. With one out, Ava Ritterman was hit by the pitch and Tighe walked. Ava Galligani then drove in Ritterman with a base hit to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
What it means
North Rockland advances to the Class AAA subregional at Monroe Woodbury High School on May 28. It will play Section 9 champion Pine Bush at 5 p.m.
White Plains concludes its season with a record of 21-2 both losses coming at the hand of North Rockland.
Player of the game
It's easy to give it to the hero of the game but the player of the game was North Rockland's Tara Murphy. She was solid in the circle with not the gaudy numbers but kept her team in game but in the bottom of the sixth inning, she drove in the equalizing run.
By the numbers
North Rockland (21-2): Kerry Finnerty 1-4, 2B, RBI; Tara Murphy 2-4, RBI, WP, 1R, 7 H, BB, 5K; Maddie Burns 2-4, RS; Ava Jacobs 1-3, RS, 3B; Mia Valverde, Emily Murphy and Ashlee Begbie each had a hit.
White Plains (21-2): Ava Galligani 2-4, RBI; Olivia Doria 2-3, 2B; Alexis Tighe 1-3, BB, LP, 2 R, 9H, BB, 11 K; Neela Older and Ava Ritterman each had a hit.
They said that
"Kerry's my best friend and I'm so confident in her. I knew she could do it. I was so happy for her," Tara Murphy said of her shortstop Kerry Finnerty's game-winning hit.
Twitter: @LoHud_Debbie; @LoHudSoftball
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Softball: North Rockland wins Section 1 Class AAA title late
