Softball: One inning for a repeat Section 1 Class A title for North Rockland.
THIELLS — Last year's Section 1 Class AA championships between North Rockland and White Plains had to be decided in extra innings.
Saturday at North Rockland, one inning in regulation, was what decided the ball game between the top two seeds in this year's tournament.
In the top of the sixth inning, with one out, Red Raiders shortstop Ally Murphy hits a base hit. She then advances to third on a base hit by catcher Olivia Leon who takes second on the throw. When White Plains starter Serena Gillen uncorks a wild pitch, Murphy comes into score and gives the Red Raiders lead. Olivia's sister Hannah Leon follows with an RBI single scoring courtesy runner Madelyn Burns. After Tara Murphy and Addyson Bohlander hit base hits to load them up, Ava Jacobs has an eight pitch at bat to draw a walk to give the Red Raiders a 3-0 lead.
They held on to defeat top-seeded White Plains by the score of 3-2 to win their second straight Section 1 Class AA championship.
"It's so great," Red Raiders first baseman Hannah Leon said. "We (her and Ava Jacobs) were just watching them last year and now we're playing."
Third baseman Ava Jacobs had a key at bat in the top of the third where she took 11 pitches and the 12th pitch of the at bat vs. Serena Gillen worked out a walk.
"I think it was really important to keep myself calm and really focus on what I needed to do in that moment," Jacobs said of the at bat.
That at bat helped to set up the drama of the top of the sixth.
"Ava started off season struggling," Red Raiders coach Jackie DiNuzzo said. "She's a really powerful hitter so I told her she needed to work on the little things like stop dropping your hands. In this game, she went deep into the count and when you see that against a good pitcher, you have confidence in her."
And what the freshmen have brought hasn't gone unnoticed by their teammates.
"I don't know what we'd do without them," Red Raiders ace Delaney McGovern said. "Honestly, they've helped us a lot this year. They bring a lot of talent to our team."
White Plains were able to cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Tigers shortstop Peri Kahn led off the frame with a double to left field. Ryleigh Falvey bunted for a base hit. After Ava Galligani got hit by a pitch, Alexis Tighe hit base hit to center driving in Kahn and Falvey to cut the lead to 3-2.
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What it means
North Rockland will have a bye into the regional finals. They will play the winner of Section 9's Monroe-Woodbury and Section 4's Corning Saturday in the regional finals. If Monroe-Woodbury wins, the game will be at Monroe-Woodbury High School. If Corning wins, the game will be at Union-Endicott.
White Plains season concludes at 20-3.
Player of the game
Delaney McGovern, North Rockland: The numbers may not jump off the page for the Red Raiders ace (two runs, four hits, a walk, four strike outs) but McGovern's ability to keep the White Plains hitters off balanced and matching Serena Gillen pitch for pitch for most of the game till that sixth inning.
By the numbers
North Rockland (20-2): Ally Murphy, Olivia Leon, Hannah Leon, Tara Murphy and Addyson Bohlander each had a hit for the Red Raiders. Hannah Leon and Ava Jacobs each had an RBI.
White Plains (20-3): Peri Kahn had the lone extra base hit for the Tigers, a double. Alexis Tighe went 1 for 3 with two RBI. Teammates Ryleigh Falvey and losing pitcher Serena Gillen (three runs, five hits, four walks, eight strikeouts_ each had a hit.
They said it
"I'm glad the game didn't go extras," DiNuzzo said. "White Plains is a very good hitting team. They have a very hard hitting lineup. Serena (Gillen) on the mound is phenomenal. I said, it's going to come down to one run. When we went up three runs, I said they're still capable of scoring runs and that's what happened."
"I think I just kept throwing it until he realized it was a strike," McGovern said about her screwball. "That's my money pitch. That's what I needed."
Follow Debbie Schechter on Twitter at @LoHud_Debbie & @LoHudSoftball. Follow on Instagram @scrubsgeek1318 & @lohudsoftball.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Softball: North Rockland edges White Plains for the Section 1 title
