Somers Softball Stays Together in Win Over Brewster

SOMERS, N.Y. - After losing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Somers got a runner on second with two outs in top of the seventh. Unfortunately, Ellie Walsh’s routine grounder to the right side looked like the Tuskers would have to face the Brewster hammer in the bottom of the inning. But while the Bears may have taken the out for granted, the batter didn’t.

“You've got to keep your head down and run through,” Walsh said, and after Caitlin Fitts’ grounder was not handled at third, Somers had the lead run on the way to a 3-2 win.

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They also had the lead run before barely getting off the bus. Katie Cole singled up the middle, went to second on Walsh’s sacrifice bunt, and Katherine Papa doubled the run home.

Walsh wasn’t done taking one for the team either. Emily Boyle was unable to start, and the lefty took the circle.

“It’s been a while since I pitched but having my team behind me was a great booster,” said Walsh.

A little shaky to start, Walsh found herself facing runners on second and third. Two walks putting her there, she countered with a pair of strikeouts and a pop out to first.

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Nonetheless, both teams went quietly in the next three half innings. A walk to Walsh in the top of the third was the only base runner, but two more free passes got the Tusker in trouble again. No problem, Walsh got Carly Krebs on strikes, and Katie Cole ran down Natalie Hayes’ pop fly into shallow left.

The side retired, Hayes took a walk on the wild side too. Boyle drew a one out base on balls, and then Kiera Griggs and Victoria Morel belted consecutive singles. Griggs was thrown out on Ava Medina’s strike to the plate, but Somers led 2-0.

Back to the mound, Walsh didn’t let an infield error bother her. Two flies to center, and a 6-4 force by Cole retired the side.
Top of the fifth, Cole led off - and as usual - took what they gave her.

“I get pitched outside a lot,” she said, and a single to left looked like the start of things.

A pair of ground balls said otherwise, and Brewster took the cue. Taylor Slavkin barely getting a piece had Walsh fielding above the circle, and the pitcher’s low throw put the lead off runner at second.

A wild pitch and walk to Medina put runners on the corners, and Brewster opted to get on the board by putting the runners in motion. Medina was thrown out at second, but the throw home did not prevent Slavkin from scoring.

The bases cleared, Brewster went nearly on rewind. Joni Slavkin walked, went to second on a wild pitch and then strayed off second. The throw down ended up the centerfield, and Brewster had a tie.

So coach and team conferring in the circle, Theresa Ricci knew what she had anyway.

“They are the grittiest team I have seen,” she said, and Walsh got the last two outs.

A one, two, three sixth didn’t betray the words, though. Playing closer, Boyle only surrendered a weak infield single, and the bats took it from there.

Alyssa Pirraglia stroked a one out single, and this time, Cole got one on the inside part of the plate. A scorched liner to right was the result. But even though Gabby Gileno was there, Boyle praised her teammate’s approach.  “She has a great mentality going up to the plate,” said Boyle. “You just know she is going to hit the ball.”

Of course, Somers wasn’t done yet, and Walsh provided the emphasis with hustle. First and second, this left it to Fitts to live up to her name.  A grounder to third, the ball kicked and the freshman made no apologies. “Yeah, “I’ll take it,” Fitts assured.

Three outs to go, and Brewster was obviously hoping to get the lead off runner on. So Krebs put the ball in play, and the left side grounder had Boyle knowing what she had too. “Ok, Katie is going to get it,” Boyle recounted. “We’re going to be good.”

One out, Boyle took it from there. She got Hayes on strikes, and Lola LaLuna’s pop to first had Ricci whewing the win. “They always play together, and they never give up,” she concluded.

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