The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Cougars clip Blue Devils but fall in semifinals
Stockbridge tops Madison in quarters before falling to WCV
Stockbridge Valley beat rival Madison on Friday but lost to West Canada Valley in Saturday’s semifinal.
The first time the Stockbridge Valley softball team hosted rival Madison this season, the Cougars needed a late comeback and extra innings to pull out a Central Counties League rematch.
Friday they met again in the Section III Class D quarterfinals and the hosts didn’t need a comeback, but did find themselves in a battle.
Coach Chris Peto’s squad scored in the first and second innings, never trailing in a 3-2 victory over the Blue Devils to earn a return trip to the semifinals where it was defeated by West Canada Valley on Saturday.
“They put the pressure on all game long and, I mean, I thought both teams played a really solid game and we were able to squeak one in,” said Peto following Friday’s quarterfinal. “I thought (Alaina) Beane, after the first couple innings, really started to establish herself up there. She might not have had a lot of strikeouts but she controlled batters. Not a lot of hard hit balls off her.”
Beane, who threw a no-hitter in the first round of the playoffs, was dominant again in the circle on Friday. The junior allowed just the two runs on four hits and walked only one while striking out six.
Catherine Meeker and Kendra Webb led the Cougars attack at the plate with two hits apiece, with Meeker scoring twice out of the leadoff spot.
“Just not have too much pressure on me,” said Meeker of her mentality at the top of the batting order. “Try not to crush it. Know I can hit the ball, just make contact and just run and get on the
base to get everything else started.”
Courtney Cochran took the loss in the circle despite allowing just the three runs – one earned –on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Elissa Usborne had two hits and an RBI to lead Madison in defeat at the plate.
The No. 2 seed Cougars scratched across a run in the bottom of the first, starting with a leadoff bunt single fromMeeker. She stole second on the next pitch and took third on a fly out to center field two batters later. With two outs, Meeker scored on a wild pitch to Olivia Marshall to give Stockbridge Valley a 1-0 lead. Marshall walked and Beane singled but Cochran stranded both with an inning-ending strikeout.
“That set the momentum for the game and just, we knew we could do it at that point,” said Meeker.
No. 7 Madison quickly countered in the top of the second. Kayla Usborne walked to lead off and Elissa Usborne followed with a double to give the Blue Devils two runners in scoring position with no outs. Cochran then hit the ball hard down the thirdbase line that hit Kayla Usborne for the first out. The Cougars got the second out on a fielders choice before Cochran stole third and took home as well on a throwing error on the play to tie the score.
The hosts wasted no time pulling back in front. Madeline Cross singled with one out and two errors on the play allowed her to take third. A wild pitch to Meeker two batters later scored Cross and gave Stockbridge Valley a 2-1 edge.
Beane continued to keep Madison at bay through the fifth inning and the offense manufactured another run for her in the bottom of the fifth. Meeker again started the rally, singling with one out and advancing to second on a base hit from KendraWebb. Jillian Jacobs followed with a ground ball and the Blue Devils tried for the force at third but an error on the play allowed Meeker to score instead, extending the advantage to 3-1.
The visitors got that run back in the top of the sixth against Beane. Kierston Abrams singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch to Kayla Usborne, who grounded out to the right side to send Abrams to third. Elissa Usborne followed with a single, scoring Abrams and cutting Stockbridge Valley’s advantage to 3-2. Beane prevented any further damage with an inning-ending strikeout and tossed a perfect frame in the top of the seventh to wrap up the victory and send the Cougars back to the semifinals.
Stockbridge Valley’s postseason run ended there on Saturday. West Canada Valley jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of their game in Rome and rolled from there to a 15-6 victory, advancing to the final and ending the Cougars’ season.