The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Stockbridge, Greene one-hit Belleville in Class D quarters
MUNNSVILLE, N.Y. >> Stockbridge Valley looked like it could be in trouble in the first inning of Thursday’s Section III Class D quarterfinal.
Visiting Belleville Henderson, the No. 7 seed, put runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the first, threatening a big inning over the No. 2 Cougars.
Stockbridge starter Kelly Greene and the Cougar defense shook off the first two at-bats, retiring the next three Panther batters in order, two via strikeout, to escape the inning tied 0-0.
That top half of the first set the tone for the rest of the contest.
After that lead-off single in the first, Greene did not allow a hit the rest of the way, walking one and fanning nine Panthers in a 2-0, one-hit victory. The Cougar defense held up its end of the bargain, playing errorfree ball across the final six innings of play.
“She had her game today. She was dominant. She was in control. She bared down when she needed to, and her defense backed her up today as well,” said Stockbridge coach Chris Peto. “We were solid all the way across the board today. I think this was our best defensive effort as a team this year.”
Greene also gave a shout out to her defense.
“It was very nerve-wracking with all the fans,” the Cougars’ starter said of the first inning jam. “My defense helped me get through it. I just threw strikes in places they were weak.”
Stockbridge Valley eighth-grader Abby Reed went 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored to pace the Cougars at the plate. Freshman Nevaeh Randel followed, going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Bel levi l le- Henderson starter Sydney Hess yielded two runs on five hits and seven strikeouts in the loss. Hess also posted the Panthers’ lone hit of the evening.
Following the dramatics in the top of the first, Cougar shortstop Haylee Eaton smacked a one-out single to give Stockbridge its first runner of the contest, but Hess came back to retire the next two batters to keep things level after one.
After Greene struck out the visitor side in the top of the second, Hess stranded Barb Guinto, who reached on a hit-by-pitch, in the bottom of the second.
Greene put away the Belleville-Henderson side 1-2-3 in the top of the third, but the Cougars were unable to capitalize on a lead-off single by third baseman Ashley Wilson in the bottom half of the frame as the teams went into the fourth knotted at 0-0.
Following another scoreless inning for the Cougar defense, Stockbridge missed out on an opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. With Sarah Hofmeister, courtesy running for Greene, on third and Maddy Cross on second with one out, Hess struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam.
After a scoreless fifth, Greene and the Cougars retired the visitor side in order in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for late-inning heroics.
With one away, Greene reached first on a dropped strikeout to give Stockbridge a base runner. Hofmeister, courtesy running for Greene, promptly took second on a passed ball to move into scoring position. Then, Reed ripped a onerun single to break the tie and put her side up 1-0. A walk to Cross moved Reed over to second with one out. After Hess retired the next Cougar swinging, Randel smacked an RBI-single to score Reed for a 2-0 lead.
“Clutch,” Peto said of the two hits. “They went up there with a purpose. They went up there thinking hit. They were clutch. This year, wewere clutch up and down the order all season long. Middle of the order, bottom of the order, top of the order...it depends on the day. We’ve picked each other up all season long.”
The lead was more than enough as the Cougars posted a perfect seventh inning to close out the 2-0 win.