Six-run fifth propels Tamarac
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » What a difference a year makes.
A year after a sub .500 year the Tamarac Bengals now own the Wasaren League title after exploding late at a neutral site against Saratoga Central Catholic, 11-2 and have momentum heading into the Section II Class B playoffs.
With Maggie Kelley twirling from the circle Wednesday afternoon, bending, but not breaking against the Saints, her pitching patience paid off as the Bengals exploded for a six-run fifth inning to take control of the contest and coast to the title.
“Once we got through her (Victoria Alvord) the third time through was when we started getting to her and she kept throwing the changeup, so I told them to wait on the change-up and we did and then we started hitting it,” Tamarac Coach Patrick Ryan said.
Cassidy Galipeau led the Bengals with her 2-for-4 afternoon with two runs scored and three RBI and it was Kylie Galipeau’s two-out, tworun double that helped key the sixrun fifth inning, plating Alexis D’Agostino who walked ahead of her and Tori Reinhard who reached on a one-out single.
“We needed those runs so I knew that was clutch, to just get that double in and get more runs in for that,” Kylie Galipeau said. “It gave us more of cushion to know that we had this.”
Saratoga Central Catholic rallied for an early 2-1 lead on Cassidy Hayner’s two-run home run, driving in Molly O’Reilly who reached on a two-out fielding error by the second baseman, giving Hayner a chance to put the Saints ahead, 2-1.
Tamarac pulled ahead on a oneout single by Galipeau with Gianna Bucciero drilling an RBI single to right field, driven in by a fielder’s choice by Gabby Castiglione and Cassidy Galipeau’s RBI single.
Then the Bengals pulled away in the fifth leaving the game in Kelley’s hands.
“My fastball and screwball was working pretty well and my fielders
definitely helped out a lot,” Maggie Kelley said. “It’s supposed to curve inside; I guess they just weren’t hitting it.
“It’s very exciting. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teammates and the coaches and I’m very thankful to be a part of this team.”
Kelley went the distance, seven innings, giving up six hits and allowing two unearned runs. She walked one batter and struck out five.
Wednesday was as much about a league title as it was about Tamarac’s turnaround. “We were 6-12 last year, we haven’t had a winning season in four years, very exciting here at the school, everyone is excited,” Patrick said as the Section II softball seeds will be released Thursday afternoon. ‘This is huge, especially in the (Class) B’s, you have some good teams out there, Ichabod Crane, Cohoes, Schuylerville who we lost to our very first game of the season, there are a lot of good teams out there. We’ll just have to take it one game at a time.