BINGHAMTON – It wouldn’t be a Greene playoff game without some sort of seventh-inning drama. The Trojans wrote happy endings to their previous two Class C sectional wins, but found themselves on the short end of a 3-2 defeat to Seton Catholic Central in Saturday’s title tilt at the BAGSAI Complex
It was the third straight one-run final for the Trojans (19-4) who were in their second straight Section IV hampionship game – both defeats. Greene coach Rick Smith was happy his team set a team-record for wins this season and won the school’s first MAC championship. Yet, his team again came up short of winning its first sectional championship. “We took two more steps this year, we’ll just have to try to get back here next year,” Smith said.
Seton Catholic Central entered the last inning down a run, and had literally done nothing the last time through the batting order against Greene pitcher Rebecca Hanrahan. Hanrahan had retired nine straight batters after giving up a lead-off single in the fourth to Jenna Matthews. Hanrahan struck out the side in the fifth against the meat of Seton’s order, and needed just nine pitches to get the next three hitters in the sixth.
It didn’t look good for the Saints, who had their number seven, eight, and nine batters coming to the plate. On a two-two pitch, Hanrahan hit Christina Tucci on the hands to start the rally. A sacrifice bunt by Lauren Czstellucci moved Tucci over, although another bunt by Nicole Keefe ended in an out when Keefe was called for batter’s interference after she made contact with the ball out of the batter’s box.
Lead-off batter Maria Turrigiano gave the Saints their last hope, and Turrigiano was coming off a strikeout to Hanrahan in her previous at-bat. Turrigiano fouled off two pitches in working a two-two count, then hit a soft liner into short right field. Greene outfielder Caitlin Willis fielded the ball and threw to first baseman Emily Pierce, but Turrigiano beat the throw allowing Tucci to score the tying run.
Turrigiano advanced to second and third on stolen bases as a driving rain coupled with a brisk wind made conditions almost unplayable. With SCC’s Kaitlyn Olsen at the plate, Hanrahan’s fourth pitch to Olsen scooted away from catcher Brittany Youngs, and Olsen came in safely uncontested with the winning run.
“I told (Maria) when she was on third base that a wet ball is a passed ball,” said Seton Catholic Central coach Chris Sinicki. “That’s probably the first thing I’ve gotten right all year. The first pitch after I said that, it happened for us. This time of the year, you just want to survive and advance.”
Greene left runners on base the first three innings against SCC pitcher Ellen Loughlin, and threatened again in the fourth. Erin Smith found a gap between the pitcher and shortstop to make it to first on an infield single, and Hanrahan hit a short flyball to left field for another single. Youngs sharply lined out back to Loughlin, who doubled off Hanrahan at first base for a quick double play.
The Trojans’ Louise Holcomb kept the inning alive with bunt single, and Pierce doubled to left-center scoring Smith and Holcomb for the 2-1 lead.
“It was a great at-bat by Pierce with two outs,” Smith said. “It was a huge swing of momentum, and I thought we would come through defensively. They were able to take advantage of the little things, and what happened (in the last inning) was exactly what I didn’t want to happen.”
Hanrahan finished with eight strikeouts, no walks, and allowed just three hits in her third loss this season, all coming by one run. Hanrahan also had two of the Trojans’ six hits in the game.
“Both teams played well today, you just hate to see it end in a way like that,” Sinicki said. “It’s crushing for a good team like Greene.”
Score by innings R H E
Greene 000 200 0 2 6 3
SCC 001 000 2 3 3 0
Ellen Loughlin (W) and Sami Stento. Rebecca Hanrahan (L) and Brittany Youngs. Doubles: (G) Emily Pierce.