Leading off today: Seventh-inning rallies on consecutive days have advanced
Saugerties to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association baseball tournament.
After a 5-4 walk-off win vs. Wallkill in the semifinals thanks to a four-run rally, the Sawyers won their second Section 9 Class A championship in three years with a 12-10 victory over top-seeded Cornwall on Saturday.
Cornwall rallied from a 9-4 deficit with a five-run fourth inning, but Saugerties scored three runs in the top of the seventh with the help of a pair of wild pitches.
Hanging in there: Overmatched by Gerigh Hauser's 11 strikeouts through eight innings, Arlington broke through in the top of the ninth inning on Mike Bulgia's two-run triple and beat White Plains 2-0 for the Section 1 Class AA baseball title.
Robert Fratarcangeli went the distance for 10th-seeded Arlington.
Making them pay: Kevin Scrima's two-on, two-out single on a first-pitch fastball scored James McKiernan with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as Pearl River beat Nyack 6-5 for the Section 1 Class A championship.
Nyack had walked Sean Flaherty to get to Scrima, prompting a quick pep talk (and the suggestion of "disrespect") from coach Mike Oliva.
"Kevin is the most competitive player I've ever coached," Oliva said. "Some kids may shy away from that. Not Kevin. He answers the bell. He loves those situations."
Said Scrima: "I'm sitting in the on-deck circle thinking they might walk Sean. Righty-lefty vs. righty-righty -- it kind of makes sense. But this was awesome. It's why you play baseball. Championship game, get the game-winning hit -- there's nothing better."
It earned the Pirates their first championship since 1984, their last year in Section 9.
Champs ousted: Alec Ritzenthaler threw a six-hitter as Niskayuna downed 2016 NYSPHSAA Class AA champion Shenendehowa 4-0 for the Section 2 large-school championship.
Down to their last strike: McQuaid tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a catcher's interference call with two outs and an 0-2 count, then won 3-2 over Rush-Henrietta in the eighth on a combination stolen base/throwing error.
R-H led 2-0 until Ben Beauchamp homered to lead off the seventh. Billy Kehrig singled with one out, stole second and went to third during a groundout, bringing Thomas Manno's to the plate.
With Manno in a two-strike hole, Kehrig broke for home on the next pitch. Manno fouled off the pitch, but catcher's interference was called to bring Kehrig home with the tying run.
In the eighth, Nick Tomei stole second, then swiped third and raced home for the win when the throw got away.
Softball: In the completion of a suspended game, Williamsville North defeated previously unbeaten Lancaster 5-2 in the Section 6 Class AA semifinals.
Winning pitcher Emily Nicosia homered during the Spartans' four-run fourth inning which began Friday, was halted by rain and resumed on Saturday.
The Spartans will face defending champion Orchard Park for the sectional championship Tuesday.
Sophomore superiority: Rocked for three home runs in her Suburban Council debut 22 days earlier, Averill Park 10th-grader Jadyn Lee threw a five-hitter and knocked in a run for Averill Park in a 2-0 win over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake for the Section 2 Class A softball championship.
The Warriors, with a combined eight freshmen and sophomores on the roster, captured the title by beating the top two seeds in No. 1 South Glens Falls and No. 2 Burnt Hills.
"We had laser focus," Lee told The Times Union.
