Saturday, May 18, 2019: Protest restores game-winning home run

   Westlake's 8-7 softball victory over Croton-Harmon in extra innings on Wednesday was overturned Friday by a Section 1 protest committee.

   Croton-Harmon's Erin Reynolds had a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning waved off after the home-plate umpire ruled she was "assisted home" by teammates gathered around the plate while being mobbed in the celebration. Westlake then went on to win in extra innings.

   Upon appeal, Section 1 determined that Croton-Harmon was a 7-6 victor. Because the home run was hit over the fence, Reynolds' blast created a dead-ball situation and therefore the "aiding the runner rule did not apply.

   Thus ending the longest home-run trot -- 48 hours or so -- in New York softball history.

Here is the official rules interpretation from the @CrotonSoftball win over Westlake, which was overturned this afternoon

Score has been updated on Bracketology pic.twitter.com/p8s1mAsWgo

— Kevin Devaney Jr. (@KDJmedia1) May 17, 2019

   Did you miss me? On the one hand, I think Seven McGee should put his travel agent on speed dial if he hasn't already done so. On the other hand, I think the all-state football player from Rochester East needs to get himself some better career advice -- even at this young age..

ADVERTISEMENT

   McGee, who'll be a junior in the fall, told the Democrat and Chronicle that he's coming back to Rochester for the long haul. Considering that requires his fourth transfer in a little more than a year, color me skeptical.

   Most recently, the 5-foot-9 running back with a substantial national recruiting profile transferred back to Narbonne High in

   "I felt like East High School is the place for me and it's the place I would love to finish out my high school career," said McGee, who has committed, decommitted and re-committed to the University of Oregon in recent months. "I love my coaches, I love my city and I feel like this year is going to be the year for East to rise."

   Said East co-head coach Steve Flagler: "He's a kid that wants to play in front of his mom, friends and family. He already knows he's going to spend his college days on the West Coast and he has some pretty secure offers. He's comfortable with those and people know he can play."

   Earlier in the week: Corning's Lindsey Butler broke an 11-year-old Section 4 record in the 400-meter hurdles during the Southern Tier Athletic Conference track and field championships.

   Her 1:01.46 broke the mark of 1:01.76 by Mari Giurastante of Chenango Valley.

   The rest of her day included wins in the 100 hurdles (:15.29) and as part of the 1,600 relay.

   Also at the meet, Maine-Endwell senior Parker Stokes looked primed to defend his state championship by winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:09.43.

   He came back shortly afterward to anchor M-E's second place 3,200 relay with a 1:57 leg.

   "I know. It's ridiculous," Spartans distance coach Megan Jacoby said.

   The Georgetown recruit's time in the steeplechase places him at No. 1 nationally for the season.

    • Goshen senior Jared Cassel became the Section 9 career leader in goals scored with his 236th during a 16-3 win over Burke Catholic on Thursday.

   Minisink Valley graduate and current Yale standout Joe Sessa held the previous mark of 235.

   "This is an impressive milestone to have and the player that had it in front of me was always the person that I looked up to," said Cassel, who scored six times in the first quarter and seven times overall.

   Appointed: Ben Kochan has been hired as the new girls basketball coach at Syracuse Henninger, where he is a teacher.

   "This is where I started, this is where I've been," said Kochan, the former coach at Phoenix. "This is the neighborhood I live in, so it was just a perfect fit."

   Kochan replaces Sameerah Owens, who left to spend more time with her two children. Owens was 12-67 in four seasons.

   In three seasons at Phoenix, Kochan went 34-30.