Tuesday, June 4, 2019: Somers' Han captures second state title in boys golf

   Leading off today: Somers senior Nathan Han won his second NYSPHSAA boys golf championship in three years after shooting a final-round 70 at Cornell University's at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course on Monday.

   Han, who was the first-day co-leader, shot a two-day total of 141 to finish seven shots ahead of the field.

   "I've been in the final group three times now and every year has been more and more of a learning process for me," said Han, a Columbia University commit who attended prep school in Connecticut last year. "Those two years of playing in pressure-packed situations in the tournament was so helpful today, knowing how to manage the game of what the situation called for. I just stuck with my game plan and executed."

   Han held a four-shot lead through 10 holes but was up by a commanding seven strokes three holes later.

   Seniors Evan Sitts of Oneonta, Alex Kyriacou of Suffern and Shane DeVincenzo of Port Jefferson tied for second at 148. Sitts, who tied of fifth a year ago, shot a second-round 74. Kyriacou, who placed fourth in 2018, and DeVincenzo each made birdies at No. 18 to shoot 75.

   Defending champ Adam Xiao of Manhasset placed fifth at 74-75--149.

   Walk-off win: Orchard Park junior Megan Giese's solo home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Quakers to a 6-5 victory over Williamsville North for the Section 6 Class AA softball championship.

   "I saw it coming in," Giese said. "It was right down the middle, and I turned on the gun and I got a good piece of it."

   Giese relieved Orchard Park starting pitcher Elisabeth Lis with one out in the seventh and runners on second and third base. Williamsville North third baseman Allie Macon hit Giese's first pitch for a double that drove in two runs give the Spartans a 5-4 lead.

   The Quakers loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, and a two-out walk brought in the tying run.

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   Still perfect: Williamsville East improved its record to 24-0 by defeating Iroquois 2-0 in Section 6's state qualifier game for the NYSPHSAA Class A tournament.

   Sophomore pitcher Summer Clark threw a three-hitter with five strikeouts. Sophomore Abbie Stellrecht went 3-for-3 with a run scored.

   It's not what our final goal is," senior shortstop Christy Mack said. "We're still looking for states and stuff, but it was a good game all around."

   More softball: Jordyn Maldonado drove in three runs for Cicero-North Syracuse in a 7-3 win over Baldwinsville for a third consecutive Section 3 Class AA title.

   Alayna Harbaugh and Brandi Feeney each contributed a pair of hits and an RBI for C-NS, which scored five runs in

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the first inning to take command.

   "We just had so much motivation for this game and we were not going to let them beat us again," Feeney said.

   Sayville advances: Alex Millwater's single through the drawn-in infield with none out in the bottom of the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie and helped Sayville to an 8-3 win over defending Section 11 champion Rocky Point to sweep the best-of-three Suffolk County Class A baseball finals.

   More baseball: Senior pitcher Brendan Disonell pitched a complete game four-hitter and Shenen- dehowa scored six runs in the ninth inning to beat top-seeded Niskayuna 7-1 for the Section 2 Class AA championship.

   The Plainsmen advance to the NYSPHSAA quarterfinals on Saturday vs. Fayetteville-Manlius.

   "All year, we've come up big in big spots," Disonell said. "Every day, we have a new hero. That is what coach says. Today, we had new heroes. Saturday, we'll have more new heroes."

   Disonell and Niskayuna junior Sam Morra each allowed only one run through eight innings.

   Strange but true: A couple of leftovers from late last week:

    • Pine Plains star athlete Kyle Stracher has pulled off quite the feat this spring, and it's one that I suspect has been done before -- but I just can't think of an earlier instance.

   STracher splits time between track and field and baseball in the spring and became a Section 9 champion individually (100-meter dash in track, not to mention the 400 relay) and as part of the baseball team that won Class C.

    • Lakeland senior softball player Claire Fon has made NYSPHSAA history as the first to amass 40 career home runs and 40 pitching wins.

   Girls basketball: Amari DeBerry of Williamsville South and Sonia Citron of Ursuline have made the USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team, which will compete at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Chile.

   The 12-player roster was selected after four days of tryouts last week in Colorado Springs, Colo. The FIBA tournament begins June 16.