New Hartford Spartans capture Section III Class A softball title
The New Hartford Spartans softball team defeated the Auburn Maroons 6-3 Thursday evening at Onondaga Community College to win the Section III Class A championship.
After a scoreless first inning, both teams scratched across runs in the second.
In the top of the second inning, the Spartans would strike first when Savannah Cole delivered a base hit over the second baseman’s head to give New Hartford a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Maroons responded with one run thanks to a mishandled bunt by Sienna Holmes. But Holmes would not let that faze her as she retired the next batter to get out of the inning and then led off the top half of the third with a triple to the right-center gap. She then scored on a passed ball to give her team a 3-1 lead.
In the fourth, the Spartans struck for two more runs to extend their lead to 5-1.
In the bottom half of the inning, Holmes continued to deal for the Spartans. She picked up her fourth strikeout of the evening and kept her team’s lead at four.
In the fifth, Cole stayed hot for New Hartford. With two outs in the inning, she drove in another run – her third – to make the score 6-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Maroon offense came to life. Auburn managed to get runners on second and third with two outs to set up a two-RBI base hit from Emma Merkley to make the score 6-3. Auburn managed to get the tying run to the plate that inning, but Holmes worked out of the jam to keep things at 6-3 after five innings.
That would be all the scoring for the evening as the Spartans held on to capture the Class A championship.
What it means
The Spartans give their school another section champion in what has been a banner year for New Hartford. The Spartans now advance to the regional round of the NYSPHSAA softball playoffs.
By the numbers
3
Cole drove in three runs for the Spartans in the win.
5
Number of strikeouts for Holmes.
Key plays
Cole made a diving catch in center field in the fourth inning to stop Auburn from sparking a rally.
Holmes faked a throw to catch a base runner off guard and chased her down to record an out in the fifth inning.
Cole drove in two runs in the top of the second inning to give New Hartford an early 2-0 lead.
They said it
“We're fighters and we're a team concept team. Everybody is part of what we do, whether it's the stuff on the bench, the keeping us going, pulling girls in and out, moving girls. They've been a team all year long.” – New Hartford head coach Dan Stalteri
“Offense, defense; you’ve got to give it your all on both and if you make mistakes our teammates have each other’s back, so I’m just looking to the back for any of my teammates.” – Savannah Cole.
“We've won those close games, we've come back, it's in our DNA.” – Stalteri
“I’m part of the soccer team who won the state championship and I figure, ‘You know what, bring any team that I’m on to have the same journey.'” – Cole
“CC (Holmes) has held down the mound all year long and she did amazing today. She come through every single game.” – Cole
What’s next
The Spartans will play Troy from Section II in a regional game 4 p.m. June 4 at Carrier Park.
Kenny Lacy is a sports reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Kenny Lacy at klacy@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Section III high school softball: New Hartford defeats Auburn 6-3
