The season moves on for these nine Section V softball champions

Marquel Slaughter, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·6 min read

GREECE — Security tried to rush Webster Schroeder's softball team, parents and supporters off the Greece Odyssey diamond.

Senior Molly Broccolo had just led her Warriors had just won back-to-back Section V titles, and as the final game of Saturday's championship tripleheader, Schroeder's postgame celebration went longer than the Odyssey staff expected.

Coach Meaghan Keil happily tossed around championship T-shirts. Teammates made funny faces for photo-ops with their medals. The championship brick was passed around like a hot potato.

Schroeder players celebrate with pitcher Molly Broccolo after beating Thomas 6-2 for the Class A1 title.
Schroeder players celebrate with pitcher Molly Broccolo after beating Thomas 6-2 for the Class A1 title.

After Webster Schroeder's convincing 6-2 win over Webster Thomas in the Class A1 final, avenging a regular season loss to its crosstown rival, the Warriors earned all of the time they needed to celebrate.

Schroeder (18-5) won the Class AA title in 2021. Now down a classification, this championship feels different. Why? Because there's much more to play for.

Last year's section final was the season finale, when COVID restrictions kept NYSPHSAA tournaments from happening. With the return of states, Schroeder is scheduled to play a crossover game Tuesday to earn a regional tourney berth.

"It's hard for us to celebrate because we know that we've got more in us," senior shortstop Krislyn Clement said. "We've got a long way to go."

What it means

Fairport’s Morgan Kennedy, left, Rachel McCoy and Courtney Heininger celebrate after the Section V Class AA Championship at Greece Odyssey High School, Saturday, May 28, 2022. No. 1 seed Fairport won the AA title with a 2-1 win over No. 2 seed Victor.
Fairport’s Morgan Kennedy, left, Rachel McCoy and Courtney Heininger celebrate after the Section V Class AA Championship at Greece Odyssey High School, Saturday, May 28, 2022. No. 1 seed Fairport won the AA title with a 2-1 win over No. 2 seed Victor.

All nine Section V champions will have at least one more game.

Depending on the classification, teams will advance to a crossover game Tuesday night, or next weekend's Far West Regionals.

"We didn't have the opportunity last year to move on to a (state tournament)," Keil said. "I think we're rolling. I don't think we're done yet. ... I have five tremendous seniors. I'm proud of them. I know they're not ready to be done."

Class AA

No. 1 Fairport 2, No. 2 Victor 1

Class A1

No. 1 Webster Schroeder 6, No. 2 Webster Thomas 2

Sutherland catcher Riley Gonzalez congratulates pitcher Madeline Ward after she got out a jam.
Sutherland catcher Riley Gonzalez congratulates pitcher Madeline Ward after she got out a jam.

Class A2

No. 2 Pittsford Sutherland 2, No. 1 Pittsford Mendon 0

Class B1

No. 2 Waterloo 6, No. 1 Batavia 4

Class B2

No. 1 Wellsville 2, No. 2 Haverling 1

Section V Class C1 champion Avon.
Section V Class C1 champion Avon.

Class C1

No. 1 Avon 2, No. 2 Bloomfield 1

Class C2

No. 1 Oakfield-Alabama 11, No. 2 Pembroke 3

Class C3

No. 3 Bolivar-Richburg 4, No. 1 Lyndonville 3

Class D

No. 2 Friendship/Scio 4, No. 1 Honeoye 2 (8 inn.)

Key plays

In the A1 final, Krislyn Clement sent a two-run homer over the right centerfield fence for a 4-1 Schroeder lead in the third. Clement had two homers in the semis.

"I feed off my teammates when they hit well. That's just how we've been all season," Clement said.

Tournament MVP Molly Broccolo's two-seam fastball and drop curveball were on point. She only had four strikeouts, but thanks to infielders like Clement, Samantha Schoenhardt, Hannah Secor and Mikayla Bengsch, Broccolo forced many grounders and only faced more than four batters once.

"I can trust my infield and outfield to always make the play," Broccolo said.

Schroeder's Sarah Ferruzza is tagged out by Thomas catcher Anna Bello.
Schroeder's Sarah Ferruzza is tagged out by Thomas catcher Anna Bello.

For Webster Thomas (17-6), Anna Bello had an RBI-double, and Maddie Hicks and Mary Marrapese also doubled. Maddie Throumoulos threw a runner out at home in the sixth.

In Class A2, shortstop Julianna Lyons' had a double in the first, but her third-inning homer gave Pittsford Sutherland a 2-0 lead and lifted the Knights to a second title in four straight trips. They last won a section crown in 2018.

Sutherland's Julianna Lyons celebrates her home run against Mendon in the Class A2 championship.
Sutherland's Julianna Lyons celebrates her home run against Mendon in the Class A2 championship.

"I think it was a fastball. It wasn't moving," said Lyons, whose two homers this season each came against Mendon. "I was just running with my head down. … I wasn't even looking at it, honestly."

Lyons was the best two-way player in the A2 final. She almost turned a pair of 6-4-3 double plays and helped tournament MVP Maddy Ward secure the shutout.

"She absolutely just stepped up," Sutherland coach Mike Scialo said about Lyons. "She's our best player offensively, her and Riley (Gonzalez)."

For Pittsford Mendon (16-5), senior Mary Ciaccio went 2-for-4 with a double. Sophomore pitcher Lilly Goldberg, who was named A2's regular season Player of the Year, had eight strikeouts.

In Class AA, regular season and tournament MVP Cecilia Byrne scattered three hits while pitching 4. relief innings for the Red Raiders (17-5), who beat Victor three times this spring.

Fairport's Cecelia Byrne pitches against Victor during the Section V Class AA Championship at Greece Odyssey High School, Saturday, May 28, 2022. No. 1 seed Fairport won the AA title with a 2-1 win over No. 2 seed Victor.
Fairport's Cecelia Byrne pitches against Victor during the Section V Class AA Championship at Greece Odyssey High School, Saturday, May 28, 2022. No. 1 seed Fairport won the AA title with a 2-1 win over No. 2 seed Victor.

Morgan Kennedy drove in the first run, and Juliana Catalano's RBI-double gave Fairport a 2-0 lead in the first. Outfielder Nicole Allen had a double and threw a runner out at home.

Carrie Sidare's run-scoring double put the Blue Devils (14-7) within one in the second.

In Class C1, Avon (18-1) beat previously unbeaten Bloomfield (21-1). Olivia Pusloskie's grounder scored Courtney Yencer for the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Yencer was 3-for-3 with a run-scoring double that tied the game in the third. Joleigh Crye, Class C1's regular season and tourney MVP, had 18 strikeouts in a two-hitter while walking one batter.

Bloomfield's Calla McCombs scored on a passed ball in the first. Ashlyn Wright struck out six in the loss.

In Class D, to help Friendship/Scio (16-4) win back-to-back titles, Nevaeh Ross scored the tying run in the sixth, then the go-ahead run in the eighth on Claire Calhoun's RBI-single.

They said it

Riley Gonzalez, Pittsford Sutherland senior who had an RBI in the first inning: "We needed to stay in the moment. We did it today and it worked out."

Sutherland pitcher Madeline Ward against Mendon in the Class A2 final.
Sutherland pitcher Madeline Ward against Mendon in the Class A2 final.

Maddy Ward, Pittsford Sutherland junior who was in the circle when the Knights lost a lead to Honeoye Falls-Lima in the final: "Last year we got way too ahead of ourselves and it ended up biting us. This year we stayed focused and it worked out in our favor."

What's next

All nine Section V softball champions will play at least one more game.

Webster Schroeder and Pittsford Sutherland will play in the A1-A2 crossover final at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Webster Thomas.

Sutherland players celebrates their Class A2 title.
Sutherland players celebrates their Class A2 title.

Wellsville and Waterloo are in the B1-B2 final at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Honeoye Falls-Lima.

Class C3 champion Bolivar-Richburg plays C2 champ Oakfield-Alabama at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fillmore High School. The winner will play C1 champ Avon Wednesday at the same time and place.

Class AA's Fairport and Class D's Friendship/Scio automatically advance to the Far West Regionals against the Section VI representative. Friendship will play 7:30 p.m. Friday at Fillmore. Fairport plays at 5 p.m. Saturday in Grand Island.

Regional winners advance to the state final four Saturday, June 11, in Moriches on Long Island.

Email Marquel Slaughter at mslaughter1@gannett.com and follow his Twitter @MarquelSports. Sign up for our high school sports newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V softball championships; Here's what is next