Softball: Mahopac battles back in 5-4 win over North Rockland, rematch of Section 1 final

THIELLS - Many of the names and numbers have changed at Mahopac, but its competitive drive never did.

Sure, the Indians graduated all-section players like the savvy Michelle DellaMura behind the plate, the hard-hitting Lauren Zecca, and two-time Gatorade New York Player of the Year Shannon Becker, as well as four other seniors that were vital to the program's first Section 1 title, bringing plenty of uncertainty entering this spring.

With plenty of gaps to fill and new challenges, the new-look Indians have seized the opportunity. Others may have doubted them, but Monday's comeback win against North Rockland was further evidence that Mahopac is still very much a contender.

In a rematch of last season's Section 1 Class AA championship game, Mahopac won in dramatic fashion once again, this time, battling from behind to defeat North Rockland, 5-4.

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"Honestly, I was happy to be underestimated this year," Mahopac sophomore Ava Lichtenberger said. "It's great to be the underdog and prove everybody wrong. We have nothing to lose, and it's great to come out as the underdog and still be able to show we can hang with everybody. Just because we're a new team doesn't mean we're any worse."

Mahopac's youth showed, when a series of errors helped spot North Rockland a 3-0 lead, but it never faltered. The Indians trailed for a majority of the game, until the final inning.

The Red Raiders held a 4-2 lead entering the seventh inning, when Sam Pellegri got on base with a lead-off infield single. Lichtenberger followed with a hit of her own and Mahopac now had two runners in scoring position.

It set the stage for senior Gabby Marino, who had a hard grounder for the game-tying double.

"I just knew what (North Rockland's Delaney McGovern) was throwing me before and I was trying to adjust, but I wasn't doing it enough," Marino said. "This last at-bat, I needed to back off the plate, just poke through the gap and we'll score two. (Mahopac coach Cristina Giansante) said she's sending them both home even if I had a single, so I just had to put the ball in play."

Mahopac didn't stop there, Ally Wanner later brought Marino home with a sacrifice fly RBI for the go-ahead score.

"I said to them that this is when you prove yourself," Giansante said of the early obstacles. "Are you going to give up and fold? Are you going to be able to work through it and kind of bounce back? That's what they did. This team, I love to see that they don't have any quit. A lot of Mahopac teams I've coached in the past, it's like a Mahopac thing as soon as we're down on a score, we just kind of give up, but that's not the case today."

North Rockland tried to regain the game. The Red Raiders managed to get two runners in scoring position, but the Indians were able to hang on, after a well-hit ball was caught by Olivia Whitmarsh for the final out.

"We were feeling a little hot coming into the game today, but I told them we have to especially work on offense," said North Rockland coach Jackie DiNuzzo, whose Red Raiders' four-game winning streak came to an end. "Whatever we need to do to break out and get other batters going, we can't just rely on two or three hitters at the top of the lineup. It's got to be a full team commitment, but we can't hang our heads over this. We have three more games this week."

What it means

It's a marquee win for Mahopac. Six of its 11 players on the roster are sophomores or younger. Marino and Mia Lanter are the lone seniors, but the team has come together and stepped up to get off to a solid start.

Meanwhile, it's a heartbreaker for North Rockland. Despite it being a different Mahopac team, there were plenty of returning Red Raiders that hadn't forgot that Section 1 finals loss. Also, North Rockland will have to quickly regroup after getting its four-game winning streak broken.

Players of the game

Ava Lichtenberger and Gabby Marino, Mahopac: Lichtenberger kept North Rockland at bay, striking out eight batters, while giving up only two earned runs on five hits and one walk.

As for Marino, she came through in a big spot for her team with the game-tying, two-run double in their crucial seventh-inning rally.

By the numbers

Mahopac (4-1) — Wanner had a hit and the decisive sacrifice fly RBI. Emma Behun had a hit and two RBI. Pellegri and Lanter each had a single. Mahopac had three errors as a team.

North Rockland (5-2) — Olivia Leon went 2-for-3 with two RBI and scored a run. Kristen Luzon was 2-for-2 with a triple and scored two runs. Keira Costin had a hit and a RBI. Megan Gormley scored a run.

Quotable

"It's definitely not easy with a new team, so team chemistry is really important," Marino said. "These girls, we're all one big family, and we are here to make a statement."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Softball: Mahopac battles back in 5-4 win over North Rockland