Softball: Monroe-Woodbury caps perfect season with state Class AA title

MORICHES – Talk about a swan song.

Monroe-Woodbury completed perhaps the best three-year run in Section 9 softball history, capping a 26-0 season with a pair of improbable wins at the New York State championships on Saturday.

Facing deficits in the home half of the sixth inning in both the semifinal and championship games, the Crusaders rallied to pull ahead each time, leaving the final celebratory punch-outs to standout pitcher Brianna Roberts.

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Down 3-0 to Section 6 champion Lancaster in the semifinals, Monroe-Woodbury pushed across two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to pull out a 4-3 victory in the morning. Hours later, it was Section 3 champ Liverpool moving out to a 2-0 lead in the sixth before the Crusaders rallied for four runs and a 4-2 victory in the Class AA finals.

“It’s just unbelievable, how everything just played out in the sixth inning,’’ in each game, said MW second baseman Gabby Schaeffer. “Put your heart out in the game – that is what we’re here for.’’

“It’s unreal,’’ said right fielder Olivia Shippee, “but it just goes to show the character of the team.’’

The 26-0 season follows an 18-0 season in 2021 when there was no state tournament and an unbeaten 2019 regular season prior to a playoff setback to Warwick. The 2020 season was called off by COVID-19.

“I do softball 24/7 in my life,’’ said MW coach Penny Roberts. “This team has a special place in my heart because I’ve watched them grow from t-ball players to now. To watch what they’ve done together just fills my heart.’’

Top Final Four player

It starts and ends with lefty hurler Brianna Roberts. In the semifinal win, Lancaster pushed across three runs in the fifth inning on two singles, two walks and an errant throw, but Roberts settled down to retire seven of the final eight batters while the MW offense rallied – she also reached base safely four times but did not score.

In the final, Roberts got burned on a first-inning drop pitch called by her mom as Cassandra Wiggins lined a 1-2 pitch over the fence in center and just beyond the reach of Danielle Ryan, who collapsed the plastic fencing in her bid to catch the ball. “Maybe I would have caught it if I was a little taller,’’ Ryan mused. Roberts faced the minimum 12 batters over the next four innings but two singles by Liverpool in the sixth produced what should have been an insurance run.

This time, Roberts relied on her offensive skills, dropping a single into left that started the winning rally. In the seventh, Roberts got Lily Stevens swinging for her sixth strikeout and raced into the arms of her current and future Binghamton University catcher Emma Lawson before the celebratory dogpile consumed them.

Turning points

Held hitless by a Florida State-bound pitcher into the fifth, Madi Balk said she started to break down and Monroe conquered small ball, scoring twice to pull within 3-2 on two walks, a hit batsmen and RBI single by Emma Lawson. The formula was the same in the sixth with four walks and one single netting the two runs to pull ahead. Gabby Schaeffer scored on Danielle Ryan’s bases-loaded walk and Olivia Shippee hustled home on a wild pitch for fourth run.

“We never give up,’’ Ryan said.

Jump ahead five hours and Monroe batters ruined Wiggins’ impressive day. Roberts singled, Lawson walked and Kelsey O’Brien bunted them over. One out later, Shippee hit a sharp grounder that shortstop Lauren Ragonese smothered but had no throw, allowing courtesy runner Eryn Coyle to score the first run. The freshman Schaeffer smacked a shot that barely eluded the glove of second baseman Stevens – courtesy runner Maddy Bendix easily scored the tying run and Shippee took advantage of an errant throw by the right fielder to score the eventual winning run. “That’s the position every athlete wants to be in,’’ Shippee said. Schaeffer made it 4-2 when Amanda Palmer reached safely on a failed catch at first base.

Quotable

“I knew we were going to be good, but I’m not sure if I knew we were going to be that good.’’ – MW center fielder Danielle Ryan

“It was the coolest moment, and I was crying just because I know that I’m not going to play with these girls again.’’ – MW pitcher Brianna Roberts on the final out and on-field celebration

By the numbers

Monroe-Woodbury (26-0) – Roberts threw 222 total pitches on the day. She had 88 strikes (with 14 looks) on 113 pitches in the opener. She threw 109 pitches for 72 strikes (12 looks) in the nightcap.

Liverpool – Wiggins threw 84 pitches, 57 for strikes (nine misses). She threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 26 batters. … The Warriors stranded two runners, and also had one runner caught stealing and another picked off first base by Lawson.

Lancaster – Balk threw 130 pitches, 74 for strikes (14 looks). She also had three singles and two RBI. … The Legends stranded five runners.

Up next

Monroe-Woodbury graduates nine seniors, including five Saturday starters. The Crusaders may also lose head coach Penny Roberts, who said she will give thought to her future now that Brianna has left the nest.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Monroe-Woodbury caps 26-0 season with NYSPHSAA Class AA title