Softball: Monroe-Woodbury routs North Rockland, advancing to Class AA regional final
FREEDOM PLAINS - It looked almost like a promotional poster for a “Wonder Woman” sequel, members of the Monroe-Woodbury softball team posing with a sword.
Never mind that it’s plastic and was retrieved from a closet full of old toys. The austere expressions conveyed that they meant business as the non-lethal weapon was passed around for pictures.
“It belonged by to AJ when he was little,” Crusaders coach Penny Roberts said of her son, who is now 19. “We painted it purple and gray, so it’s ours now.”
The “Captain Crusader” sword is the designated prop this season — following the turnip and thermometer — rewarded after each game to the player who most stood out. But, Brianna Roberts said, it’s become increasingly difficult to choose just one person because it seems everyone is excelling.
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Well, of course, on a team that has won 43 straight games. Those photo shoots now sometimes feature a quintet, all doing their best Xena impersonation.
“This is so enjoyable,” said shortstop Anna Paravati, one of the five on Wednesday. “There’s nothing more fun than having your entire team playing well, with everyone contributing.”
The slaying Crusaders vanquished another opponent with a 12-0 win over Section 1’s North Rockland in a Class AA subregional at Arlington High School. They scored twice in the first inning and pulled away with a four-run fourth, before closing it in the fifth via mercy rule.
Monroe-Woodbury (23-0) advances to face Section 4’s Horseheads in the regional final Saturday at Middletown High School, three wins from realizing their dream.
“The kind of wins we’ve had definitely build confidence,” said Brianna Roberts, whose team also rolled in a 12-0 victory in the Section 9 final last weekend. “But we can’t get arrogant and expect anything to just come to us. We think we can beat anyone, but we have to play well and do it.”
What it means
Monroe-Woodbury has just one loss in the last three seasons, but it came in the 2019 sectional quarterfinal, when the state title favorite was stunned. The team has lamented that missed opportunity, and the others denied by COVID-19.
Much of the core still is on the roster, though, and the Crusaders graduated only two starters last year. They described this season as a last dance, of sorts, with a clique of friends who’ve been teammates since age 9, “wanting to end on a high note” as seniors, Paravati said.
They went undefeated last spring, capturing the Section 9 title, but the state tournament still was cancelled amid the pandemic. This run, however far it goes, is the chance to fulfill their potential.
“We’ve had unfinished business the last three years, where we’ve had a great team but didn’t get to where we should’ve,” Penny Roberts said. “This is our chance to make it happen, and we don’t take that for granted.”
Turning point
Danielle Ryan (three runs) reached on an error to lead off the game, and Emma Lawson drilled a two-run homer.
“It’s super important to get an early lead,” Lawson said. “Scoring in the first gets rid of some nerves and sets the tone.”
Brianna Roberts hit a two-run double in the fourth before scoring on Kelsey O’Brien’s sacrifice fly, and Paravati’s RBI single made it 6-0. Monroe-Woodbury added six runs in the fifth, including Olivia Shippee’s two-run double.
Roberts, a left-handed pitcher, allowed two hits and struck out seven in the complete game. The Binghamton commit also went 2 for 3 with three RBI.
Players of the Game
The sword wielders were Lawson, Paravati, Shippee, Roberts and O’Brien.
Paravati was 3 for 4 with two RBI, and the Fairfield-bound shortstop made a leaping catch of a liner to help Roberts escape a first-and-third jam in the first inning. “She’s got mad hops,” the pitcher joked.
Lawson went 3 for 4 with a homer, three RBI and three runs. Shippee was 3 for 4 with two RBI, and O’Brien went 3 for 3 with two RBI and a run.
“We try not to think about it because we don’t want to get carried away,” Lawson said of the win streak. “We’re always looking at what’s next, but it's exciting to see everyone doing great.”
By the numbers
North Rockland (20-4) — Kristen Luzon went 1 for 2 with a double and Kiera Costin had a hit. The Raiders beatWhite Plains last weekend to win their first Section 1 championship since 2010.
Quotables
"We fell short of our goal to win states, but I'm proud of how far we came," said Luzon, a Delaware commit. "We slipped a little during the regular season, but we clawed our way back and won a (section) championship... Now, we look to the future and pass the torch on to the younger players to keep the legacy going."
“Everyone is awful, but that’s what makes it fun,” Lawson said of their singing on the bus ride home. “Our favorite song is ‘Since you’ve been gone’ by Kelly Clarkson. We can’t sing, but we know the words.”
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Monroe-Woodbury routs North Rockland to reach Class AA regional final
