Somers Season Ends in Heartbreak

Please see tip, pledge or subscribe buttons or my venmo is : @Rich-Monetti

Versus White Plains

Versus Pelham

John Jay at Somers Slideshow

Versus White Plains

Video

Previous Slideshows

Trailing 6-5 and warming up in the outfield in the bottom of the sixth of the Section One semifinals, Victoria Morel voiced confidence that she would deliver once her turn came up in the top of the seventh. So when the moment came with a runner on first and second, her sinking line drive to center looked like she would make good on her words. “It was just so close,” said the senior after Gia Pinilla raced in for the catch, and not long after, the rest of the Tuskers followed her in defeat. But the rightfielder was just as firm in a more important resolve.

“Never give up,” she conveyed the Somers mantra, and even though the run ended in the semifinals, no one can ever take away the lesson that these girls will take into the future.

The game began like Somers would do more than just wax with wisdom, though. After Julia Peanamanda lashed a liner up the middle, the ball only stopped rolling when it reached the fence and the freshman didn’t stop until arriving at third.

Not for long, Peanamanda scored on a Madison Miller wild pitch, so Katie Cole simply restarted the rally. She single through the box, was moved along by Katherine Papa's walk and the whirlwind continued with singles by Caitlin Fitts and Emily Boyle.

A 3-0 lead resulting, Harrison didn’t miss a beat. Alexia Cozzali rocked Emily Boyle by leading off with a homer to center and then it was Miller who restarted the rally. A roll to short went under Cole’s glove and Barbara Jo Coppola followed suit. Her dribbler went up third, and she beat the throw to first.

A sacrifice fly setting up a first and third, Somers was ready for the double steal. On the break, Papa rifled down, Cole received the ball a step inside second and the throw to the plate was in time. Unfortunately, Papa could not hang on through the collision.

A 3-2 game, the jam ended abruptly. Gia Pinilla lined to Cole, and the shortstop made the easy tag play to end the inning.

Riding the momentum, Peanamanda kept cooking. She went up the middle again but had help getting home this time. Papa doubled with two outs, and Somers got a run back.

Boyle kept it there by sticking to the minimum. She ate up Sienna Cozzali’s shot back at the box and retired Sofia Pinilla and Fionnuala Rallis on swinging strikes.

Onto the third, Somers added another and almost broke the game open. After Keira Griggs singled and Morel doubled her in, Alyssa Pirraglia and Peanamanda walked to load the bases with two out. Cole at the plate, the shortstop got her pitch and smoked a laser to deep right. Not so fast, Madison Mazzella was there to make the grab.

Worse yet, Harrison answered right back. Two walks and an error loaded the bases with no one out, and Boyle had her hands full. She did get an out on Coppola’s fly to left, but the run came in and Olivia Vasti tied the game on a single.

The fourth belonged to the pitchers, though. Miller retired Somers in order, and Boyle was close enough to matching up. A one out single aside, the sophomore maintained the status quo and gave the Somers bats the chance to upset it.

Griggs was up to the task with a single to left and moved to second on heads up baserunning. Kaleigh Conti’s drive to center drew a high throw back to first, and Griggs break to second had her ahead of the tag play. Morel then got her third baseman over, with a fly to left, but Pirraglia struck out to end the threat.

So Coppola cut right to the chase. The second baseman launched a bomb to center for the lead, and Gia Pinilla almost added another with two outs. Not quite, Peanamanda reached up over the left field fence and the one run game was preserved.

The freshman seemed to get Somers off on the right foot in the sixth too. She beat a dribbler up first, but the home plate umpire had other ideas. He called over the first base ump, and the conference yielded a foul ball call.

Back to the box went Peanamanda and the outcome was not as good. After falling behind 0-2, she was called out on a disputed check swing.

Somers going down quietly from there, the girls saved the drama for the seventh. The opening credits went to Boyle with another single, and after Conti was hit by a pitch with one out, Morel had Somers hopes soaring

Dropping just as fast, Pinilla gobbled up the potential tie and the margin of error was reduced to one last out. Still, Caitlin Boyle fought her way to a walk and the bases were loaded.Not to be, Peanamanda popped to second and the season came to an end.

Of course, there was no way to contain the emotions, according to Morel. “Our team really is a family. It’s so sad. That’s why we are all crying. “We’re so close,” the heartbroken senior concluded.