Queen And Royal Teammates Take Crown With One-Hitter
by Gary Danforth
Behind superb defensive play, a solid team effort and the one hit, fifteen strikeout performance of freshman pitcher Rachel Quackenbush, Coach Charlie Weeden engineered the Hoosick Falls Central School softball team to a 1-0 victory over Lake George Central School for the Section II, Class CC championship this past Wednesday afternoon, June 3, at Clifton Commons in Clifton Park. For Weeden, the long-time veteran coach, known for calling his players by only their last names over the years, this was his first sectional title after getting to championship games on at least three other occasions, the most recent being in 2004.
Quackenbush, who started on varsity as an eighth-grader a year ago, was throwing smoke at the Warriors. Whether blowing pitches by batters or baffling them with a change up the Queen simply was at her best. And
once again this was far from a one person effort. Hustling on every play and battling at every at bat, this Hoosick Falls team scored the one run which Quackenbush made stand up as she stopped a very good Lake George team dead in their tracks. Hoosick Falls senior second baseman Carly Pine plated the only run of the day with a third inning rbi single. In three playoff games over five days, Quackenbush and her Royal teammates allowed no runs, while scoring six of their own. The Queen struck out a total of 44 batters in three games, allowing a total of just five hits over twenty one innings. She pitched a two-hitter in a 2-0 quarterfinal versus Galway Central School, a 3-0 two hitter versus Hoosic Valley Central School in the semi-final and the one hitter in the title game. With the win, HFCS improves to 22-5 on the year and will face the Class C champion, unknown at press time, in a sectional CC-C playoff game on Friday, June 5, at Clifton Commons in an approximate 5:30 pm start.
HFCS went down in order in inning one via a strikeout and pop ups to first base and shortstop. The Queen struck out the Lake George side in inning one. In the Panther second inning, they went down in order with a ground ball out sandwiched between two Ks. Lake George, in for their longest day of the year, went down in order via a strikeout, a bouncer to the mound and a foul pop to third base.
Hoosick Falls scored the only run they would need in inning three. Senior catcher Emily Ciuk singled sharply to center field. Ciuk, doing a superb job as Quackenbush’ battery mate all season, moved to second base on a passed ball. Karley Morin moved Ciuk to third base with a hard chopper to the side of the pitcher’s mound. Then Pine laced a sharp single into center field, scoring Ciuk. Two strikeouts followed but the damage had been done as HFCS led, 1-0.
Lake George when down in order in inning three when the Queen struck out the side. HFCS threatened in inning four. Quackenbush reached on a third strike not held. After a strikeout, Kayla Brownell ripped a double into center field with Quackenbush held at third base. But a fielder’s choice ground out and another strikeout put the Panthers away.
The Warriors threatened the Panthers in the bottom half of the fourth inning. A leadoff bloop single turned into an added two base error with the Lake George runner winding up at third base with none out. But championship teams make championship plays. Katie Kovage charged in from her first base post and snagged a pop up for the first out. Then, the Queen struck out the next two Warrior batters. A lot of wind went out of the Lake George balloon on those three plays.
In inning five, HFCS went down via a pop up to first base and two strikeouts with Morin working the Warrior pitcher for a walk in between Ks. Lake George went down in inning five via a bouncer to the mound and Quackenbush’s tenth and eleventh strikeouts.
In inning six, the Panthers went down via a line out to first base, a fly ball to right field and the Lake George pitcher’s tenth strikeout. It was a whale of a ballgame. In between, Brownell worked the Warrior hurler for a walk. Quackenbush set the Warriors down in inning six via a line out to first base, a bouncer to first base, with Pine scooting over to cover the bag for Kovage, and Quackenbush’s twelfth K. One batter earlier, Quackenbush would give up the only Warrior hit, a hard hit single to center field. But, like a postage stamp, the Queen cancelled the next Warrior batter out.
In the final inning, HFCS got another single to left field by Ciuk. A strikeout, a fielder’s choice ground out and another strikeout, the Warrior pitcher’s twelfth on the day in a tough match up with the Queen, set Hoosick Falls down.
In the bottom half of inning seven, Lake George had no more chance of hitting Quackenbush than most other mere mortals. She struck out the first two Warrior batters. Then she hit a batter. Then Quackenbush fanned her fifteenth batter for the game’s last out. HFCS was Section 2, Class CC softball champs.
Roaming the Outfield: This gritty Panther team could have folded in any of their three sectional shutout victories, but like true champions they never blinked. Weeden and Assistant Coach Ralph Quackenbush did an excellent job of preparing the girls all year. The Panthers will meet more quality pitching and hitting from here on out.
How They Got There
Section 2 Opener
Showing all the grit necessary to come out on the long end of a Section 2, Class CC softball tournament game, Coach Charlie Weeden’s Hoosick Falls Central School Panther nine took the measure of a stubborn Galway Central School team at the Adirondack Sports Complex in Glens Falls last Saturday afternoon, May 30.
Getting all they wanted from the Eagles, HFCS rode the runs batted in production of sophomore Katie Kovage and the sixteen strikeout pitching performance of freshman Rachel Quackenbush to advance to the sectional semifinal at Clifton Commons in Clifton Park on Monday, June 1.
The first three innings were scoreless, but Quackenbush showed why she’s the Queen of the Diamond when she got into trouble in Galway’s fourth inning. A sharp single into left field and a throwing error put Eagles on first and second base with none out. One bad inning and you may be out of a softball game at this level. But the Queen stopped Galway dead in their tracks. She struck out the next three Eagles, her ninth, tenth and eleventh strikeouts to end the Galway fourth inning.
Hoosick Falls got the only run they would need in the bottom half of inning four. Priore reached on an error, then stole second base. Quackenbush struck out, but Kovage walloped a long drive into right field which sailed over the fielder’s head, with Priore scooting home with the game’s first run.
In the Galway sixth inning, Quackenbush hit the leadoff batter but erased her own error when she induced a fielder’s choice ground ball out. A stolen base put the tying Eagle run at second base with one out. All the Queen did was strike out the next two Galway batters, her fourteenth and fifteenth Ks on the day, to get HFCS out of the inning.
Hoosick Falls got their second run in the bottom half of inning six. Quackenbush led off the inning with a double into center field. Kovage then walloped a long single into left center field with the fleet Quackenbush scoring on the play. Caila Brownell reached on a fielder’s choice groundout before Marissa Davendonis laced a single into right center field. Then, Ciuk singled into left field. Brownell chugged home from second base and looked to score on a collision at the plate. But, Brownell hurt her knee on the play and as she clutched at her knee at home plate, she may have been called out for interfering with the Galway catcher’s ability to field the throw from the outfield. Again, the Galway left fielder corralled a Panther fly ball to end the Hoosick Falls sixth inning.
All that was left for Hoosick Falls to do was hold their 2-0 lead. Quackenbush struck out her sixteenth Eagle to start inning seven then induced ground outs to second and third base to preserve the Panthers hard fought, 2-0 sectional quarterfinal win.
Roaming the Outfield: If Brownell can’t play her chatterbox voice may inspire her teammates to more victories. Every team needs a voice and Brownell seems to fill that role for HFCS.
Panther Softball Beats Hoosic Valley In Semis
Coach Charlie Weeden’s Hoosick Falls Central School softball team earned a shot at the Section 2, Class CC championship with another gritty win this past Monday afternoon as they outlasted a tough Hoosic Valley Central School nine with a 3-0 shutout at Clifton Commons in Clifton Park. With the win, Weeden’s bunch climbs to 21-5 on the year. There were many contributors to this semi-final win. Sure, freshman pitcher Rachel Quackenbush threw a two hitter while striking out thirteen Indian batters, but this Panther team has evolved into so much more than just the Queen of the Diamond’s dominating pitching. You need runs to win and when given the opportunity this Hoosick Falls team has scratched and clawed their way to this championship game appearance. Every player hustles and every player gives their all.
Hoosick Falls got a leadoff single to right field by second baseman Carly Pine to open the Panther first inning. Shortstop Jenna Priore laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to get Pine to the second sack before two strikeouts by the Indians Carlee Chapko sent HFCS down. Chapko had thrown a one hitter in the Indians quarterfinal win.
Hoosic Valley opened the fifth inning with their first hit of the game, a single to right field. A strikeout and a ground ball out put two Indians down. Then, Panther catcher Emily Ciuk gunned down the lead Indian runner who was attempting to steal third base. That seemed to take the steam out of Hoosic Valley and breathe new life into HFCS.
The Panthers broke through in the fifth inning for the all important first run. Ciuk singled to center field. That was followed by two Panther strikeouts. Pine beat out an infield hit with her hustle down the first base line. Then Priore hit a single to right field, plating a hustling Ciuk, who motored home from second base. Chapko’s eighth strikeout of a Panther batter ended the Hoosick Falls fifth inning.
HFCS would score two more important runs in inning six. Katie Kovage opened the inning with a single to right field. Caila Brownell, battling a knee injury sustained in the sectional quarterfinal win over Galway two days earlier, reached on a fielder’s choice. Melody Mentiply entered the game to run for a slightly limping Brownell. Marissa Davendonis worked Chapko for a walk. Ciuk reached on an error. With the bases full, LaCroix hit a short fly ball into shallow right field near the foul line. It went off the second baseman’s glove and rolled into foul territory. Two Panther runs scored before the ball could be tracked down. It was 3-0.
When Quackenbush has three runs to work with and three outs to get, I’m betting on a Panther win. Priore got the first Indian out in the top half of inning seven when her long throw from shortstop was on line. The Queen snagged a sharply hit ball from the pitcher’s mound for a second out. Quackenbush struck out her thirteenth batter of the day to end the Hoosic Valley season and propel HFCS into the tile game for the second time since 2004.
