To piggyback off of Tony…

I just saw Nanuet play in the Tournament of Champions and I agree about Janine Mackey. She’s going to be a good windmiller in the future. I also think that Theresa Blumenfeld will be a good shortstop. She’s got good range at the position and a pretty good bat too. The Nanuet team will face New City for the first ever Tournament of Champions title in softball.

I can’t wait to see what this championship game will be like

The great aspect of the summer is watching little league softball because I get a first-hand look at the future Section 1 players. The District Little League tournaments will be kicking off soon with the Tournament of Champions under way.

The Tournament of Champions now has softball (Majors, 11- and 12-year-olds) being played simultaneously with baseball, and at Haverstraw Little League complex. Monday, I had the opportunity to watch Haverstraw-Stony Point and then New City-South Orangetown. I was impressed by each team. North Rockland is the fortunate program because it draws students from Stony Point and Haverstraw.

Remember these names because it will only be a matter of time before they are playing for their respective varsity teams.

Stony Point: Pitcher Jackie Selvaggi tossed a nice game in a victory over Haverstraw. She also added a two-run single. Selvaggi has good velocity and walked just four.

Haverstraw: Shortstop Karina Mancini can handle the bat, two doubles and a single against Stony Point, as can first baseman Dana O’Sullivan. Catcher Natalie Conseco did a nice job behind the plate and made some nice throws to second on attempted basestealers.

New City:Third baseman Laura Castaldo can downright hit. She ripped the ball her first three at-bats, resulting in a single, triple and double. Catcher Caitlin Owens did a nice job behind the plate. She also possesses a strong arm and threw nothing but high-octane gas in the sixth inning against South Orangetown. Lauren Cappello overcame some control problems and struck out 12 in five innings.

South Orangetown: Visors off to windmiller Courtney Cantwell who pitched through intense pain against New City. After jamming her left ankle sliding into second base in the second inning against New City, Cantwell returned to the circle and continued throwing heat. Cantwell limped the remainder of the game, but never lost any velocity off of her pitches. Catcher Maeve Carley is a good little catcher and shortstop Emily DiDomenico is a sparkplug, along with Carley.

Nanuet: Even though I did not see Nanuet play, I know the girls from Little League. Remember these two names because they are the windmillers-in-waiting, sixth-graders, Danielle DiModugno and Janine Mackey. Mackey pitched Nanuet (the Dodgers) to the Tournament of Champions title game. Both girls play travel ball and can bring it to the plate. And DiModugno is a terror at the plate.

It just seemed like yesterday that I was amped, looking forward to the 2008 softball season.

The thought of watching Yorktown’s Cassie Reilly-Boccia and Kasey O’Connor, Hen Hud’s Kirby Wright and Niki Tamburri, White Plains’ Sandra Mastrangelo, John Jay’s Gaby Torzilli, Tappan Zee’s Brittni Alexander and Pearl River’s Jackie Bruno, Krystina Poloni and Kelly McMorrow and Brewster’s Kim Bentson, to name a few, had me pumped.

Man, how time flies though.

The season flew by in the wink of an eye. Even though it seemed quick, I, as well as the parents and coaches, were treated to some outstanding softball. Congratulations to all of the Section 1 players for another great season and congrats to the sectional champions: Yorktown (Class AA), Pearl River (Class A); Albertus Magnus (Class B) and Haldane (Class C).

And thank you ladies, as well as the coaches, for always being cooperative, especially after those tough games where the last thing you wanted to do was answer questions from a nagging reporter.

To the seniors, thank you for great careers and your sizeable contributions to Section 1. All the best to you in college. I’m sure we will be watching Cassie Reilly-Boccia (Alabama) and Kasey O’Connor (Notre Dame) in the College World Series next year.

Update (4:58 p.m.) Ali LaRue’s run-scoring single with two out in the bottom of the seventh gives South Glens Falls a 3-2 win.

Update (3:43 p.m.) South Glens Falls pulled even, 2-2, in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer by Amanda Perry.

Update (2:50 p.m.) I’m rubbing sunblock on my spacious dome as we speak. The sun is out, play is about to resume. (The rubbing sunblock crack was courtesy of my colleague and Knicks beat writer, Mike Dougherty. I think Mike is jealous because he still has his hard and does not tan as easily as I do.)

Update: A thunderstorm has delayed the game in the bottom of the first inning.

Pearl River took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Lorraine Schule came in on a wild pitch and Kaitlin Dinet delivered Jackie Bruno with a two-out single.

Even though Pearl River fell one run short, the ladies deserve congratulations for an outstanding season, especially the seniors. I had the pleasure of covering Pearl River in 2007 as the Rockland County softball beat writer, and once again this year, I had three Pearl River games – John Jay, Brewster and South Glens Falls.

The Pirates are one of the strongest programs in Section 1 annually, and Mike Carlacci is one of the best coaches in the state. His girls are always fundamentally sound, they can hit and they play the game with great passion. Based on their underclassmen, I feel Pearl River will be the team to beat in Class A next year.

Congratulations Pearl River on a great season.

“At this point, it’s about trying to win the game and move on,” Pearl River coach Mike Carlacci said on Monday after the regional semifinal win and the Pirates do move on. The Pirates win the Class A regional final today at North Rockland High School by defeating Section 4’s Maine-Endwell 4-0. This is the second team in the history of Pearl River High School to make it to the state semifinal round so congratulations to the Pirates on a huge day for the school.

They will face Section 2’s South Glens Falls on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the BAGSAI Softball complex in Binghamton.

Once again, Katie Scrima pitches another gem allowing two-hits, a walk and struck out 12. She had the Spartan batters looking real silly.

Kelly McMorrow gave the offense a shot of life leading off the game with an inside the park home run to right center field.

Krystina Poloni had another big day at the plate going 1 for 2 with two RBI in the third inning to give the Pirates some breathing room and she reached base via an error charged to the Spartans shortstop.

The Spartans pitcher Nicole Osovski was no slouch. She pitched a four-hitter allowing four runs, a walk and struck out 11.

Yorktown senior first baseman and Alabama-bound Cassie Reilly-Boccia has been selected as the Gatorade New York State softball player of the year.

Horseheads pitcher Cortney Cruttenden tossed a five-hitter as the Section 4 champions denied Yorktown a trip to the state final four.

Congratulations though, to the Yorktown softball team for another excellent season. The Cornhuskers finished 22-7 on the season and the talented senior class leaves as two-time sectional champs.

Yorktown grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second as Tori Matzura led off with a single. Paula DeVito drew a two-out walk and Erica Wenzel lined a ball back up the middle, that Cruttenden got her glove on, to load the bases. Kelly Dumser got to a full count, fouled a pitch off, then walked to bring in Matzura. The inning ended on a force out.

Kasey O’Connor led off the third and was robbed off a hit by shortstop Whitney Van Houten. She ranged to her right, speared O’Connor’s hot smash and, from deep in the hole, got O’Connor by an eyelash. This was a huge play because Cassie Reilly Boccia followed with a double to the fence in left field. This would have scored O’Connor.

Horseheads countered with two runs, after two were out, in the bottom of the third. Abbie Surosky singled with one out and moved to second on a passed ball. After Adrianne Parmenter flared out to Wenzel at shortstop, Hali Enderby walked. Gina Brenzo yanked the first Bisaccia offerning, an inside pitch, down the third-base line, chasing home Surosky and Enderby to third. She would score on a swinging strike wild pitch.

Cruttenden limited Yorktown to two hits over the final five innings by effectively working the corners, moving the ball in and out and changing speeds.

Horseheads scored three runs in the fifth after two outs again. However, there were two plays which left me wondering so, Joe B., if you read this post I need your breakdown because you are an umpire.

With one in the fifth, pinch hitter Kortni Lorson was hit by the first pitch she saw. However, she made no attempt to avoid the pitch. So, Joe B., doesn’t the hitter have to make an attempt to evade the pitch? After Bisaccia caught Endeby looking, she jumped ahead of Brenzo, 1-2, but Brenzo was patient and walked. Alicia Cacciato, who was 0 for 2, lined a single to center and centerfielder Kelly Dumser came up throwing. As Tori Matzura was preparing to receive the one-hop throw, Lorson clipped her and knocked Matzura down.

Now, once again Joe B. how is Lorson allowed to interfere with the catcher when she is waiting for the throw? I’m also asking this because I once got thrown out of a rec league softball game for running into the catcher. (And what stunk was the umpire was a family friend.)

I asked Yorktown coach Becky Melikian about both of these situations, specifically the play at the plate, and she said the home plate umpire told her there wasn’t going to be a play.

Despite the loss, Yorktown has plenty to be proud of. Melikian told me she could not have asked for a better group of girls to coach in her first two years as a varsity coach. Melikian said she is very proud of them and they should be proud of what they accomplished.

The seniors — Cassie Reilly-Boccia, Kasey O’Connor, Larissa Porcelli, Dana Bisaccia, Danielle Montesano, Allia Afifi, Kelly Dumser, Paula DeVito, Jess Berne and Victoria Dosso — leave by bringing Yorktown to consecutive sectional championships, the program’s first.

O’Connor said to me after the game that she will miss playing with her teammates, many of whom she has been with for close to 10 years. O’Connor concluded by saying that this is only the beginning for Yorktown softball. With the returning players, led by Tori Matzura, Erica Wenzel, Emily Harkins, Casey Iorio and Laura Pironi and the JV, which had a very good season, O’Connor said the program will continue building.

And, before I forget, last year I had the pleasure of watching Tappan Zee’s Julie Pacino hit. I never had a chance to see Yorktown last year because I was covering Rockland County softball, but my former colleague, Erin “Jenny Finch” Bruehl told me I would enjoy watching Yorktown play, especially Cassie Reilly-Boccia and Kasey O’Connor. Erin was right, in one respect, the Bash Sisters were excellent, but so was the entire lineup.

Sure, Cassie and Kasey were well-known, but this Yorktown team was solid, 1 thru 9, in the lineup with ultra-quick Larissa Porcelli setting the table, followed by O’Connor and Reilly-Boccia, then Tori Matzura in the clean-up spot and designated hitter Allia Afifi, who had four RBI combined in the Arlington and FDR-Hyde Park games. Danielle Montesano hit behind Afifi and the third baseman had many key hits. Paula DeVito, Erica Wenzel and Kelly Dumser were one of the most, if not the most, difficult 7, 8 and 9 hitters in the section.