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.