Here’s how Brentwood made the state final four. Story courtesy of Newsday. CLICK HERE TO READ

Here’s how Victor made the state final four. Story courtesy of the Democrat and Chronicle. CLICK HERE TO READ

I will give you my take and predictions tomorrow once I’ve made the drive and had a chance to sit back and really think about it.

As I said earlier, my colleague Jake Thomases was at Mitchel field for the game and he wanted to add his thoughts:
“The main thing to stress is that it was 1-1 until the sixth when Rhinebeck blew the doors off. Kinally had only one K but got the Rhinebeck girls to hit balls at people. The only really hard hit ball was Kelly’s triple in the sixth. The girls seemed in OK shape after the game. Only one was crying. I think they know they went as far as they could and will have a very good shot next year.”

I completely agree with that. As I said before, these girls played their tails off and from what it sounds like… they left it all on the field and that’s all you can do. The team only loses two seniors in Lindsay New and Chrissy Davidson so I think that Jake is right. This team should be a team to watch out for next year.

Great season ladies.

I can only talk about what I saw from the wild Wednesday we had and that was the two regional finals that were at Nanuet High School.

I’m going to start out with North Rockland.

Congratulations to the Red Raiders for making their first trip to the state final four in 25 years. This team is really firing on all cylinders. The bats have come around and are scoring early and often. But they have also gotten great pitching too. Krystn Benson and Samantha Welsh have been dominant in the circle. The numbers don’t lie, Welsh with an .58 ERA and Benson with an .41. Posting back to back double digit strikeouts. Brianna Rivera, Heather Hansen, and Amanda Babcock all batting over 300 for the season. Right now things are definitely going right for the Red Raiders.
What has impressed me the most about the Red Raiders especially during the post-season is the play of the younger players. Brianna Rivera, Taylor Corretjer, Amanda Bender, Destiny Jones, and Olivia Rivera have all stepped up huge for this team. And you know things are going right when Corretjer makes two circus catches in the same inning (Horseheads game). And yesterday’s game was no different. Amanda Bender with her hit in the second inning. Brianna Rivera, the entire post-season; Taylor Corretjer in the sectional final. It seems that every time I see this team play, that I find something to talk to these youngsters about.
And I found it a little bit fitting that it was Samantha Welsh who caught the final out of the game because of what she has meant to this team and what she has done all year long. It would’ve been cool to see Amanda Babcock get that put out the batter before but she just had a little too much mustard on the throw to Welsh but she has been a phenomenal leader for this team. Congratulations again to the Red Raiders.

Now to the comeback kids. What a game by the Pearl River Pirates yesterday. And congratulations to them on making a second straight trip to the state final four.

Before I get to the sixth inning; I’ve got to say what a gutsy performance by Katie O’Flynn. If you track her numbers back through the playoffs beginning with the eight inning thriller against Eastchester, she has been mowing down batters left and right. Yesterday, she gave up five hits which was the second time she did that. The last time, was when they lost to North Rockland in the finals of their tournament. What O’Flynn was able to do was pitch in and out of jams and gave her team a chance to win the game. She also hit two ropes off a Jessica Wood and was the first to really figure out what Wood was throwing. Now to that sixth inning, what a job by the Pirates and their senior leaders; Krystina Poloni, Kaitlin Dinet, and Katie Scrima; to get on base. Poloni was walked, Dinet and Scrima each with a single. Then Kelly Tarsnane’s sac fly to center to tie the game at one. Which then set the stage for Katie Meyers’ pinch hit two-run single.
As you all well know, this isn’t the first time that Meyers was asked to come up in a pinch-hit pressure situation. Back on May 11, she had the game-winning home run against Clarkstown North. But to me, what this shows is something that I’ve known for a couple of years. The Pirates have a lot of depth and anyone on that bench could come in and do some damage.

Both teams played their guts out yesterday and I’ll be looking forward to see what these teams can do up at Waterloo.

Regarding Valhalla and Albertus Magnus… Just having read my colleagues stories Valhalla (Jake Thomases) and Magnus (Jane’s) both did play gutsy. Going with Valhalla, I did follow live updates from our sister paper the poughkeepsie journal before I left for Nanuet High School and I give the Vikings a lot of credit for hanging tough. They were able to get the lead early but unfortunately couldn’t hold it. I give this team a lot of credit for getting their first Section 1 title since 2003. But Rhinebeck has been in this position before. Don’t knock what experience can do.
On the flip side, the Falcons got down early and just couldn’t make it up. The Falcons did an amazing job getting back to the state tournament but couldn’t get over the hump. That senior core did a great job keeping the team in the game and giving them a chance.

The bottom line, what a wild Wednesday in High School softball for Section 1 and then there were two left standing.

Class AA: North Rockland vs. Brentwood (Section 11), 9 a.m.
Class A: Pearl River vs. Victor (Section 5), 11 a.m.

If either or both win:
The finals are at 1:30 p.m. for Class AA and at 3:30 p.m. for Class A.

All the games will take place at Section 5’s Warterloo High School

The teams are being introduced and the game will begin in minutes.

Update 1 : North Rockland is the home team and Krystn Benson in the circle.

Update 2: The lady Presidents leave 1 stranded. No score as North Rockland comes up.

Update 3: Jennifer Reitemeyer struck out the side in order. No score through 1.

Update 4: After a two-out walk; Benson struck out the next batter. Still no score.

Update 5: Brianna Rivera had a one-out single to right field. Tiffany Alliano followed up with a single of her own. Destiny Jones got on an error to right field and brings in the first run. Pinch hitter Amanda Bender lines a double to right-center and brings in two runs. Red Raiders lead 3-0.

Update 6: Katherine Torres reached base on an error and left stranded. 3-0 Red Raiders.

Update 7: Going to the top of the fifth, Red Raiders still lead 3-0.

Update 8: Sami Welsh and Torres each reached base. They then both came around to score; Welsh on an error and Torres on a fielder’s choice. Red Raiders 5, FDR 0.

Update 9: RBI double by Reitemeyer.NRk 5, FDR 1.

Update 10: After 6 full innings, they leave Jones stranded. 5-1 North Rockland.

The game is about ready to start

*Update 1: Ally Galati of Cornwall is left stranded on first in the top of the first. PR is coming up.

Update 2: Katie O’Flynn had a one out single to left field. Krystina Poloni ground into a fielder’s choice. No score through one.

Update 3: Megan Staudle got a two-out infield hit but O’Flynn strikes out 3 in the frame. No score.

Update 4: Kelly Tarsnane had a one-out hit and was left stranded. No score through 2.

Update 5: First 1,2,3 inning for O’Flynn in the top of the third. In the bottom of the frame: The Pirates had first and second; they get Kaitlin Dinet out at first and saved a run. No score through 3.

Update 6: The Pirates survive a lead-off single by Alyssa Condomitti. In the bottom of the inning: the Pirates are retired in order. No score through 4.

Update 7: The Pirates stranded Collette Mahoney on third. Still no score.

Update 8: Dnaielle Johnston sac fly to center gives the Dragons a 1-0 lead.

Update 9: Tarsnane fly out to center ties the game at 1. A two-run single by Katie Meyers gives the Pirates a 3-1 lead.

The Lower Hudson Valley teams in Classes B and C were eliminated in their quarterfinal games today at Mitchell Field on Long Island.

In Class B, Albertus Magnus fell to Marlboro of Section 9, 3-1.

In the Class C game, Valhalla suffered a loss to Rhinebeck, also of Section 9 by a 7-1 score. Rhinebeck broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the sixth, and broke it open with four runs in the seventh, helped out by some errors by the Vikings. Tamara Tribble drove in Valhalla’s run.

I’m going to be blogging live from Nanuet High School for both games.

This should be a fun day on the diamond.

OK… today is going to be a wild day on the diamond as the regional semifinals in Class B and C will begin in a little more than an hour from now so here’s my take on those games, followed by the two finals at Nanuet High School.

Regional Semifinals
Class B: Albertus Magnus vs. Marlboro: I’ve been trying to study up on Marlboro and after reading the story from the Times-Hearld Record; they’re battled tested. Chelsea Lopez had a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh for Marlboro to win the Sectonal championship. But if there is one thing that I’ve learned about the Falcons these last two years; it’s not to count them out. That senior core (Molly Meehan, Maura Power, Alyssa Valente, Rosie Coyne) has been in this position before. The Falcons have made the regional semifinals the last two years and have lost by a run. These ladies will be playing I believe with a chip on their shoulder. This season has definitely been one of being battle tested. And if there is one that I’ve learned about these team, especially in the last couple of games, is that don’t underestimate this team. The winner of this game will play the winner of Carle Bays (Section 8)/Hampton Bays (Section 11) at 4 p.m. today.
Prediction: Albertus Magnus 2, Marlboro 1.
Class C: Valhala vs. Rhinebeck: Remember, Rhinebeck is the team that knocked Haldane out of the state tournament last year. Megan Michie pitched seven solid innings, striking out 10 in a 1-0 sectional championship win. The thing you have to give a lot of credit to the Lady Vikings is that they have a lot of fight. They went in and knocked out last year’s champion 6-3. For Valhalla to be successful, the Vikings need to get to Michie early. And after watching North Rockland dismantle Horseheads on Monday, I’ve learned this… it maybe the same team from a year ago, it doesn’t mean that the outcome will be the same. The winner of this game will play Oyster Bay (Section 8)/Port Jefferson (Section 11) at 4 p.m. today.
Prediction: Rhinebeck 2, Valhalla 1. I think

Regional finals
Class A: Pearl River vs. Cornwall: The Pirates make it back here for the second straight season and they have shown how battle tested they are through out not only the regular season but the post-season too. What else can be said of the job that Katie O’Flynn is doing. She has had incredible poise in the circle and that helped her in the win over Maine-Endwell. For the Pirate offense, they are going to have to get scrappy and play the small ball game and get the bunt down. Cornwall is making the state tournament for the first time since 2004. But this Pirate team was the same team that was in the state final four last year. Jessica Wood and Kelsey Hand are good, but Pearl River has that depth in spades.
Prediction: Pearl River 3, Cornwall 1.
Class AA: North Rockland vs. FDR: I think that Red Raiders have shown everyone that they can beat you many different ways. In the last two games of the playoffs, they’ve shown that they can beat you with great pitching and in their last game with the bat. In my years on this planet and the amount of time I played in the all-rockland league; this I believe is the best North Rockland team I’ve ever seen. The Presidents have been on a whirlwind ride this season and I think Valley Central (who they beat in the Section 9 final) was the top-seed. But North Rockland is a dangerous team and can do it all.
North Rockland 4, FDR 2.

Scouting reports from the Poughkeepsie Journal on Marlboro, Rhinebeck, and FDR.

CLICK HERE TO READ