.jpg) Photo by Jim Ridolphi
Win keeps Hawks in championship hunt Defense and pitching down Raiders
Hanover put itself in at least a portion of the Capital District driver’s seat by squeaking out a one run victory over rival Atlee last Friday night.
As the regular season winds down, the Hawks secured a share of the Capital District championship crown in a defensive struggle that resulted in a 2-1 victory over the Raiders.
The Raiders outhit the visitors, but could not push across the winning run although they had several opportunities in the closing innings to tie the game.
“I think the ball bounced our way tonight,” said Hanover coach Chris Pace.
Atlee got on the board first when Ryndee Ruch scored from third on an errant throw from Hawks’ catcher Courtney Long. When leadoff hitter Ruch took a liberal lead from third, Long took a shot at the throw out, but the ball bounced off and trickled into left field.
Hanover drew even in the third inning when Long doubled in Tiffany Browning who reached first on an error.
With a precarious one run lead, Hawk pitcher Lisa Puryear rose to the challenge and pitched out of some tough situations to secure the win. The Raiders had two runners on base in three of the last four innings but could not capitalize.
“Lisa got into some jams tonight, but she fought hard and pitched out of them,” Pace said. “She had some key strikeouts at key times.” The Raiders loaded the bases in the fourth inning, but Puryear doused the flames with two strikeouts.
Puryear said you never know what to expect when you enter such a contest. “They scored in the first inning so I really didn’t know how it was going to go after that.”
Puryear employed a simple approach against the Raiders. “I was just out there throwing as hard as I could,” she said. She also credited Long with calling a great game, and her team for picking her up in the weaker moments. “My team stood behind me tonight, especially Courtney. She did a great job.”
Long also played a key role on the offensive side, scoring the winning run when Amanda Woolard beat out an infield hit and slid into first, allowing Long to cross the plate. “That’s playoff softball for us,” Pace said. “Amanda drove in the winning run in the sixth inning with a tough hit.”
The win puts Hanover in a first place tie with Lee-Davis who still must face Atlee this week. A win for the C-Feds forces a playoff game to determine the regular season champion. If Atlee defeats Lee-Davis, the Hawks win the crown outright.
Either way, Pace said he has to stop and pinch himself when he considers where his team is today, compared to the beginning of the season. “No one expected us to be here,” Pace said. “With all the losses due to graduation, we weren’t supposed to have this type of season. Being here is a credit to these girls and how hard they worked and how much they believed in this team.”
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