SEASON IN REVIEW: GERMANTOWN SOFTBALL
Greg Dedrick
ccSCOOP Sports Editor
06-29-09 - The Germantown girls’ softball team capped off a fantastic regular season that included a regular season Central Hudson Valley League crown and also a Section II Class D title. The Clippers finished their season 20-4 and advanced all the way to the New York State Class D semifinals.
After starting their year 3-3, the Clippers reeled off 17 straight victories as they went from unranked to seventh in the state headed toward the state tournament. After winning the CHVL crown, Germantown went into sectionals as the top seed and took care of business heading into the finals.
In the finals, Germantown matched up with second-seeded Hartford and came away with a convincing 3-0 decision. Sophomore left-hander Carissa Phillips toed the rubber as she had all season for Germantown and surrendered just one hit in the Clippers’ championship battle.
In the state tournament, the Clippers started well, picking up a 8-5 victory over Heuvelton. Phillips again handled the pitching duties, scattering five hits and five walks en route to the win. Senior Courtney Parlman came through at the plate, picking up two hits and four RBIs.
In order for Germantown to bring home a state title, they would have had to win a pair of games in a single day, but their season came to a close with a 6-0 loss to Notre Dame of Batavia.
The Clippers will only lose three players to graduation, but all three will be huge losses. Suzy Wright was named Second Team All State, while Parlman and Caitlin Briggs were also huge contributors both in the field and at the plate this year.
Scheduled to return to defend their Section II crown are eight players, led by Phillips, a First Team All State selection on the mound. Seniors-to-be Patti Cameron and Linda Gerlach will be relied on heavily along with rising sophomores Lauren Fix and Victoria Fuchs.
At the plate the Riders were led by perhaps the league’s best senior and most assuredly the league’s top hitter in short stop Alli Pullen. Pullen hits an outstanding .533, with an unheard of .961 slugging percentage. Pullen racked up 41 hits this season including a team-leading 6 doubles, a team-leading 12 triples, and also one home run. Pullen also led the team in runs, 32, and RBIs, 21. She added 8 steals while not being caught a single time. Along with being a fantastic hitter, Pullen also held down short stop with a .980 fielding percentage and just one error the whole season.
The Riders will also lose three seniors in addition to Pullen: third baseman Elaine Hernandez, who hit .295 while driving in 13 runs and scoring 9; right fielder Courtney Hill who scored 13 runs and had 5 stolen bases; and lead-off hitter and center fielder Keira MacDonald, who hit .358 this year with 3 doubles, 2 triples, driving in 17 runs, and scoring 16 of her own.
Ichabod Crane is expected to return eight players from this year’s Class A final four team. Among those returning are seniors-to-be Becca Smith and Sarah Wheeler and juniors-to-be Jenna Smith and Christy Zander. The elder Smith is the team’s catcher and also a main offensive weapon, driving in 11 runs while scoring 23 of her own and stealing 10 bases. Wheeler is an excellent target at first and a clutch hitter who batted .313 this year. The younger Smith hit .353, and Zander hit .386 while playing left field. Wadsworth was no slouch at the plate either, hitting .333. Lindsey Drumm-Girardi showed her worth as a hitter in sectionals. For the season, she hit .306, with a team-leading two home runs.
With both pitchers returning, an experienced catcher, their entire right side of the infield, and a talented left fielder in Zander, the Riders hopes must ben high for next season, when they should be able to make a run back up to the top of the league and toward a sectional crown.
