During Friday's game between Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 West, Falconers catcher Nyla Sharp tagged out Dunkirk's Brooke Simchak at the plate. Pajama photo by Christian Storms
FALCONER — Several spring sporting events fell victim to Mother Nature throughout the week, and on Friday it appeared the Chautauqua-Cataraugus Athletic Association Division 1 West softball showdown between Dunkirk and Falconer might succumb to Mother Nature as well. Ta.
But both teams, especially the Golden Falcons, can thank Falconer for growing the field and keeping the field in good condition for games.
The Falconers started the game hot, but as the day progressed, Dunkirk's lineup also got better, and the Golden Falcons finished with a 13-6 victory.
“The grounds staff here at Falconer is better than anywhere else,” Falconer head coach Kayleigh Seaver said. “I would play them against a Major League Baseball team. I came here to go to work at 7:15 this morning, and they were already out here on the field getting ready for today. Thank you to Falconer and our management and storage and maintenance staff. They really take care of our sport here and I'm very grateful to them.”
Falconer took an early lead against Dunkirk thanks to top scorers Emily Reinhart, Hannah Melquist and Emily Zaranek each scoring and Miley Zaranek scoring to take a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
Falconers pitcher Hannah Melquist secured a catch in Friday's CCAA D1 West game against Dunkirk. Pajama photo by Christian Storms
And twice, they struck again, this time with Angelina Fiasco reaching for a bunt single and stealing both bases before being knocked in by Reinhart. Melquist knocked out Reinhart with a single, Miley Zaranek with a double and her twin sister Emily Zaranek with a two-RBI double.
Emily Zaranek reached third base on a home throw and scored on a wild pitch, giving Falconer an 8-0 lead after two games.
“We worked really hard in practice to be able to make adjustments in the count and be able to make adjustments at the plate,” Seaver said of the offense. “That's exactly what we did today. If you're pulling and pulling and pulling, you have to stay close and think about hitting the ball to the right side. Situational hitting and baseball and softball His IQ has become more complex, and it really paid off tonight.”
After two innings, it looked like it might be a short game, if it was even being played at all. Then the top of the third inning rolled around and the Marauders showed they were ready to play a full seven games.
Aaliyah Morales started the inning with a walk, and before she could settle for a walk, Brooke Simchak hit an RBI double that hit the fence to put Dunkirk at bat.
Falconer second baseman Chloe Livengood secured a catch in Friday's CCAA D1 West game against Dunkirk. Pajama photo by Christian Storms
Oliva Cole got on base after being hit by a pitch, and Simchak took the fielder's choice to step up to bat, allowing Kassidy Donisi to get on base. Then, with two outs, Chelsea Tramuth hit a double deep into right field, scoring both Cole and Donisi.
Dunkirk head coach Aldin Karlsson said of his team, “We expect big hits from our older players like Brook.” “Aaliyah is aggressive on base and Eva (Colon DeJesus) plays in the outfield. They're aggressive with their bats when they need a hit.”
With newfound energy, Dunkirk's defense got through the first inning scoreless despite trailing 8-3.
But when the Falconer sluggers returned to the plate, Melquist did more damage with his third and final run. Zaranex hit back-to-back doubles, Emily collected two more RBIs and Katrina Schranz rounded the bases with a single. Nyla Sharpe reached on a walk and then scored to make it 12-3.
Falconer (4-2, 2-1) scored its final runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single by Reinhart and an RBI triple by Miley Zaranek. Miley Zaranek is 2-for-4 with two doubles and one triple, Emily Zaranek is 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs, Melquist is 2-for-4 with three hits and one RBI, and Reinhart is four. He finished with 2 hits and 3 RBIs. And Nazariah Neal doubled.
“We have some really strong players at the top of our lineup,” Seaver said. “We're just trying to get everyone involved, be flexible with things and run some plays. We talk a lot about baserunning. I don't think there's any team that's more aggressive on the bag than we are. But that's really meaningful. In high school softball, that's what really makes a difference and sets us apart from other teams. We're able to withstand that pressure and make errors, and that's what happens on the field. I’m going to be able to overcome my failures and move forward.”
Dunkirk (1-3, 1-2) made the most of its final at-bat, adding two more runs in the top of the seventh inning. Morales led off the inning with another walk, Simchak took advantage of a throwing error to score Morales, and Donisi hit a two-out double to make the score 13-6.
“I'm very proud of their effort during the game,” Carlson added of his team. “We always tell them this is a couple of plays and if you take that away, the turnout will be different. They were still in the game. Defensively they made changes. I have to, but I'm still learning.”
Morales finished with two runs and two walks, Tramut finished with a two-run double, Simchak scored one run and had an RBI double, and Donisi finished with an RBI double in the seventh inning, making the final score 13-6.
