The weather that plagued the early portion of the Mohawk Valley Fastpitch Softball League season struck again Monday on the final day of play.
Heavy evening rain cut Monday’s playoffs short and brought the season to an abrupt halt at David P. Whalen Community Park. Herkimer, the top playoff seed and a 12-3 semifinal winner against Mohawk was crowned champion with no room to reschedule the rest of the playoffs.
While Herkimer and Mohawk were able to complete their semifinal, Ilion had just pushed the other into extra innings when the rained picked up. Leading 2-1 in the top of the fifth, Ilion allowed St. Johnsville/Oppenheim-Ephratah to load the bases with one out. St. Johnsville/Oppenheim-Ephratah then took a lead of its own on a two-run single by Kelsey Johnson and still had runners at first and third with one out. Ilion shortstop Sarah Alexander snared a low line drive hit by Emma Lynch and threw to third base in time to complete an inning-ending double play.
Kristen Lansburg got the first two outs in the bottom of the fifth before Ilion’s Marissa Maldonado bounced a single up the middle. Maldonado took second base on a one wild pitch then broke for the third when another pitch got away. The throw to third hit Maldonado and deflected out of play, allowing the runner to score and tie the game with the rain starting to fall. Alexander followed Maldonado’s hit with a pop fly behind third base and hustled to turn the hit into a double. Alexander was stranded at second base on the final out of the inning.
Had play continued, the teams would have shifted to speed-up tie-breaker rule that puts a runner at second base to start each inning. During the regular season, the teams do not play extra innings.
The other semifinal lacked the drama of the game between Ilion and St. Johnsville/Oppenheim-Ephratah. Herkimer scored three runs in the first inning and added five in the third while left-hander Sarah Schumske pitched four scoreless innings against Mohawk.
Schumske struck out eight batters and helped her own cause at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance swinging the bat.
Erica Plumley scored three runs in the leadoff spot for Herkimer, Sarah Kinney went 2-for-3 and scored twice, Rachel Waseleski scored three runs and Kathryn Dolly cracked a bases-loaded triple in the third inning.
Herkimer defeated Ilion 3-0 during the regular season while St. Johnsville/Oppenheim-Ephratah handed Herkimer its only loss during the opening week of play.
In addition to cancelling the first- and third-place playoff games, the weather also shut down the “Silver Division” playoffs involving Little Falls, Dolgeville, Frankfort and Poland.
Compiled From Times Staff Reports
