Panther Softball Team Wins Heated Sectional Opener After Winning League Title

by Gary Danforth
On Wednesday, May 26, Charlie Weeden’s Hoosick Falls Central School varsity softball team battled 95 plus degree heat in their Section 2, Class CC playoff opener against the Corinth Central School Tomahawks at the Adirondack Sports Complex but held on for a 3-0 quarterfinal win. HFCS, which finished in first place in WASAREN League play with a 12-2 mark, ran their overall slate to 19-4 with this latest victory. The game, delayed for over an hour due to a high heat index (temperatures before the game were gauged between 99-101 degrees) couldn’t even be warmed up for as long as the temperature remained above 97 degrees.
Sophomore pitcher Rachel Quackenbush allowed but one hit, the next to last Corinth batter in inning seven dribbling a hit between the first and second base hole. The Queen of the Diamond struck out fifteen Tomahawk batters, once again overpowering batter after batter in the latter innings. The defense behind her was superb when it needed to be.
After three scoreless innings, HFCS broke through in the bottom half of inning four. After a ground ball out, senior left fielder Marissa Davendonis singled to right field. Then junior Samantha Skott legged out a perfect bunt single. After a passed ball moved the runners to third and second bases, a Panther batter struck out. But junior Alyssa Schneider came through with a big bloop single into short left field, plating Davendonis, and Skott hustled home when the left fielder misplayed the ball for an extra base error. HFCS was ahead, 2-0.
The Panthers got their third run in inning five. Junior catcher Shelby Jones, doing another fine job behind the plate, walked. Freshman Frankie Pearson ran for Jones but was out trying to steal second base. First baseman Katie Kovage walloped a double. Then Quackenbush singled to center field with the third Panther run coming home. Then Davendonis singled to center field. Corinth got out of more trouble by pulling off a double play with a caught fly ball and a Panther runner doubled off third base.
Quackenbush was just throwing smoke in the hot weather, striking out two more Corinth batters in inning six and getting her fourteenth and fifteenth K in the Tomahawk seventh inning. HFCS won the game by the 3-0 margin.
Roaming the Outfield: It was the kind of day where you just sat back in your lawn chair and perspired. It was hot and humid. HFCS will now take on the winner of the number one seed Lake George and eight seed Hoosic Valley contest. HFCS beat HV twice this season in league play. The semi-finals will be at Clifton Commons in Clifton Park at 3 pm on Friday, May 28. I don’t know what the winning percentage is if the Panthers get Quackenbush two runs to work with, but I know it is extremely high. With the Queen pitching the game is usually over if the Panthers score.