Saratoga Softball Falls in Class AA Semifinals
Saratoga’s Jackie Cutting (#1) delivers a pitch during the Blue Streaks’ 1-0 win over Ballston Spa in the Section 2 Class AA Quarterfinals on May 18. Photo by Super Source Media Photos.
COLONIE — The Saratoga Springs varsity softball team saw its season come to an end on Tuesday, falling 4-2 to top-seeded Colonie in the Section 2 Class AA semifinals.
The Blue Streaks, who were the defending Section 2 Class AA champions, earned the #5-seed in the sectional tournament after finishing 13-7 overall and 8-5 in the Suburban Council. Saratoga beat #4-seed Ballston Spa 1-0 in the Class AA quarterfinals on May 18, setting up a matchup with #1-seed Colonie.
The Raiders struck quickly on Tuesday, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. An RBI single by Gabby Baumann scored Jenny Shafer, with a sacrifice fly from Adrianna Laraway extending the lead to two runs.
Colonie added another run in the third, with Taylor Quinn leading off the inning with a double before stealing third and scoring on an error, making it 3-0.
The Blue Streaks wouldn’t go down easily, however. With two outs in the fourth, back-to-back singles by Sarah Decker and Natalie Conroy put two runners on, and Nia Law drove home both with a double to left field, cutting Colonie’s lead to 3-2.
Saratoga was unable to scratch another run across, however, and the Raiders responded with an RBI single by Katie Parisi in the sixth, scoring Shafer to extend the lead to 4-2.
In the top of the seventh, the Blue Streaks put the first two runners on base via an error and a walk, but Laraway, Colonie’s pitcher, retired the next three batters to seal a 4-2 victory for the Raiders.
Laraway threw a complete game, earning the win while allowing two earned runs on six hits. She struck out six batters and walked two. Offensively, Quinn was 1-3 with a double, while Parisi and Baumann had RBI singles. Shafer and Kora Juliano each added base hits, while Laraway also had an RBI.
For Saratoga, Jackie Cutting threw six innings, allowing four runs, all unearned. Cutting allowed five hits, striking out two batters with no walks allowed. At the plate, Law was 1-3 with a two-run double, while Decker, Conroy, Cutting, Olivia Tetreault, and Ava Goodman all recorded singles.