H.S. SOFTBALL: ICC, Chatham earn top seeds; TH wins finale

Colonial Council champion Ichabod Crane (17-1) is the top seed in Class B, while Patroon Conference champion Chatham (17-2) is No. 1 in Class C. Both have earned first-round byes and will play their first games on Thursday.

The Riders will host the winner of Tuesday’s first-round game between No. 9 Holy Trinity and No. 8 Greenville on Thursday at 4:30 in the quarterfinals. The Class B semifinals will be played on Tuesday, May 23 at 5 p.m. at Luther Forest Field in Malta, with the championship game slated for Thursday, May 25 at 5 p.m. at Luther Forest Field.

Coxsackie-Athens is the No. 7 seed in Class B and hosted No. 10 Cohoes on Tuesday, with the winner moving on to play at No. 2 Tamrac on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Chatham will host the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 8 Maple Hill and No. 9 Hoosick Falls on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. The Class C semifnials will be played on Tuesday, May 23 at 5 p.m. at Moreau Rec, with the championship game schedule for Thursday, May 25 at 5 p.m. at Moreau Rec.

In Class D, Germantown (3-11) is the No. 3 seed and will play No. 2 Argyle (5-6) in the semifinals on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Moreau Rec. The Class D championship game is scheduled for Thursday, May 25 at 5 p.m. at Moreau Rec.

PATROON

Taconic Hills 13,

Watervliet 8

WATERVLIET — Taconic Hills wrapped up its season on Saturday with a 13-8 win over Watervliet in the Patroon Conference Softball Tournament.

The Titans scored three runs in the top of the first on a two-run single from Michaela Masten and an RBI single from Alyssa Bleau.

In the top of the second, Taconic Hills’ Grace Alvarez and Elle Atwood had back to back singles and scored on Aubrey Proper’s triple down the right field line. In the bottom of the second Watervliet would score two runs on four walks and a hit batter to make the score 5-2.

In the top of the third, the Titans’ Rachel Brazie would score on a triple from Grace Alvarez. Alvarez’s would score on the next pitch from another base hit from Elle Atwood to make the score 7-2.

Taconic Hills scored another run in the fifth in Atwood’s third hit of the day.

“In the bottom of the fifth Masten struggled from a really really tight strike zone from the home plate umpire,” Titans’ coach James Shook said. “His zone was so tight in that inning, he didn’t give any corners and every strike had to be straight down the middle. It wouldn’t have been so bad if his strike zone stayed the same the whole game, but it didn’t. Michaela kind of lost her composure for a bit, but she got through that inning, walking four. She hasn’t had more than four walks in a game all year and she’s always around the plate, but the umpire’s strike zone really had her frustrated. She’s a tough girl, though, and she got through it.”

In the sixth, with Taconic Hills in front 8-5, the Titans would score two more runs on RBI singles from Rachel Brazie and Grace Alvarez. They would tack on three more runs in the seventh, keyed by a huge two-run line drive up the middle from Maddy Manzi.

Watervliet scored three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too little, too late.

For the Titans, Grace Alvarez went 4 for 5 with a triple, Elle Atwood 3 for 4 with three RBI, Aubrey Proper 2 for 4 with a triple, Alyssa Bleau had three hits, Maddy Manzi went 2 for 4 with three RBI, Michaela Masten went 2 for 4 and Rachel Brazie singled and drove in a run.

“I’m so proud of our girls,” Shook said. “We’re a very young team and it showed during the first few games of the season with us making a lot of mental mistakes. We won five of our last seven games and our two losses were to Chatham(league champs) and to Rensselaer (3-0).

“Our defense improved dramatically and I can’t wait until next season. I want to thank our three seniors: Michaela Masten, Aubrey Proper and Skylar Waterhouse. Without them I don’t know where this team would be, not only on the field but off the field. Those three did so much for this program and they will be tough shoes to fill. We will miss them for sure.”