H.S. SOFTBALL: Panthers roll to regional final with big win over Larries

Emily Mesick picked up the win for the Panthers and Hannah Agans was tagged with the loss for the Larries. Chatham will play Northeastern Clinton in the Regional Final at SUNY Plattsburgh this Friday for a spot in the state final four.

Mesick started off the top of the first with back-to-back strikeouts of the Larries’ first two hitters RyLee Daoust and Gracie LaLonde. Hannah Agans punched a two out double to right-center field for St. Lawrence, but Kalissa Young flied out to center for the third out. Agans went to the mound to start the bottom half for the Larries, and Addi Perry reached on an infield single.

Anna Friedman reached on a bunt that caught the Larrie defense off-guard, and Perry never stopped running all the way to the plate and scored to put Chatham up 1-0. Olive Mountain ripped a base hit through the left side and then Mesick laid down a sac bunt to move both runners to scoring position.

Jordin Radley was called out on strikes for out number two, but then Alaina Graziano slapped a two-run single to right to make it 3-0 for the Panthers. Emily Scheriff worked a walk to keep the line moving, and Meta Mountain delivered an RBI base hit up the middle, 4-0 Chatham. After Rylie Barden was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Scheriff crossed the plate on a wild pitch and the Panthers led 5-0 after one.

Mesick stayed sharp on the mound in the top of the second, striking out Brionna Foster for the first out. McKenna Bowles flied out to left field on a nice running catch moving in toward the infield by Friedman, and Rebecca Nezezon struck out as the Larries were set down in order. Friedman led off the bottom half of the second with a base hit back up the middle for the Panthers.

Olive Mountain stepped back in and planted a ball over the left field fence for a two-run home run as the Chatham bench erupted and they jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Later in the inning with runners on the corners, Scheriff grounded a ball to third that was off the defender’s glove, they scored one, and the runners were safe at first and second as the Panthers now led 8-0.

Unfortunately for Chatham, the potential for another big inning was cut short there when Meta Mountain flied out to right. The ball got out to right field quickly, but not quite a line drive, and the runner was doubled up at first to end the frame.

Mesick had her best inning of the game yet in the top of the third, striking out the side to bring her total to seven for the game so far. Barden started off the Panthers’ third with a walk and Perry laced a ball to right-center that went for an RBI triple. Friedman followed that up with an RBI single to center field and Chatham was officially up by double digits 10-0.

St. Lawrence had a runner on first with one away in the top of the fourth when Agans hit a soft liner to short and it was off the glove of a diving Rylie Barden. Barden knocked it down to keep it in the vicinity, but the runners were safe at second and third on the play.

Kalissa Young came back up and drove in both runners to make it 10-2 with a base hit through the left side, advancing to second base despite being caught in a rundown. Mesick stayed composed on the mound for Chatham, and got Foster to ground out back to the mound, and struck out Bowles to get out of the fourth.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Perry singled to left field to keep the inning alive and promptly stole second base. Friedman delivered another RBI base hit for Chatham, driving in Perry on a single up the middle to push the lead to 11-2.

The Larries scored one more in the top of the sixth but the Panthers remained in control on defense despite their bats growing somewhat quiet in the latter innings. Mesick remained focused and retired St. Lawrence one-two-three once again in the top of the seventh to secure Chatham’s big victory. The Panthers defeated the Larries of St. Lawrence 11-3, and will face Northeastern Clinton this Friday at SUNY Plattsburgh with a berth in the state final four on the line.

Coach J.B. Brantley shared a couple of comments on the Panthers and the feeling after a win by a larger margin is at this stage of the season after a few close calls in Sectionals.

“We’ve been waiting for it,” Brantley said, “We’ve been feeling like we want to wake up late in the game, I’ve been challenging them. They’re still a young team, the inconsistencies of being ready to play, mentally ready and prepared for a game, pitch in and pitch out, being focused. And I told them there’s no better time to get that going than now, and I’m proud of the way we jumped at them early to set the tempo.”

Brantley noted that they will have a more relaxed practice tomorrow before the game in Plattsburgh on Friday.

“We’ll have a light practice tomorrow (Thursday),” he said. “We’ll get some tee work done, do some of the stuff we need to work on but it’ll be light. We’ll talk about the little things, some of the things today that we could’ve maybe had some better decision making on…get on the bus early Friday morning on the way to Plattsburgh…take it one game at a time and we’ll see what happens.”