Shen's small-ball efforts lead to victory over Colonie in sectional championship rematch

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Shenendehowa softball's experience shines through in its play. The Plainsmen do all the little things right, from strategic hitting, to running the base paths well, to playing sound defense. And they needed to excel in all those areas to get past Colonie Tuesday afternoon.

Shen reached base safely five times on bunt attempts and committed zero errors to Colonie's three in a 5-3 win in a rematch of last year's Class AA sectional championship game.

"Real happy with [them] putting the ball in play, running the bases; the girls did a great job understanding it's a team game," said Shen head coach Chris Farquharson. "If I drop a bunt, the next player can drive that run in. We're pushin' runners around on the base paths; just putting pressure on teams."

The Plainsmen's small-ball efforts were critical in getting out to a 3-0 lead. After Natalia Colone led off the top of the second inning with a base hit to right field, Morgan Smith and Emily Markowski recorded back-to-back bunt singles, loading the bases for pitcher Breanna Hayes. Hayes sent a ground ball to second that got through the Colonie infield, scoring Colone and Smith.

Next inning played out in a very similar fashion. Gabriella Kean led off with a base hit. Reagan Young followed that up with a bunt, and reached base safely. Both Kean and Young advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Sarah MacFarlane, and two batters later, Kean came home on a passed ball.

The Colonie bats ignited though, in the bottom of the fourth, coming up with three straight two-out hits. An Adrianna Laraway single moved Katie Parisi into scoring position, and Parisi was plated on a bloop single from Ava Sillings.

The next batter, Gianna DeGonza, hit a towering blast out to left field that hit the base of the fence on the fly - a two-run double that knotted up the scoring at three.

It'd stay a 3-3 game until the top of the sixth inning when Shen manufactured another two runs. After a one-out infield single by Colone, she swiped second base on the first pitch of Smith's at-bat. The very next pitch, Smith shot a single right up the middle, and Colone came in for the go-ahead run.

The Plainsmen dialed up another two successive bunts. Markowski reached on an error, which allowed pinch runner Ashleigh Thayer, who ran for Smith, to advance to third base. Thayer came in to score on a Kayla Kean safety squeeze, creating a two-run cushion for Hayes in the circle.

"Coach always emphasizes doing the little things; just help the team," said Colone, who went 2-4 with two runs scored. "We knew that their (Colonie's) weakness right now was bunts, so we just kept chipping away at that, and I think that's what really broke it open for us."

Hayes tossed two straight scoreless innings to lock down the win for Shen. Five of her 11 strikeouts for the game came in those final two frames.

"Them having my back at the plate is super helpful," said Hayes. "It makes me less stressed on the mound, and I just have to trust them."

Shen stays unbeaten, improving to 6-0 on the season. A road trip to Averill Park awaits Coach Farquharson's bunch on Wednesday.

Colonie falls to 3-2, and will look to rebound at home Wednesday against Bethlehem.