AUBURN - It seems routine, but in high school softball, the play goes awry so many times. The ball gets bobbled, the throw is off, the catch isn't made or the tag isn't in time. In a big game, the possibilities for error are everywhere.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Auburn's catcher Maggie Race tags Nottingham's Davetta McKinney out during a game on Wednesday afternoon.
Auburn's catcher Maggie Race tags Nottingham's Davetta McKinney out during a game on Wednesday afternoon.
Not this time.
In a contest where the hits were hard to come by and runs were even more rare, Auburn held a one run lead over Nottingham in the sixth inning of the first round, Section III, Class AA playoff game.
For the first, and only time of the game, a Bulldogs player - pinch runner Davetta McKinney - rounded third on a well hit ball by Megan Toole. With two outs, Auburn left fielder Lauren Fedyshyn scooped up the ball and hurled a rocket to catcher Maggie Race.
Sans helmet and in perfect position, Race expertly caught and tagged the speedy McKinney just in time to preserve the game - and potentially the Maroons' season.
Auburn added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to advance to quarterfinals round with the 2-0 win at Clifford Field on Wednesday.
“In every close game, in every big win we've had this year -somewhere, somehow, some player has stepped up and made some big defensive play,” Auburn coach Bob Lee said. “Whether it was in Oswego, against West Genesee or today. That was the play of the game.”
“When we practice fielding, some other players get cuts, but I usually throw it home because I have a really good arm,” Fedyshyn said. “My accuracy from far away is much better than it is close up - it's weird.”
The sixth seeded Maroons (12-10) will travel to face No. 3 Cicero-North Syracuse at 5 p.m. Friday. The Northstars defeated Auburn 4-0 earlier this season. Not that it matters much to the Maroons.
“Auburn has come a long way this year,” Fedyshyn said. “We have a better record now than we did last year, so I'm confident about our chances.”
They should be. Even though they wrangled just four hits, the Maroons played a defensive game that, despite two inconsequential errors, was flawless. Brittney Babcock threw a brilliant game, with no walks, five strikeouts and with just two hits allowed.
“She did really good today,” Fedyshyn said. “She had a could of wild pitches, but she kept her head in the game and I'm really proud of her.”
Auburn scored early after the 11th-seeded Bulldogs committed two infield errors in the first inning. With two runners on, Fedyshyn belted a hard-hit ball to shortstop, which scored Shannon McCormick on an errant double play attempt.
“It was nice, I was excited about it,” Fedyshyn said of her role in the Maroons first run. “Every other game, my bat has been off a little bit, so for me to get a run or get a run in was really great. I was psyched.”
What might have seemed like an ordinary at bat for the senior, when she battled at the plate and reached first on the game's only walk in the sixth, was a huge relief for her team. With two outs and two batters later, Nikki Neagle blasted a single to left field to score Fedyshyn, just minutes after her impeccable throw to Race.
“Usually when I get good throws like that, I come into the batter's box really pumped up,” Fedyshyn said. “So for me, when I do something really good in the field, I do something good at the plate and get one base.”
Jamie Bruno was the Maroons only multi-hitter with two singles, while Babcock added the other. Emily Tamouselis earned the Bulldogs' first hit. Toole (six strikeouts) suffered the loss for Nottingham, who has fallen to Auburn three times this season.
“We were pretty pumped because we had a pretty good win over them the last couple of times,” Fedyshyn said. “We came in confident that we could take this one.”
With the win, the Maroons have advanced in sectionals for the third straight season. They've also made the playoffs five out of the last seven years.
Now that they're not the favorite, the Maroons are actually in a more comfortable position.
“I'm a little more nervous when we're the favorite,” Lee said.
“You're in front of your home crowd in a sectionals game, you want to do well, you want to win. This was nice for our three seniors to win their last game at Clifford Field. We lost on Senior Night, and we're on the road now. I think this is a really nice way to send them off.”
Maroons 2
Bulldogs 0
In a contest where the hits were hard to come by and runs were even more rare, Auburn held a one run lead over Nottingham in the sixth inning of the first round, Section III, Class AA playoff game.
For the first, and only time of the game, a Bulldogs player - pinch runner Davetta McKinney - rounded third on a well hit ball by Megan Toole. With two outs, Auburn left fielder Lauren Fedyshyn scooped up the ball and hurled a rocket to catcher Maggie Race.
Sans helmet and in perfect position, Race expertly caught and tagged the speedy McKinney just in time to preserve the game - and potentially the Maroons' season.
Auburn added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to advance to quarterfinals round with the 2-0 win at Clifford Field on Wednesday.
“In every close game, in every big win we've had this year -somewhere, somehow, some player has stepped up and made some big defensive play,” Auburn coach Bob Lee said. “Whether it was in Oswego, against West Genesee or today. That was the play of the game.”
“When we practice fielding, some other players get cuts, but I usually throw it home because I have a really good arm,” Fedyshyn said. “My accuracy from far away is much better than it is close up - it's weird.”
The sixth seeded Maroons (12-10) will travel to face No. 3 Cicero-North Syracuse at 5 p.m. Friday. The Northstars defeated Auburn 4-0 earlier this season. Not that it matters much to the Maroons.
“Auburn has come a long way this year,” Fedyshyn said. “We have a better record now than we did last year, so I'm confident about our chances.”
They should be. Even though they wrangled just four hits, the Maroons played a defensive game that, despite two inconsequential errors, was flawless. Brittney Babcock threw a brilliant game, with no walks, five strikeouts and with just two hits allowed.
“She did really good today,” Fedyshyn said. “She had a could of wild pitches, but she kept her head in the game and I'm really proud of her.”
Auburn scored early after the 11th-seeded Bulldogs committed two infield errors in the first inning. With two runners on, Fedyshyn belted a hard-hit ball to shortstop, which scored Shannon McCormick on an errant double play attempt.
“It was nice, I was excited about it,” Fedyshyn said of her role in the Maroons first run. “Every other game, my bat has been off a little bit, so for me to get a run or get a run in was really great. I was psyched.”
What might have seemed like an ordinary at bat for the senior, when she battled at the plate and reached first on the game's only walk in the sixth, was a huge relief for her team. With two outs and two batters later, Nikki Neagle blasted a single to left field to score Fedyshyn, just minutes after her impeccable throw to Race.
“Usually when I get good throws like that, I come into the batter's box really pumped up,” Fedyshyn said. “So for me, when I do something really good in the field, I do something good at the plate and get one base.”
Jamie Bruno was the Maroons only multi-hitter with two singles, while Babcock added the other. Emily Tamouselis earned the Bulldogs' first hit. Toole (six strikeouts) suffered the loss for Nottingham, who has fallen to Auburn three times this season.
“We were pretty pumped because we had a pretty good win over them the last couple of times,” Fedyshyn said. “We came in confident that we could take this one.”
With the win, the Maroons have advanced in sectionals for the third straight season. They've also made the playoffs five out of the last seven years.
Now that they're not the favorite, the Maroons are actually in a more comfortable position.
“I'm a little more nervous when we're the favorite,” Lee said.
“You're in front of your home crowd in a sectionals game, you want to do well, you want to win. This was nice for our three seniors to win their last game at Clifford Field. We lost on Senior Night, and we're on the road now. I think this is a really nice way to send them off.”
Maroons 2
Bulldogs 0
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