Third time’s a charm: Hoosick Falls upends Chatham in Class C softball sectional semifinal

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — The third time was a charm for the No. 4 Hoosick Falls Panthers (17-5), as they upended the No. 1 Chatham Panthers (16-4), 5-3, Tuesday evening in the Class C sectional semifinals at Schalmont High School. Two years ago Hoosick Falls fell to Chatham by two runs in the sectional playoffs. Last year their season ended after being up 2-0, only to see Chatham rally for three runs in the sixth inning. This year Hoosick Falls flipped the script.

“Chatham is a great team, very competitive and we’ve been waiting for this moment, I’m just so proud of the girls,” Hoosick Falls head coach Nicole Martin commented on her squad’s performance.

“They came out real hard, they wanted this. They’ve been working hard for months, just trying to get to this point so that they could come out here and get that win and they did and I’m super proud of them,” Noto noted on what it meant to get back to this moment and get over the hump.

“We were ready, we were ready. I’ll say it, we wanted revenge,” Hoosick Falls starting pitcher Kennedy Boisvert remarked on having this game circled on the calendar.

Both clubs knew runs were at a premium with Boisvert and Chatham starting pitcher Skylar Groom squaring off in the circle. Neither team yielded a run to that point in the tournament.

So, naturally, after Groom struck out the side, Chatham jumped to a 2-0 edge in the first frame. Chatham left fielder Anna Friedman ripped a RBI double to center for the 1-0 advantage. Friedman stole third and after the throw from catcher Bella Stefanovich bounced off her helmet and rolled into foul territory, she scampered home to double the lead.

Yet, the early rare deficit didn’t unnerve Hoosick Falls.

In the top of the second stanza, Taegyn Hart set the table with her first hit on a 3 for 3 day.

“Taegyn is a big part of this game. She’s our solid hitter. She’s our top batter this year,” Martin noted.

Zoe James recorded a bunt hit and an errant throw had Hoosick Falls set up with runners in scoring position. A Mary Walker smash to right knotted the game at two.

“Extremely important,” Martin remarked on the rapid response.

“It kind of brings them right back into the game. They all tend to get a little bit on themselves when anybody gets a run off you but they have been like that all year and I’m super proud of them coming back,” Martin explained.

“I got really angry and I was down but then I knew I had to go out with my bat so I just kind of took it all out and I was gripping my bat so hard. I was really scared at first but I knew we had it because we’ve been doing so much better throughout the year,” Hart commented on the ability to bounce back.

“I really think it was important. If we didn’t get that I feel like we would’ve been a little bit down. We kept our energy very high the whole entire game, even when we were down two, I think that really helped us gain it all back and come back,” Stefanovich added, echoing her coach and teammate on remaining resilient.

As the game moved along, both pitchers dug in. Groom recorded a complete game with seven solid frames, scattered seven hits, yielded five runs (one earned), and struck out 11. Boisvert posted a complete game, tossed seven strong innings, scattered three hits, allowed two walks, three runs (two earned), and struck out 14.

After a 30-minute lightning delay before the top of the fourth and Chatham regained the lead with a soaring double down the left-field line in the home half of the fourth frame, Hoosick Falls was not shaken but they stirred.

Hoosick Falls pieced together a three-run rally in the sixth stanza.

Stefanovich, who was 2 for 4 on the game, smashed a single to right. Ensuing batter Erin Contety plunked the ball into right but Stefanovich had to hold up and was forced out at second base. Yet, Hart kept the line moving, slicing a single to left.

In a delayed steal of sorts, Conety took third, and on the dropped tag Hart also moved into scoring position.

As Chatham capitalized on an error at third base early in the contest, so did Hoosick Falls late.

James dropped down a bunt on a squeeze play that Groom bobbled, enabling Conety to score the equalizer. As the chaotic play continued, Hart found herself in a pickle but managed to dive back to third safely, as James advanced to second.

Capping the rally was Walker inside-outing the ball to right, plating a pair for a lead Hoosick Falls would not relinquish.

“I think it was basically about working together. I don’t think we could’ve done it unless we had everyone. The hit was pretty great, it could’ve been better definitely but I’m glad with what happened,” Walker remarked.

Boisvert slammed the door with a 1-2-3 frame, including the last two outs on strikeouts.

“I had complete faith in them the entire time, the entire game. I knew they were going to hit, [Chatham] were probably gonna score some runs but I had faith in my defense. I’m just proud of everybody. We all came together,” Boisvert noted about her and her teammates picking each other up.

“We’re proud of every single one of ’em, especially Kennedy, she’s really battled on the mound,” Martin commented.

Advancing to the championship game in Moreau on Thursday at 5 p.m. against No. 2 Berne-Knox-Westerlo (19-3), which edged No. 3 Greenwich 4-3 in eight innings in the other semifinal, Hoosick Falls is ready.

“It feels really good. It feels really, really good,” Stefanovich said about winning and moving to the title game.

“I’m very pumped up, I can’t wait!” Walker added.