Softball: Warwick completes season sweep over Valley Central, claims OCIAA Div. II title
MONTGOMERY – Warwick shortstop Grace Hennessy went to her backhand side to field a third hop off the bat of Brianna Robinson. Hennessy didn’t field it cleanly but barehanded the ball she knocked down and threw a seed across the diamond. With an ideal stretch by first baseman Etta Garafalo, the pop of the glove barely beat the thump on the bag and the “recovery game’’ was over.
There was no whooping in celebration or Gatorade bucket dumping on the coaches, but Warwick had finished off a 7-2 win, and season sweep of Valley Central to capture the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division II championship.
But that was merely the first in a line of goals for the triumphant Wildcats. Warwick completed its mission of winning the division and placing itself on the opposite side of the Section 9 Class AA tournament bracket from state No. 1 Monroe-Woodbury. It also ended an unsettling stretch of scoring only four times over its last two games, and four of its last seven contests with three runs-or-fewer, not what you want headed into sectionals.
Turning point
Warwick scored twice in the first and third innings and once more in the fifth. But Valley Central strung three hits for two runs in the bottom of the fifth. “C’mon girls, let’s get those back,’’ Warwick coach Matt Carcaterra clapped.
Having gone deep for four extra-base hits through five innings, Warwick slapped one-out singles from the top four batters in the lineup – Brielle Rosario, Melina Garby, Hennessy and Eva Garafalo – in the sixth for two runs to regain the five-run lead and restore some confidence.
“Pass the torch; next girl up,’’ Carcaterra said.
“When we try to do too much I think is when we start pulling out and we get pop-ups, but when we all go in with aggressive at-bats and we start hitting hard singles on the ground, we do our best,’’ said Hennessey, bound for North Carolina-Wilmington.
Player of the game
She joined the team last year as an eighth-grader, but catcher Eva Garofalo plays with the poise of a veteran. Her two-run double to left-center in the first inning opening the scoring. She legged out an RBI triple to left-center in the third and scored on twin sister Etta’s single for a 4-0 lead. She laced a single in the sixth. Only a nice running catch by VC left fielder Adrianna Ferraro prevented a potential homer and cycle.
By the numbers
Warwick (12-5) – The top five batters in the Wildcat lineup posted 12 of the team’s 14 hits and scored all seven runs. Warwick did strand eight runners.
Valley Central (11-6) – Warwick’s Jess Stuber (eight-hitter, two strikeouts) set down the first seven Vikings, who managed one hit through four innings. Emilia Brundage singled in two runs in the fifth. VC put two aboard in the sixth and seventh but came up scoreless. The Vikings have only two seniors and three juniors.
Quotable
“We came out a little flat offensively. I think if we started hitting earlier in the game, we might have had a better shot. But Warwick is an offensive powerhouse … they came out swinging and we didn't.’’ – Katie Farrugia, Valley Central head coach
“I think it was important to win this game because I'm pretty sure now we get a home game for playoffs. … That's a pretty big deal because when it's home game … it's a different energy.’’ – Warwick catcher Eva Garofalo
Up next
Warwick – The Wildcats should host a sectional semifinal next week.
Valley Central – Sectional seedings come out Thursday night but the Vikings must still face Class AA top seed Monroe-Woodbury on Thursday and Class A top seed Minisink Valley on Friday, a stretch that could potentially lead the young Vikings to four consecutive losses headed into postseason.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Warwick sweeps Valley Central, claims OCIAA Division II softball title
