White Sox 16U Softball Clinches Division Title

Sami Duffy was on the mound as Kent clinched a division title last week. SKIP PEARLMAN The Kent White Sox 16 and Under softball team capped off a strong season by winning the WPBA’s 16 and Under North Division last week. A 5-0 win over North Salem in the second game of a double header last Thursday clinched the title. North Salem defeated Kent 1-0 in the first game. The White Sox also swept Cortlandt in a double header last Monday. Kent won the first game 9-7 and the second 4-3. Both doubleheaders were played on the road.

In the division-clinching 5-0 win over North Salem, Sam Duffy pitched a complete game, giving up one hit and striking out one batter.

“Sam’s got a lot of pitches that she mixes well and gets a lot of movement as well,” Kent coach Michelle Lopane said.

Duffy also went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Alexia Faulkner went 1-for-2 with a triple. Judi Barcavage also went 1-for-2. Casey Farrell went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI.

With the win, the White Sox closed the season with a 14-1 record.

The only blemish came against North Salem in the first game of the doubleheader, a 1-0 defeat. The one run that North Salem scored was unearned. Faulkner pitched a complete game for Kent, striking out six. She also walked six batters.

“She had some control issues,” Lopane said.

She added that there was not much to talk about as far as offense.

“There were a couple of scattered singles but that was it,” Lopane commented.

Losing this game made winning the second one more important when it came to clinching the division.

“It would have been very easy for the girls to take the loss and give up in the second game,” Lopane said.

In the 4-3 victory over Cortlandt in the second game of last Monday’s doubleheader on the road, Duffy picked up the win by pitching four innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

Christina Maguire went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Emily Mcdonagh went 1-for-2 with one RBI. Duffy and Kelly Becker both went 1-for-3.

The White Sox survived a scare from Cortlandt, who had runners on first and second with one out in their last at-bat and were threatening to tie the score. The batter hit a line drive back through the box, but Duffy snared it and threw to first base to double up the runner and end the game. Lopane was not surprised that the pitcher was able to make the game-saving play.

“She is a really good athlete and has great reflexes,” Lopane said of Duffy. “I cannot say I am surprised that she came up with that kind of play.”

In the first game against Cortlandt, a 9-7 extra innings win, Faulkner picked up the win, going into the sixth inning while striking out five batters and walking two. Duffy came on and got the final two outs of the game.

Despite scoring nine runs, Kent did not have any extra base hits. Nicole Alleva went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mcdonagh went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Christina Maguire went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Duffy went 1-for-3 with a walk and one RBI. Faulkner went 1-for-3 with a walk and one RBI. Mary Mihalco also went 1-for-3.

The White Sox were shorthanded for the doubleheader, having only eight players. Lopane explained that they had to with only two outfielders.

“The pitching kept the ball in the infield,” Lopane said. “Anything that went to the outfield was an extra base hit.”

Lopane credited those eight players with having plenty of confidence despite being shorthanded.

“The eight girls really came ready to play,” she said. “They felt that they were going to do whatever it took to win that game.”

Despite the success her team experienced this season, Lopane plans on retiring after a 22-year coaching career. She admits that it will be different to not have a team to coach at this time next year.

“It will be strange,” Lopane said. “I want to give being a spectator a chance.”

Lopane’s niece, Brianna Cuiffi, will take over as head coach after serving as an assistant coach this season. Cuiffi is a former White Sox player who was the first from the program to play Division I college softball.

Lopane believes that her niece will be inheriting a team that has quite a bit of potential college talent. “There are other Division I players here,” she commented.