Saratoga softball caps underdog run through Class AAA sectionals with championship win
MALTA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Jackie Cutting had five words to describe Saratoga Springs softball's extraordinary run through the Section II, Class AAA tournament: "This is what we do."
Following a 6-11 regular season, Saratoga headed into the postseason as the fifth-seeded team out of six in the AAA bracket. After shutout wins over Colonie and top-seeded Shenendehowa, the Blue Streaks' journey culminated in an 11-4 win over No. 3 Guilderland Thursday, earning the program's second section title in the last three seasons.
"You look at us at the middle of the season, you're like, "what's going on?" joked Cutting. "And we get here, and we're like, "this is what's going on."
After losing seven straight games from April 26 to May 4, Saratoga started to show some life with back-to-back victories to close out the regular season, and used that momentum to fuel their sectional tear.
Head coach Geoff Loiacono believes the cause for the turnaround comes down to a specific characteristic of his group.
"Their resilience all season long," said Loiacono. "We took our licks and our wounds throughout the season, which was tough. These kids...they work together as a family, and that's what we preach."
Cutting didn't have her best performance of sectionals - tough to beat the two-hit shutout she tossed in the semifinals - but the junior ace did more than enough in the circle, pitching her fifth consecutive complete game. She recorded seven punchouts to go along with it.
The one major blemish on her stat line was a three-run homer given up to Guilderland's Liana Smith in the bottom of the third inning that gave the Lady Dutch a 3-2 edge.
Cutting picked herself right back up, though, at the dish in the next half inning. With two runners on-base and two out, she hit a long fly ball out to left-center that was misplayed by the Guilderland outfield. Both runners scored, and Saratoga reclaimed a 4-3 advantage that it would never relinquish.
The Blue Streaks tacked on two more runs in the inning, and erupted for another five over the final three frames.
"I knew my team had me," said Cutting. "What better teammates could I ask for? Someone blasted a three-run shot off me, and I had no doubt that we were gonna come back like that. All I knew I needed to do was put the bat on the ball."
Saratoga center fielder Olivia Tetreault had the biggest day at the dish, going 4-5 with four runs batted in. Left fielder Ava Taber anchored the bottom of the lineup, recording three hits in her three at-bats to along with two RBI. Ava Goodman and Emily Ruscio each drove in a run as well.
It's right back to Malta on Saturday, June 1 for the Blue Streaks, who advance to the state tournament, where they will await the Section III champion in regionals. First pitch is already set for 5:00 p.m. that day.
Guilderland finishes as the section runner-up, and closes its year with a stellar, 18-5 overall record.