The softball team won the program's first-ever New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) championship last weekend in dramatic fashion, winning three straight games on Sunday, including two in extra innings, to take the title. For Union's seniors, the title represents the final page of their record-setting careers, and for those players who will return to defend the state title next season, it serves as a building block for future accomplishments.
The Dutchwomen will graduate three seniors who led the team to its third consecutive 20-win season and were the cornerstone of the Dutchwomen's success this year. They finish their Union careers with a record of 86-50-1 (.631), which is the best four-year record in the program's 26-year history. Collectively they were a part of Union's 26-11 (.735) finish in 1999 which set the standard for most wins in a season and best single-season winning percentage, and individually they each left indelible marks on Union's record books.
Senior co-captain Julie Cardettino (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) started at third base in all 137 games of her career. Cardettino became the Dutchwomen's all-time hits leader with a single in the final game against St. John Fisher on Sunday. The single was her 40th hit of the season and the 135th hit of her career. Taryn Samol set the previous mark of 134 career hits from 1996-1999. Cardettino's 40 hits this season puts her in eighth place in the record books for hits in a
season, just one hit shy of her career-high 41 hits in 1999. She was named the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern College Athletic Conference “Hitter of the Week” after a 13 of 24 (.542) clip that included six runs scored and six RBI's during the team's spring training trip to Ft. Myers, and finished the season with a team-leading .392 batting average. Cardettino was the team Most Valuable Player and the UCAA “Player of the Year” in 1999 after leading the team in batting with a .402 average. In addition, Cardettino finishes her stellar four-year career with 69 runs scored (tied-7th) and 52 runs batted in (9th). The NYSWCAA softball title is the third state title she has won while at Union. Cardettino was a two-time captain of the women's soccer team, which won back-to-back championships in 1999 and 2000.
The Dutchwomen's career wins leader
Senior hurler and co-captain Apryle Pickering (Brandon, VT/Otter Valley Union) became Union's all-time leader in wins when she picked up the 33rd victory of her career with a complete-game win over Rochester. The biggest win of Pickering's career came in the final game of the NYSWCAA tournament when she was on the mound for the win over St. John Fisher that give Union the state title, and gave her the 35th victory of her career.
Pickering concludes her career with a final record of 35-21-1 which puts her in fourth place with a .623 winning percentage. With 174 strikeouts in 377.2 innings on the mound, Pickering finishes in second place for both innings pitched and career strikeouts. Pickering was Union's Most Valuable Player following a 12-7 performance with 50 strikeouts and a 1.59 ERA in 1998. In addition, she was a UCAA second team selection in 1999 after posting an 8-5-1 record and a 1.17 ERA.
Senior pitcher Meghan Crowley (Leominster, MA/Nashoba Regional) finishes her four-year career as Union's all-time leader in strikeouts with 236 and shutouts with 10. Crowley finished her career with a record of 29-21, three saves and is sixth in Union's record books with a .592 winning percentage. In addition, she is third in wins with 29 and fourth in innings pitched with 338. Crowley went 2-0 in the state tournament, scattering 10 hits in fifteen innings against Utica and RIT and finished the 2001 season with an 8-2 record, one save, 39 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA. In 1999 Crowley finished with a 10-4 record, with one save, 54 strikeouts and a 2.06 ERA.
This was the third straight season that Union was invited to participate in the NYSWCAA tournament, but was the first time in that three-year period that the Dutchwomen were able to pick up a victory in the first round. Union earned the fourth seed in the draw and was therefore able to host fifth-seeded Utica College in the opening round of the tournament. The Dutchwomen were able to avenge last year's first round loss to Utica, and a doubleheader loss earlier in the season, by defeating the visiting Pioneers by a score of 5-0.
Sophomore Jill Ring (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) opened up a five-run second inning against Utica by leading off with her team-high fourth homerun of the season. Freshman catcher Lindsay Miarmi (Aberdeen, NJ/Mattawan Regional), junior outfielder Melinda Colon (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) and Cardettino each knocked in a run for the Dutchwomen in that inning. That would be all the offense that Union would need as Crowley allowed just three hits while striking out three on the way to her fourth shutout of the season.
The top four seeds in the draw advanced to Saturday and Sunday's double-elimination portion of the tournament, which was hosted by St. Lawrence. Saturday saw the Dutchwomen post a 1-1 mark, winning the opener against first-seed RIT, 1-0 in eight innings, before falling to second-seed St. John Fisher, 3-2.
RIT came into the tournament boasting a 31-5 record and a team batting average of .343, but the Tigers were shut down by the pitching of junior Sarah Johnston (Troy, NY/Troy). Johnston, who went into the game with a 0.34 ERA, having allowed just three earned runs all year, held top-seeded RIT to just three hits while striking out eight. The only major jam of the game came in the top of the second inning when RIT's lead off batter hit a triple. The batter was stranded at third however as Johnston struck out the next three Tigers who stepped to the plate.
The game was scoreless through seven innings, so the international tiebreaker rule was put into effect at the top of the eighth inning. In that situation, the team a bat starts the inning with a runner on second base. Cardettino made a great play in the field to cut down RIT's potential go-ahead run at the plate and keep the game scoreless going into the bottom of the eighth.
Junior shortstop Audrey Brennan (Cooperstown, NY/Cooperstown) started on second for the Dutchwomen and was bunted to third by Miarmi. Sophomore second baseman Shanna O'Brien (Wyantskill, NY/Catholic Central) picked up the game-winning RBI by dropping a perfect squeeze bunt to plate Brennan, and give Union the 1-0 victory.
The Dutchwomen's next opponent was second-seed St. John Fisher, a winner over St. Lawrence earlier in the day. The Cardinals broke Union's 30-inning shutout streak by scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Union got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Ring singled home sophomore Erin Lefkowitz (Amherst, NH/Southegan), and then tied the game in the second when junior outfielder Marisa Jacques (Troy, NY/Catholic Central) hit a single to left to score O'Brien. St. John Fisher scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the fifth by taking advantage of two singles and an error. The Dutchwomen loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth and one out, but came up empty after a ground out and a strikeout canceled the threat. Despite picking up the 3-2 loss, Pickering allowed only one earned run and finished with four strikeouts.
The Dutchwomen woke up on Sunday morning, knowing that they had to win three-straight games if they were to win their first-ever state title, and they more than rose to the occasion. In order to advance to meet St, John Fisher in the championship game, Union needed to get past RIT once again. The Dutchwomen did just that, defeating top-seeded RIT in extra innings for the second time in two days, winning by a final score of 3-2.
Union posted a run in the top of the first inning when Lefkowitz singled and Ring drove her home with a two-out double. RIT struck back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead, and that is how the score remained until the top of the sixth when Brennan singled in Ring to tie the game 2-2. There was no score in the seventh so Colon was placed on second to start the top of the eighth inning. She was able to advance to third on a wild pitch and then scored what proved to be the game-winner when Lefkowitz grounded out to second base. Union eliminated the RIT runner in the bottom of the eighth when Miarmi gunned her at third as she was trying to steal. Two fly balls ended the RIT threat and gave Union the 3-2 victory and send the Dutchwomen to the championship.
Due to the double-elimination format, Union needed to pick up twp straight wins over undefeated St. John Fisher to take the title. The first game against the Cardinals got off to a rough start as they took a 1-0 lead on one hit and two errors in the top of the third but Union tied it up in the bottom of the fourth. Lefkowitz doubled to lead off the inning, Cardettino moved her to third, and then a Ring single scored Lefkowitz to tie the game at 1-1. St. John Fisher immediately retook the lead, scoring two runs on two hits and an error to take a 3-1 lead.
Still down 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth, the Dutchwomen exploded for four runs to take a 5-3 lead. Ring got the rally going with a single and then advanced to second when junior first baseman Meredith Chace (Westwood, MA/Westwood) got on base as the result of an error by the shortstop. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third before a single by Brennan drove in Ring. Freshman Amy Payeur (Berlin, MA), who was put into pinch run for Chace, scored on a wild pitch. Miarmi walked and freshman Kirin Liquori (Rexford, NY/Niskayuna) was put in as a pinch runner.
O'Brien singled to drive in Brennan and then a Jacques sacrifice bunt advanced Liquori and O'Brien to second and third respectively. Colon grounded out to second to plate O'Brien for the Dutchwomen's fourth run of the inning. Three St. John Fisher groundouts in the bottom of the seventh gave Union the 5-3 win and set the stage for one winner-take-all game against the Cardinals for the championship. Johnston earned her second victory in as many days with the win. In 15 innings she allowed eight hits, no earned runs and finished with nine strikeouts.
Pickering got the start in the final game and picked up the biggest win of her career. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Union put two runs up on the board. Chace led off the inning and got to first on an error by the shortstop. Ring singled to move Chace over to second before a Cardettino single loaded the bases. Payeur was put in to pinch run for Chace at third and O'Brien walked to bring in Payeur for Union's first run. Miarmi then singled in Ring for the second run of the inning.
Things got dicey for the Dutchwomen in the top of the seventh. Union entered that inning sitting on a 2-0 cushion, just three outs away from the title, but the Cardinals had other plans. They scored two runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the seventh to tie it at 2-2. Union could not generate any offense in the bottom of the seventh thereby sending the game into extra innings once again. The Dutchwomen held St. John Fisher scoreless in the top of the eighth to set the stage for victory.
Liquori started the inning on second base in place of Chace and advanced to third on a passed ball before Ring stepped up to the plate ant hit a single to drive in the winning run and give Union its first-ever NYSWCAA softball championship. The Dutchwomen reached the finals in 1990 but suffered a 5-2 loss to Brockport. Cardettino, Lefkowitz, Ring and Johnston represented the Dutchwomen on the All-Tournament team, with Johnston garnering the tournament's Most Valuable Player honors.
On a more disappointing note, despite two victories against both RIT and St. John Fisher en route to the title, the Dutchwomen were denied a bid into the upcoming NCAA tournament. Receiving an invitation was an afterthought going into the weekend, but Union's performance placed them in the running for an at-large bid. Instead, RIT and St. John Fisher were both invited to the NCAA tournament, as was Oneonta, a program Union was able to earn a split against during the regular season. Despite a 5-2 record against NCAA-selected teams, the Dutchwomen were denied an NCAA bid, effectively ending their season.
Even the NCAA slight cannot diminish the magnitude of what Union was able to accomplish this year, including the outstanding seasons put together by some of Union's underclassman.
Johnston was not only the NYSWCAA tournament Most Valuable Player, she was the UCAA “Pitcher of the Week” three times during the season, and the ECAC “Pitcher of the Week” once. In 76.2 innings on the mound, Johnston scattered 40 hits and allowed just three earned runs. She finished the season with an 8-4 record, a team-leading 40 strikeouts and a tremendous 0.27 ERA. Johnston did not allow an earned run in 22 innings of work, beating Hamilton 2-0, RIT, 1-0 in eight innings, and St. John Fisher, 5-3. She gave up a total of 11 hits in those three games, striking out 12 while allowing just four walks. Johnston boasts a three-year record of 21-8 for a .724 winning percentage which is tops on the career winning percentage charts.
Chace finished second on the team in batting with a .300 average and RBI's with 18, including a team- leading nine doubles in her first full-season as the team's first baseman. After three years, Chace is second in base-hits with 26, tied for fifth in career doubles with 16, tied for third with eight triples, and tied for 17th with 41 RBI's.
Ring, the starting centerfielder, finished just behind Chace with a .299 batting average, but led the team with a .551 slugging percentage. Fifteen of her 32 hits this season were for extra bases as she finished the season with seven doubles, a team-leading four triples, and a team-leading four homeruns. Ring finished the season with a team-leading 29 RBI's and 21 runs scored and was named the UCAA “Hitter of the Week.” She now has 51 RBI's and 43 runs batted in during her career, good for ninth and 19th on the charts respectively. Ring's career totals include 29 extra-base hits (tied for third), 13 doubles (ninth), six homeruns (third), and 66 hits (17th). In addition, she has 10 career triples, which places her on the top of that chart after just two years in a Union uniform.
Brennan, who missed most of last season with a broken hand, was the team's starting shortstop, finishing fourth on the team's batting charts with a .286 batting average. She has 62 career RBI's, which is has her tied-for 14th on that chart. Miarmi, who stepped up as the catcher this season, was a force both behind and at the plate. In her first year at catcher, Miarmi led the team with a .992 fielding average. She finished the season with a .262 batting average to round out the top five on the team's batting charts.
O'Brien, the team's starting second baseman, had another outstanding year both in the field and at the plate for the Dutchwomen. She finished the season with a .247 batting average, with 12 RBI's and 20 runs scored. Colon hit .231 this year, and finished second on the team in stolen bases, with four. She now has 22 in her career, good for a seventh place tie on the charts. Jacques finished the season with a .214 batting average with seven RBI's and six runs scored.
Lefkowitz came up big for the Dutchwomen in the state tournament, particularly during Sunday's three gamed. She made several crucial catches in the outfield, including five in the second win over RIT. Lefkowitz finished the season with five hits, one RBI, five runs scored, a team-leading six stolen bases and a .125 batting average, but three of those five hits came in the state tournament. In addition she added three runs scored and an RBI to the Union offensive attack. Those efforts led to her place on the all-tournament team.
Freshman Kristin Bonomo (Shokan, NY/Onteora) finished the season batting .200 and was named the UCAA “Rookie of the Week” after going four for eight and knocking in the winning run against Rochester.
Freshman Liquori and Payeur finished the season with .185 and .118 averages respectively. Liquori, and outfielder contributed five RBI's and eight runs scored to Union's attack this season. Payeur had three RBI's and seven runs scored during her rookie season.
Although the Dutchwomen will miss the their three graduating seniors, they will be more than equipped to begin the defense of their state title next season.