Shenendehowa's Cailey Cuttita shows the ball to the umpire and Ballston Spa's Gretchen Tesch is called out at the plate during the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
lessShenendehowa's Cailey Cuttita shows the ball to the umpire and Ballston Spa's Gretchen Tesch is called out at the plate during the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren
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Shenendehowa's Kelly O'Gorman hits the ball during the class AA softball final against Ballston Spa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Shenendehowa's Kelly O'Gorman hits the ball during the class AA softball final against Ballston Spa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa pitcher Ashlyn Kersch throws Shenendehowa's Ashley Sisto out at first base during the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Ballston Spa pitcher Ashlyn Kersch throws Shenendehowa's Ashley Sisto out at first base during the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Shenendehowa pitcher Abby Shields throws the ball during the class AA softball final against Ballston Spa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Shenendehowa pitcher Abby Shields throws the ball during the class AA softball final against Ballston Spa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa's Lauren Kersch hits the ball during the class AA softball final against Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Ballston Spa's Lauren Kersch hits the ball during the class AA softball final against Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa first baseman Sarah Pritchard stretches to get Shenendehowa's Nicole MCCarvill out during the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Ballston Spa first baseman Sarah Pritchard stretches to get Shenendehowa's Nicole MCCarvill out during the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa players and coaches celebrate after defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Ballston Spa players and coaches celebrate after defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa players and coaches celebrate after defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Ballston Spa players and coaches celebrate after defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Spectators watch the class AA softball final between Ballston Spa and Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Spectators watch the class AA softball final between Ballston Spa and Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Spectators watch the class AA softball final between Ballston Spa and Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Spectators watch the class AA softball final between Ballston Spa and Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa first baseman Sarah Pritchard tries to catch a foul ball during the class AA softball final against Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Ballston Spa first baseman Sarah Pritchard tries to catch a foul ball during the class AA softball final against Shenendehowa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa third baseman Grace Thompson celebrates after catching a fly to make the last out of the game and defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
lessBallston Spa third baseman Grace Thompson celebrates after catching a fly to make the last out of the game and defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori
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Ballston Spa third baseman Grace Thompson celebrates after catching a fly to make the last out of the game and defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
lessBallston Spa third baseman Grace Thompson celebrates after catching a fly to make the last out of the game and defeating Shenendehowa in the class AA softball final on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori
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Shenendehowa players console each other after losing the class AA softball final against Ballston Spa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Shenendehowa players console each other after losing the class AA softball final against Ballston Spa on Friday, May 27, 2016 in Malta, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)
Photo: Lori Van Buren
Ballston Spa tops Shen for 1st softball sectional title
Malta
Ashlyn Kersch tried to hold her emotions inside Friday afternoon. As she hugged her younger sister Lauren, their father snuck in behind the siblings and that is when tears began to flow.
Ballston Spa, a softball program that not so long ago occupied the bottom tier of the Suburban Council, had just beaten Shenendehowa 7-3 in the Section II Class AA championship game for the school's first sectional title.
"When I woke up (Friday) morning, I thought, 'Today is our day.' It felt right," Ballston Spa sophomore first baseman Sarah Pritchard said. "I knew we had a shot, but people were saying, 'You're going against Shen.' We had our head in this game right from the start."
Ballston Spa (17-4), the No. 4 seed, had no measurable playoff history at the AA level to fall back upon. In fact, Shenendehowa (18-4) defeated Ballston Spa 5-0 in the 2015 quarterfinals on its way to the title, and beat the Scotties three times overall. The Plainsmen also defeated Ballston Spa 5-4 on May 6.
On Friday, the Scotties performed well in every facet and looked extremely comfortable doing it.
"It is amazing," said Lauren Kersch, an eighth-grade second baseman who began the season as the pitching ace for the JV team. "I didn't expect to be the starting second baseman and playing with my sister."
"I literally have no words," said Ashlyn Kersch, the Scotties' star senior pitcher who endured several lopsided losses earlier in her career. "Honestly, I didn't think we were going to do this going into the year, I'm not going to lie. At the first day of tryouts when we were sitting in a circle, (coach Amanda Fifield) said, 'We're going for the title.' I thought, 'All right, I guess we can try.' I didn't see it happening, but we ended up doing it."
"I knew we could," Fifield said. "I saw Ashlyn throw over the summer and through the winter. With her growth, I knew anything was possible."
Ashlyn Kersch, along with senior outfielder Katie McMahon, led Ballston Spa's baby brigade to the title. The Scotties' starting nine featured two seniors, four sophomores, two freshmen and one eighth-grader.
"The first time we played Shen, we went in thinking we could win it. This time, we knew we could win it," Lauren Kersch said.
Pritchard provided the Scotties a 1-0 lead when she drove in Ashlyn Kersch with a two-out single to left against Shen starter Abby Shields. Shenendehowa answered in the bottom of the first as senior second baseman Kelly O'Gorman tripled and scored on an error.
In the third, Lauren Kersch drove home her sister for a 2-1 advantage. The Scotties broke open the game in the fifth when they produced five straight RBI singles — starting with Pritchard and ending with freshman shortstop Angelina Stile against Shen sophomore reliever Emily Albanese.
"I told them singles would win this game," Fifield said.
"We were very confident coming in," Ballston Spa third baseman Grace Thompson said.
That confidence never wavered for the Scotties, even after Shen senior first baseman Kelly Barkevich clubbed a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
"They are a really good team with really good bats, so it is awesome we came out on top," Ashlyn Kersch said.
The Scotties return to action June 3 at Luther Forest Athletic Fields for a state quarterfinal showdown against the Section III (Syracuse area) champion.
"We have no idea what we expect moving forward," Ashlyn Kersch said.
jallen@timesunion.com • 518-454-5062 • @TUSidelines
http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Ballston-Spa-tops-Shen-for-1-st-softball-7950471.php
