A quick pitching change and incessant hitting propelled the Rye Softball Team into the quarterfinals of the Class A playoffs on Thursday, May 22, as the Garnets defeated Pleasantville 13-3 in five innings. The #10 Garnets scored thirteen unanswered runs to upset the #7 Panthers to move past the play-in round and keep their season alive.
“I’m very proud of the way they played,” Head Coach Alex Tejera said of his team’s performance. “We were able to get some timely hitting and some great pitching to help us win.”
Rye torched the Panthers for 13 runs on 19 (!) hits while staying active on the basepaths with eight stolen bases in just five innings. Jill DeSanto went 4-5 with three swipes to highlight the elite offense, backed by three hits and 2 RBIs from Ava Rollano. Penelope Gilmore had two hits, two steals, two RBIs, and three runs, while Ava Cross, Olivia Hodes, and Clara Mezskat all shined as well.
The undisputed MVP from the day, however, was Caroline Joyce. The sophomore threw 5.1 innings in relief, striking out nine Panthers and allowing zero runs for the victory. It was as close to a complete game shutout as you can get. She also had two hits, two RBIs, two steals, a double, and three runs at the plate – Ohtani-esque.
#10 Rye (8-11-1) advances to the Class A quarterfinals, where they will head to Ardsley to battle the #2 Panthers. The Garnets have not yet played Ardsley this season. View the entire Section 1 Class A bracket here.
