Pearl River Overwhelms Somers in Section Softball Playoffs

The Pearl River softball team waited nearly two weeks between games before playing Somers at home Wednesday in the first round of the Section 1 Class A playoffs.

"Approaching sections, you want to get outside. You get anxious to play ball," Pearl River pitcher Mandy McCarthy said. "I think we took that into today's game. We were excited to be outside."

The No. 4 seeded Pirates showed that during the game, starting fast and never letting up in a 15-0 victory over No. 20 Somers that was stopped in the bottom of the sixth inning by the mercy rule. 

"We were the last seed," Somers Head Coach Bob Antonucci said. "We played the No. 4 seed. There is a reason they were No. 4. We knew we would have had to bring our A-plus game to beat them. We won one (playoff) game and we happened to run into a buzz saw."

Somers had the opposite problem from Pearl River. They also waited while rain wiped out most of the softball playoff games since the middle of last week, but the Tuskers had to play at Rye earlier in the afternoon in a preliminary-round game, one Somers won, 14-5. They then took the bus to Pearl River, arriving late after getting stuck in traffic. Wednesday's game started nearly an hour late at approximately 6:20 p.m.

"To go from one game to another like we did, it's just nuts. It's a long day," Antonucci said. "But honestly, they're a very good ball club, top to bottom. You can see the way they hit, the way the execute. Their pitcher is probably the best we've seen all year. She was very sharp. She made you swing the bats and she has good stuff. Her ball moved."

McCarthy dominated much of the game, striking out the first four batters she faced and eight total in the game. She gave up two hits and two walks in six shutout innings. She thought the break between games, which was nearly two weeks because Pearl River played its last regular-season game May 16, may have been a positive. 

"I think the week off helped me," McCarthy said. "Getting a little mental relaxation. (Also) the defense played phenomenal behind me. It was all them."

Offensively, Pearl River took advantage of the slow infield with bunts and infield hits.

"The ball was dying and we were seeing their defense not react to it, so we kept bunting," Pearl River Head Coach Carisa Gaylardo said. 

Junior shortstop Sam Alicandri got the Pirates started with a bunt single in the bottom of the first, coming around to score on a two-out single by Deirdre O'Malley. 

The Pirates broke the game open with a four-run second inning. The first six batters reached without a ball leaving the infield, then Erin Woods ripped an RBI single to the outfield. Seven batters reached and four runs came home before Somers recorded an out. 

Woods led a balanced offense, going 3-for-4 with a walk, recording RBI singles in the second, third and sixth innings. O'Malley was 2-for-3 with two walks, her second hit a double that brought McCarthy home with the run that ended the contest. McCarthy had just doubled home Woods. 

Pearl River will play in the quarterfinals at home against No. 5 Brewster Thursday at a time to be determined. Brewster defeated Nyack, 1-0, Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals. Unless there are more weather-related interruptions, the semifinals would be played Friday with the championship Saturday at North Rockland.