The rematch of Monday’s contest between this two league rivals went in similar fashion as it did on Monday. The Rams defeated the Mounties 2-1 over at Clarkstown North.
The Rams were able to take the lead early on an RBI double by Amanda Cooper in the bottom of the first inning but that was it. Clarkstown North couldn’t get the big hit when they needed it for most of the game. They left nine girls on base. They did get the RBI they needed from Danielle DeStaso on an RBI single.
One of the things that I love the most about Clarkstown North is their heart because they don’t give up but they need to do a better job getting the clutch hit. You can’t leave nine girls on base against the better teams in AA and expect to win. That fact is something that both Cooper and DeStaso both harped upon.
This was my first shot to see the Mounties in action this year and I must say that I’m very impressed with this team. These kids hustle and are scrappers. They didn’t get out to a quick start but they didn’t give up. They were in this game the entire time. But just like Clarkstown North, they couldn’t string enough hits together and get the big hit when they needed too. The Mounties also stranded six girls on base. After a lead-off double by Ilana Negron, she came around to score on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.
This Mounties has a lot of good veteran leadership in Lindsay Cohen, Casey Macchia (left), Michaela Marquit, Dana Leuzzi and that leadership will help the girls later on down the road.
I also have to say, if you missed it on twitter, that Sam O’Brien, who started at shortstop for the Mounties today, made an amazing grab in the second inning to rob DeStaso of an RBI hit.
Now I’ve got to talk about the pitching matchup between DeStaso and eighth grader Katie Wood.
DeStaso (far right) is an amazing pitcher. She didn’t have a typical outing but what I love the most is that she’s fearless and can get out of trouble with her arsenal of pitches. She pitched a five-hitter allowing an unearned run, a walk and struck out eight but this was the most that I’ve ever seen her in trouble. She had runners in scoring position three times and the run that scored in the top of the seventh was on a wild pitch. I think I can count on one hand, for as long as I’ve seen DeStaso play, that she’s thrown a wild pitch.
Wood allowed two earned runs, eight hits, one walk, and struck out two. These numbers a just a bit deceiving. This eighth grader was for a good portion of the game matching out for out with DeStaso, who many of you can say (myself included) is one of the best in Rockland. Mounties coach Jim Lloyd said to me for the notebook last week that one of the things he loves about his young pitchers, which includes sophomore Melissa Soleimani, is that when they are even tempered. They don’t get to high and not to low. Wood had a lot of traffic on the bases but she really only made two mistakes the whole game and that was early on to Cooper and late in the game to DeStaso. Katie Wood is a gutsy, scrappy pitcher and it was a treat to watch her pitch.
As we wind down the season, the Conference IV-League A title is going to be a very interesting race. Keep an eye out next week especially for that North Rockland-Clarkstown North game early on in the week because that could be for the league title.
