It’s been said in the sports world that a Mom is unquestionably their sons and daughters biggest fan.  Fiercely loyal to their children, whether they’re a star player or one that sees limited playing time.  Starting in Little League and for some on into college, Moms show out in full support, sport after sport, year after year.

I was fortunate to have a Mom like that.

She learned about sports that I played, and learned well.  She could keep a baseball book better than most.  Tough, but fair as she was in life, everybody had to earn hits, for if she thought the play should have been made an error went in the book and the batting average dipped.  Her book showed pitch count, where base hits landed and backward K’s signifying a strikeout looking.

In basketball seasons she didn’t keep stats, just a sharp eye on the action.  She grew to understood the game well.  Man vs. zone, what a box out meant, and why rebounding and taking care of the ball, while not as flashy as scoring, more times that not proved the difference between a win and a loss.  At night’s end she might share who shot it too much and who needed to shoot more.  Most times she was on the money.

In terms of officials, where people can get a little crazy, to Mom they were just part of the game, although I’m sure she thought I got fouled every time I drove to the basket.  I do remember after a high school baseball game in my junior year Mom having a conversation with the home plate umpire.

We had won the game 3-0 and I had thrown that day.  We’re picking up the equipment in the dugout and I see her getting her point across to the official behind the backstop. When I got home and asked her about it, Mom, who sat in the bleachers right behind home plate, said she told him his strike zone was too tight and that there were corners on that plate.  This coming after a win.  You’ve gotta love that.

I think of how much grass stain and dirt was washed out of baseball pants and how many socks washed and folded in basketball seasons.  I remember one night forgetting the uniform socks we wore for basketball at the Valley.  Played that night in Cambridge in just my white socks to which a friend of the family kidded Mom saying must be she hadn’t done the laundry.  She assured him she had and that the socks were on my bedroom chair.  She was right, because they always were.

Finally, if I had a string of good games and everyone was patting me on the back, she had the ability to keep me grounded never wanting me to think I was all that.  More importantly, when I struggled during a season, her undying support was at it’s strongest.

On this Mother’s Day I hope everyone takes the time to celebrate with their Moms, or to remember the woman that in the game of life, was far and away our biggest fan.

Greenwich 6   Broadalbin 4

WP:  Calvin Curtis 4.1 IP 2 Hits 3 Runs 2 ER 4 K’s              Joey Skiff 1.2 IP 1 Hit 0 Runs 2 K’s  Save                         LP:  T.J. Platt

Hitting Stars:  Witches – Eli Strasswimmer 1B, 3B, 3 RBI’s       Jack Fortier 3 1B’s        Aidan Waite 2B, RBI        Broadalbin – Garrett Jackowski HR       Colin Cotter HR, 2 RBI’s   

Take Away:  The Witches never trailed in posting the tight nonleague “W” over Broadalbin. 

Spa Catholic 9   Corinth 2

WP:  Aiden Crowther 6 IP 3 Hits 1 Run 4 K’s                         LP:  Kaiden Wright 

Hitting Stars:  Saints – Pierce Byrne 3-4, 2 RBI’s        Tomahawks – Kaiden Wright 2B        Eddie McQuire 3B

Take Away:  The Saints built a 7-1 advantage after four frames and cruised to the win in the first round of the 34th annual Phil Waring Memorial Tournament.

Spa Catholic 12   Schuylerville 1

WP:  Pierce Byrne 5 IP 3 Hits 1 Run 0 ER 6 K’s                                    LP:  Alex Luzadis

Hitting Stars:  Saints – Aiden Crowther 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI’s        Ronan Rowe 2B

Take Away:  The Saints use a strong outing from Byrne, who was named tournament MVP, to win the championship of the Phil Waring Tournament.  The victory was the 600th in the stellar career of Spa Catholic’s Phonzie Lambert. With the victory the Saints move to 17-3 on the year.  

Tamarac 26   Berlin/New Lebanon 3

WP:  James Blake 3.1 IP 2 Hits 1 Run 0 ER 3 BB’s 6 K’s                            LP:  Konnor McMillan 6 IP 20 Hits 26 Runs 17 ER 6 BB’s 4 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Bengals – Tyler Sears 4-5, 2 2B’s, HR, 5 RBI’s           Nevin Wilkie 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI’s        J. Smith 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI’s      Mountaineers – A. VanDyke 1-3, 2 RBI’s

Take Away:  A 10-run first set the tone Tamarac’s one-sided decision over the Mountaineers on a day that was the Bengal’s annual fund-raising game to support pediatric cancer awareness with all proceeds going to the “Melodies Center” in Albany to help fund programs for children fighting cancer.

Stillwater 7   Galway 1

WP:  Eden Resch 7 IP 4 Hits 1 Run 1 ER 0 BB’s 10 K’s                          LP:  A. Kolpakas 6 IP 5 Hits 7 Runs 4 ER 1 BB’s 12 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Warriors – Eden Resch 2-3, RBI        L. Thompson 1-2, RBI         Galway. A. Kolpakas 1-3, RBI

Take Away:  Resch allowed a run in the first and shut the door the rest of the way leading the Warriors to the nonleague win over Galway.  

Saratoga Catholic 12   Glens Falls 3

WP:  Tyler Weygand 6 IP 4 Hits 3 Runs 3 ER 1 BB 8 K’s                              LP:  Caden Wilkinson

Hitting Stars:  Saints – Carson Mosher 3-4, RBI            Pierce Byrne 2-4, 2B, RBI             Ronan Rowe 2-4, 2 RBI’s        GF – Dylan Baker 3B

Take Away:  Glens Falls jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first, but the Saints responded with a four-run, bottom half and were never headed in posting the nonleague win over Glens Falls.  With the victory Spa Catholic moves to 12-3, 15-3 on the season.

Mechanicville 6   Tamarac 5

WP:  Chris Couser 2 IP 4 Hits 1 Run 1 ER 0 BB’s 2 K’s                       LP:  Peyton Richardson 6IP 6 Hits 4 Runs 3 ER 2 BB’s 7 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Red Raiders – Chris Couser 1-4, 2 RBI’s         Colin Richardson 1-2, 2B, RBI        Joey Devito 1-2, RBI         Fen Egan 1-3, 2B                  Bengals – James Blake 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI’s          C. Hernick 2-4, RBI         Peyton Richardson 1-3, 2B

Take Away:  In a back-and-forth game that saw six lead changes, Chris Couser’s two-run single in the bottom of the sixth proved the difference maker, giving Mechanicville a 6-5 advantage and Zach Pingelski closed things out with a scoreless seventh frame, to earn the save.  Tamarac outhit the Raiders 10-7 and held leads of 1-0, 3-2, and 5-4 before Couser’s game-winning at bat.  

Greenwich 5   Tamarac 4

WP:  Reegan Mullen 7 IP 5 Hits 4 Runs 6 K’s                                                       LP:  Moira Collins 6.2 IP 11 Hits 5 Runs 7 K’s

Hitting Stars: Witches – Morgan Randall 2 1B’s, 2B         Norah Niesz 1B, 2B, RBI         Sofia Boice 1B, RBI        Kiera Kirk 1B, 2 RBI’s                                Bengals – Mackenna Ashe 2 1B’s, 2B          Bella Delorenzo 2B          Cam McClurg 2B    

Take Away:  After Tamarac had pushed across a run in the seventh to tie things at 4-4 Greenwich mounted its game winning rally in the bottom of the frame.  Brooke Kuzmich started with a one-out single and after the second out, Grace Autiello followed with a double putting runners on second and third for Sophia Boice who singled to left plating Kuzmich with the game-winner and the Wasaren championship for the Witches.  Greenwich outhit the Bengals 11-5 in the game with every player in the Witches lineup hitting safely.  

Stillwater 18   Spa Catholic 0

WP:  Abby Russell 5 IP 1 Hit 0 Runs 1 BB 5 K’s                                    LP:  Grace Schaefer 1 IP 6 Hits 11 Runs 2 ER 2 BB’s

Hitting Stars:  Warriors – Eden Resch 2-4, HR, 6 RBI’s        K. Coogan 4-4, RBI        Piper Morris 2-3, 3 RBI’s        J. Bouleris 2-4, 2B, RBI

Take Away:  Stillwater scored 11 times in the first frame and cruised to the five-inning victory over the Saints.  

Hoosick Falls 14   Waterford 4

WP:  Eli King

Hitting Stars:  Panthers – Andrew Sparks 2 3B’s, 3 RBI’s             Ryan Sparks 1B, 2B, 2 RBI’s          Cole Ziehm 1B< 2B, 2 RBI’s      Fordians – Josh Catanzarita 1B, RBI         Logan Kelly 1B. RBI

Take Away:  The Falls took control with an eight-run third, on their way to the comfortable home win, the 400th in Mike Lilac Jr.’s incredible coaching career.  With the “W” Hoosick Falls improves to 9-7, 12-8 on the year.  

Stillwater 7   Hoosic Valley 3

WP:  Shea Brown 7 IP 3 Hits 3 Runs 0 ER 6 BB’s 15 K’s                              LP:  Johnson 7 IP 13 Hits 7 Runs 7 ER 2 BB’s 5 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Warriors – Jaxon Mueller 2-5, 2 HR’s 3 RBI’s        Carter Wicheins 3-4          Shea Brown 2-4, HR, 2 RBI’s       Valley – Brown 1-3, 3B

Take Away:  Stillwater outhit the Valley 13-3 and sealed the victory with a four-run sixth.  

Greenwich 8   Tamarac 6

WP:  Cooper Skiff 2 IP 1 Hit 0 Runs 2 K’s        Dutch Hamilton 5 IP 5 Hits 6 Runs 3 ER 2 BB’s 7 K’s     LP:  Liam Ring 3 IP 6 Hits 4 Runs 4 ER 4 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Witches – Joey Skiff  2 1B’s, 3B, 2 RBI’s        Eli Strasswimmer 2 1B’s, 3 RBI’s        Dutch Hamilton 2B        

Take Away:  The Witches plated a pair in the bottom half of the sixth, breaking a 4-4 deadlock, and closed things out for the home “W”.  Greenwich improves to 9-7, 9-10 on the season while Tamarac moves to 10-4, 11-6.  

Spa Catholic 30   Berlin/New Lebanon 0   game one

WP:  Brian Selig 5 IP 1 Hit 0 Runs 1 BB 8 K’s                           LP:  K. McMillan

Hitting Stars:  Saints – Kam Cox 6-7, 2 2B’s, 2 RBI’s          Kihl Kelly 4-7         Ronan Rowe 3-4, 3B, 6 RBI’s 

Take Away:   The eight-grader Selig picks up the pitching win in his first career start and the Saints bats produce 30 runs on 20 hits.

Saratoga Catholic 6   Berlin/New Lebanon 0

WP:  Chris Lockwood 7 IP 2 Hits 0 Runs 2 BB’s 11 K’s             LP:  Tyler Shuhart

Hitting Stars:  Saints – Pierce Byrne 2-3, 3B, RBI         Ronan Rowe 2-3, 2B, RBI          Hunter Fales 2-3         Aiden Crowther 2-3

Take Away:  Lockwood spins a one-hit, beauty with 11 punchouts in leading the Saints to the sweep of the Mountaineers. 

Greenwich 2   Stillwater 1

WP:  Sofia Boice 7IP 5 Hits 1 Run 1 ER 5 K’s                                      LP:  Eden Resch 7 IP 5 Hits 2 Runs 2 ER 3 BB’s 9 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Witches – K. Kirk 2-2, 2 RBI’s               Warriors – L. Russell 1-3, 2B

Take Away:  In a pitcher’s duel between Boice and Resch Greenwich broke a 1-1 tie with a single run in the fourth and made it stand, posting the road win over the Warriors.

Tamarac 6   Greenwich 0

WP:  Toni DeLorenzo 7 IP 6 Hits 0 Runs 4 K’s                                    LP:  Alexa Jansen 6 IP 8 Hits 5 Runs 2 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Bengals – Toni DeLorenzo 2-4, RBI         Bella DeLorenzo 2-2                 Erin Lee 2-4, 2 RBI’s              Witches – Reese Autiello 2-3           Morgan Randall 2-3

Take Away:  Toni DeLorenzo scattered six singles in shutting out the Witches and was backed by a Bengal defense that played errorless softball.  Tamarac used a 3-run fifth to take control and with the win ran their season mark to 13-0, 16-0.   

Hoosic Valley 11   Cambridge 7

WP:  Olivia Cappellano 7 IP 9 Hits 7 Runs 6 ER 2 BB’s 4 K’s           LP:  Lauren Archambeault 6 IP 13 Hits 11 Runs 8 ER 4 BB’s 10 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Valley – Riley Caiazza 4-4, 2B, 2 HR’s, 7 RBI’s        Lainey Bochette 3-4        Izzy Finkle 1-4, 2 RBI’s         Cambridge – I. Darfler 2-4, 3 RBI’s        I. Patterson 2-4, RBI               P. Drew 1-3, 2 RBI’s

Take Away:  Caiazza has a day for herself going 4-4 with three extra base hits including a pair of jacks and drives in seven, leading the Valley past Cambridge in Schaghticoke on Wednesday afternoon.  

Spa Catholic 10   Fort Ann 2

WP:  Hailey Ogniewski 7 IP 5 Hits 2 Runs 8 K’s                             LP:  Blondin

Hitting Stars: Saints – Allison Fuller 3 1Bs          Grace Schaefer 2 1B’s        Ryan Looby 2 1B’s       Kerry Gill 2 1B’s

Take Away:  The Saints earn the nonleague win behind a complete game outing from Ogniewski.  

Hoosick Falls 22   Cambridge/ Salem 0

WP:  Luke Nicholas five inning no-hitter

Hitting Stars:  Panthers – Jake Sparks – 3 1B’s, 2B, 3 RBI’s        Andrew Sparks 2 2B’s, 2 RBI’s        Ryan Sparks 3 1B’s, 3 RBI’s     

Take Away:  Freshman Luke Nicholas spins a five-inning (mercy rule) no-hitter, and the Falls hangs crooked numbers in every inning with the Sparks brothers collecting all nine Panther hits in the one-sided decision over Cambridge/Salem.

Mechanicville 21   Berlin/New Lebanon 5

WP:  Will Coreno             LP:  Nick Mosher

Hitting Stars:  Red Raiders – Scotty Lynch 3-3, HR, RBI             Fen Egan 4-5, 3B, 6 RBI’s            Mountaineers – Tyler Shuhart 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI’s            Jake Bosso 2-3, HR, RBI

Take Away:  Mechanicville secures the road “W” led by Coreno on the hill and Egan at the plate.  

Hoosick Falls 22   Waterford 2

WP:  Jake Sparks 7 IP 2 Runs 3 Hits 15 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Panthers – Jake Sparks 1B, 2B, 3B, 2-Run HR, 3- Run HR, Grand Slam                     Fordians – Werkie Hayes 2 1B’s

Take Away:  Jake Sparks enjoys a great month at the plate on a Tuesday evening at Kelt’s Stadium in Waterford, hitting three balls out, going for the cycle and driving in a school record, 14 runs.  The senior Panther also picked up the pitching win going the distance with 15 punchouts.  Simply awesome.  With the win the Falls improves to 8-7, 10-8 on the year.  

Tamarac 10   Greenwich 8

WP:  Peyton Richardson 4 IP 1 Hit 3 Runs 3 ER 6 BB’s 4 K’s                          LP:  Ryan Ingber 1 IP 3 Hits 7 Runs 6 ER 5 BB’s 1 K

Hitting Stars:  Bengals – James Blake 1-3, HR, 3 RBI’s        Peyton Richardson 1-3, 2B, RBI         Witches – Ryan Ingber 3-5, 2 2B’s, RBI        Robert Barnes 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI’s

Take Away:  Tamarac built a 7-1 advantage after two frames and held off the Witches for the win at Clum’s Corners.  

Stillwater 3   Hoosic Valley 2

WP:  Matt Campion 7 IP 9 Hits 2 Runs 2 ER 2 BB’s 7 K’s            LP:  C. King 6 IP 4 Hits 3 Runs 3 ER 4 BB”s 9 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Warriors – Jaxon Mueller 2-3, HR, RBI         Carter Wicheins 1-3, RBI              Valley – Landon Reilly 3-4, 3 2B’s, RBI        C. King 1-4, 2B

Take Away:  The Warriors trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth, where they plated three runs that proved to be the difference in the narrow home victory over the Valley.

Cambridge 11   Emma Willard 7

Hitting Stars:  Cambridge – Emily DeSanza 2-5, 2B        Isabel Darfler 2-4        Patterson 2-4               Jesters –  Margarette Howland 2-3, 2B       Olana Schillinger 2-4

Greenwich 7   Waterford 0

WP:  Cooper Skiff 7 IP 2 Hits 0 Runs 2 BB’s 8 K’s                    LP:  Matt Soden 

Hitting Stars:  Witches – Chris Knapp 1B, 2 RBI’s          Joy Skiff 2B

Take Away:  Cooper Skiff spins a two-hitter, and the Witches use a five run third to take control on their way to the home “W” over Waterford.   

Hoosick Falls 12   Lake George 2

WP:  Ben Smith  

Hitting Stars:  AJ Brown 2 1B’s, 2 RBI’s            Andrew Sparks 2 1B’s, RBI        Connor MacNeil 2 1B’s

Take Away:  The Panthers post the nonleague win in a five-inning game where the Falls put 12 runs in the board in just four offensive frames.  With the win Hoosick Falls moves to 7-7, 8-9 on the year.

Spa Catholic 1   Albany 0  (10)

WP:  Ryan Gillis 2 IP 0 Runs 1 Hits 1 BB 3 K’s           LP:  Ben Viganni 

Hitting Stars:  Saints – Hunter Fales 2-4, 2B          Pierce Byrne 1-4           Falcons – Nyzier Bickley 1-3, 2B

Take Away:  A game that saw both pitchers dominate, with Saints freshman Pierce Byrne throwing eight innings of one-hit ball and fanning 19, ended when Byrne scored from third on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th.  Gillis picks up the win in relief as the Saints go to 12-3 on the season with the win at Veteran’s Memorial Park on Monday night.    

Stillwater 5   Hoosick Falls 0

WP:  Eden Resch 7 IP 6 Hits 0 Runs 2 BB’s 8 K’s              LP:  K. Boisvert 6 IP 3 Hits 5 Runs 2 ER 6 BB’s 16 K’s  

Hitting Stars:  Warriors – Kate Coogan 1-3, 3B, RBI        Sofia Perniciaro 1-3, RBI                    Falls – Erin Conety 3-3           Mary Walker 2-3 

Take Away:  Resch limits the Falls to six singles and the Warrior attack parlay’s three hits and six walks into enough offense to notch the home victory.

Tamarac 16   Cambridge 3

WP: Moira Collins 4 IP 0 Runs 1 Hit 8 K’s      Toni DeLorenzo 3 IP 2 Runs 5 Hits 6 K’s      LP:  Archambeault 7 IP 16 Runs 12 Hits  5 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Bengals – Moira Colins 2-4, 2B, 3B, 5 RBI’s         Addy Ferris 3-4, 2 RBI’s        Mihaly Blake 2-3, 2 RBI’s         Cambridge – Archambeault 2B, RBI

Take Away:  Tamarac pounded 12 hits with Blake, Collins, Ferris and Castiglione all enjoying multiple hit afternoons, as the Bengals cruise to their 15th win in as many outings. 

Greenwich 5   Mechanicville 2

WP:  Reegan Mullen 7 IP 2 Runs 2 Hits 8 K’s           LP:  Paige Rogers 6 IP 5 Runs 7 Hits 4 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Witches – Reegan Mullen HR, RBI        Brooke Kuzmich 2B, RBI              Sophia Boice 1B, 2 RBI’s       Raiders – Allie Kenyon 1B         Amma LaPierre 1B    

Take Away:  Mullen holds the Raiders bats to a pair of singles in the home “W”.

Hoosic Valley 12   Berlin/New Lebanon 0

WP:  Lainey Bochette 5 IP 3 Hits 0 Runs 5 K’s                          LP:  Harmon 4.1 IP 14 Hits 12 Runs 10 ER 3 BB’s 5 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Valley – Riley Caiazza 4-4, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI’s        P. Gela 2-3, 2 RBI’s        E. Waldron 2-2, 3B         Lainey Bochette 2-3, RBI

Take Away:  Bochette handcuffs the Mountaineers on just three safeties and the Valley rolls to the victory in Schaghticoke.  

Join us for a look at the Tamarac softball squad in our opening segment and our top five along with our Player of the Week selection.

Mechanicville 9    Hoosic Valley 0

WP:  Zach Pingelski 4 IP 1 Hit 0 Runs 2 BB’s 4 K’s                                      LP:  Johnson 6 IP 11 Hits 9 Runs 8 ER 4 BB’s 6 K’s

Hitting Stars:  Red Raiders – Colin Richardson 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI’s        Will Coreno 3-4, RBI        Chris Couser 2-3, 2B  

Take Away:  Pingelski and Chris Couser combined for the shutout limiting the Valley to just three singles on the day.  Mechanicville plated four in the first frame highlighted by Richardson’s two-run jack.  The Raiders added a run in the fifth and four more in the sixth to round out the scoring.  Mechanicville tallied 11 hits in the contest with seven Raiders hitting safely.