TRAVEL SOFTBALL: LOCALS HELP CONKLIN RAIDERS HAVE HISTORIC YEAR (2021-08-19)

A number of local softball players helped the Conklin Raiders 18u Gold establish themselves as one of the top travel programs in the nation this year. 

The team finished second in the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series Consolation Bracket, to finish 18th overall against some of the best teams in the nation in Tier 1. The field had 54 teams in Tier 1. 

>On the way to the consolation bracket championship game the team beat a team with 10 SEC commits on the roster (The EC Bullets Schnute). Extrainningssoftball.com announced their 'extra elite 100' list of the top 100 18u teams in the country and the Raiders were the only New York team to make the list. 

In the win over the Bullets the Raiders got an RBI hit from Eva Koratsis and Kalea Faulk had a big hit in the game. Olivia Lewis went six innings for the win for the Gold in that game and Grace Cadden and Kaitlyn Kibling drove in runs.

The Raiders have five seniors moving on to the next level, but they have added new players from Rochester, Vestal and Wellsville and have trips to Arizona and Tampa scheduled in the Fall. 

The team this summer included Elmira's Kaitlynn Place; Horseheads' Emma Loomis and Eva Koratsis and Corning's Sophia Polzella and Kalea Faulk. Place is a Monmouth commit and Koratsis is a Fordham commit. 

Place, Koratsis and Polzella are all back this fall for the Raiders. While Place and Koratsis are committed for college, Polzella is just a sophomore this year.