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H.S. SOFTBALL: CORNING WRAPS UP STAC WEST TITLE WITH WIN OVER HORSEHEADS (24 PHOTOS) (2022-05-05)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — The Corning softball team has some big goals this year.

On Thursday they wrapped up one of those goals as they defeated Horseheads 8-3 to wrap up the STAC West title.

“Obviously our goal every year is No. 1 to clinch the STAC West league title,” Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. said. “I thought that we got a really good effort tonight from the middle to the bottom of the order.

“We had three starters that didn’t even play tonight. Our first four hitters are mashers, they find ways to create offense. But, I thought it was the people at the bottom of the order that was the difference makers today. Megan Wolf a game ago when we played them at home came in and threw really hard and I think our kids made great adjustments.”

While the top four in the lineup had six hits int he game, the next five in the lineup had eight hits.

“Kendall Curreri, Payton Sullivan, Olivia Keegan, Jillian Austin, Daphne Sherman and Sadie Beres, they went up to the plate today and they competed,” Johnston Jr. said. “I’m extremely proud of them. With three kids not even in the lineup today they went out and showed their hard work is paying off.”

Corning jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but a Rachel Lunger two-run home run in the second cut the deficit to 3-2.

Corning got three in the third, a run in the fourth and a run in the sixth and led 8-2, before Eva Koratsis hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to cap the scoring.

Kelsey Booker, Curreri and Sullivan all had three hits for the Hawks. Booker had a pair of doubles, two RBI and two runs scored and Curreri had a pair of RBI and a run scored, while Sullivan had two RBI.

Atalyia Rijo had two hits and scored two runs and Ellie DeRosa had a double and scored two runs, while Keegan had a hit and an RBI and Beres had a hit and Kellie Zoerb scored a run.

While the Corning offense had 14 hits on the day, the pitchers combined to limit Horseheads to four hits on the day.

“We know they have a really good lineup,” Johnston Jr. said. “They can hit the heck out of it. We gave up four hits today and two were home runs. They have home run power, especially through the middle of the lineup. I thought we played great defense behind them.

“Payton did a great job for 5 2/3 innings and Jillian Austin did a great job closing the game out. They do great working together. Kudos to them, they got another big win. It’s one win. It’s exciting for the kids, they are the STAC West League Champions. We still have two more league games and a non-league game then we play in the STAC Conference Championships. I’m proud of what they have accomplished, they have accomplished goal number one this year.”

Sullivan struck out five in 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits for the Hawks. Austin went 1 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit.

Along with the Lunger and Koratsis home runs, Molly Wolf had a double and Maddie Matkosky had a hit.

Megan Wolf worked four innings, striking out four and Matkosky struck out one in three innings.

Corning, ranked No. 4 in Class AA in the state, is now 13-1 on the year.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES


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