HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: MILAZZO DOMINANT ON THE MOUND AS EDISON ADVANCES TO STATE FINAL FOUR (24 PHOTOS) (2023-06-02)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ENDICOTT — When you get great pitching and defense you are going to win a lot of softball games.

The Edison softball team played their fourth playoff game on Friday afternoon as they beat Cooperstown 6-1 in the regional final at Union-Endicott High School.

In those four games the Spartans have allowed a grand total of three runs and now after Friday’s win they are headed to the state final four.

“I think recognizing every moment as a memory, as a huge part,” Edison coach Liz Warren said of one of the things that’s helped her team. “This was our goal to get through the regional game and now we can set our sights on just another memory together. We are living in the moment and we are working hard and what happens next, happens next and we hope it’s the ultimate goal.”

After the first sectional game of the postseason Warren told the team one down, five to go. Three wins later and the Spartans number is now down to two more wins needed to capture a state title.

“I think it’s what makes us keep going and it’s kind of our end goal,” catcher Emily Aiello said.

Gabby Milazzo went the distance for Edison, allowing eight hits and an unearned run, walking just one and striking out nine for the Spartans.

In three playoff starts the Spartans ace, whose sister Izzy won a state title with Notre Dame, has allowed no earned runs, and walked just four, while striking out 21 batters.

“Gabby is a workhorse, absolutely,” Warren said. “She’s learned to put a lot of trust in her defense, but she also knows when it’s time to grind and get it on her own and she did that today. I’m really impressed, especially with the heat how deep she dug to get those outs.”

For Milazzo she hasn’t done anything different recently, just kept working hard and hitting her spots.

“I don’t really think so,” Milazzo said of doing anything different. “I think just working harder in practice. I think you just have to know what spots are going to work.”

Aiello knows how much work her and Milazzo put in to make the pitcher/catcher combination work in big games.

“It’s definitely a lot of work, knowing where the batters will swing,” Aiello said. “She does a really good job working the zone and getting those strikes.”

One thing that stands out to Warren is how calm Milazzo stays during games.

“Total workhorse, it’s amazing,” Warren said. “One thing I really admire about her is the way she stays so calm and collected. Even if she is missing a spot, or someone hits off her she comes right back and fires. You can’t ask for anything more out of a pitcher.”

 Edison scored first on Friday, but Cooperstown tied things in the top of the fourth inning.

The Spartans never got down, they came right back with two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth on their way to the win.

“That was really good, I think it made us all more comfortable,” Milazzo said of coming right back offensively.

“I think it made us gain confidence to go the rest of the game,” Aiello said.

The Spartans knew all about close games after edging Greene 1-0 in the sectional semifinals and then topping Notre Dame 2-1 in the final.

“We have definitely put the focus on giving nothing and having the other team earn everything, while we earn everything as well,” Warren said. “So, keeping our defense as tight as we can, being smart with the ball and I think that’s definitely paid off. Even with runs up on the board we knew we couldn’t breathe too much because Cooperstown was fighting until the end. It was nice to have that experience (of those close games).”

“I think it kind of taught us how to bounce back and do what we have to do,” Aiello said of those games.

Cooperstown came right out in the opening inning and started the game with a single and then they got a walk. They had runners on second and third with one out before Milazzo got a strikeout and pop out to end the inning.

Edison got on the board in the bottom of the first as Brianna Korsky singled to start the inning and moved to second, and third. Korsky scored on a Milazzo single.

Cooperstown had another leadoff single in the second inning and a two-out single put runners on second and third for the second straight inning. Again Milazzo got the strikeout to end the threat.

“It definitely was a little nervous for me,” Milazzo said of those early innings.

“We had to work the zone a little bit more than we normally do, but we were able to,” Aiello said.

The game stayed scoreless into the fourth when Cooperstown hit a fly ball that resulted in an error leaving the runner on third. A one-out sacrifice fly tied the game at one.

“They (the nerves) skyrocketed at that point, but I think we all knew what we had to do,” Milazzo said.

In the bottom of the fourth Milazzo reached on an error and Mariana Jones-Frosolone doubled to move pinch-runner Charlee Stroman to third. After a fielder’s choice left Stroman out at home and runners on second and third, Kailey Ripley reached on an error scoring both Jones-Frosolone and Maliyah McIver.

Cooperstown had a single in the top of the fifth, but Milazzo got two straight outs, the first a strikeout, to keep it a 3-1 game.

In the bottom of the fifth Carissa Cowan hit a one-out triple and Korsky doubled to bring home Cowan. Emma Maggs walked and Milazzo singled home Korsky. Jones-Frosolone grounded out scoring pinch-runner Stroman.

For Edison having the game in Section IV was a help.

‘It felt good to have the home team advantage,” Aiello said.

The closer game also allowed for more family and friends at the game.

“I think it felt really good to see them all,” Milazzo said.

Korsky had two hits, with a double, an RBI and two runs scored and Milazzo had two hits and two RBI.

Cowan had the triple and scored a run and Jones-Frosolone had a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Maddison Pack had a hit and McIver and Maggs scored runs, while Ripley had two RBI and walked twice.

Edison heads to the state semifinals at 6 p.m. on June 9 at Moriches Athletic Complex on Long Island. They will face Gowanda, a 5-0 winnower over Bolivar-Richburg in the semifinals.
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IN TOP PHOTO: Edison’s Gabby Milazzo. . . PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES