NYSPHSAA SOFTBALL: THREE-RUN 8TH INNING LIFTS HORSEHEADS INTO STATE TITLE GAME (24 PHOTOS) (2025-06-13)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — A three-run lead was down to one, and the tying run stood at third base.

Horseheads pitcher Megan Wolf pointed into catcher Presely McInnis. The message was clear. It’s just you and me.

And, Wolf went to work, striking out a Clarkstown South pinch hitter to end the game and give Horseheads a 6-5 win and a trip to the Class AA state championship game.

“When you get a three-run lead, which is huge, you need outs,” Wolf said. “When you work with your catcher like that you get a feel for each other and I just said it’s you and me and we will work together.”

For Horseheads it’s special to earn a trip to the state finals, as they look for their first state title in nearly 30 years.

“First off, hats off to Clarkstown South,” Horseheads coach Paul Richmond said. “I get teary eyed for another reason this time of year. Because, I hate to see teams lose and cry. We both had timely hits, we both made mistakes, and luckily we made few than them.

“We just battle, we have been doing it all year. Their energy is always good, even when they go down. Hats off to our kids, that make mistakes to gather their forces and know there is always another time to pick your team up.

“They picked me up when I got Meg thrown out at home. I never send kids with no outs, but the adrenaline got the best of me. But, they just looked at me and said we’ve got you.”

The game was cruising along as it was scoreless through three innings.

In the fourth Raegan Burge hit a one-out home run to put the Blue Raiders on top.

Clarkstown South came back in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out, two-run single to take a 2-1 lead in the game.

Clarkstown South went up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth as they scored on a wild pitch.

Down to their last six outs, the top of the lineup did what they have done all season long and came through in the clutch.

“I can’t say enough about them,” Richmond said. “They are so much fun, they have short term memories every time they are up and they just like to hit.  I think that’s special when you have girls who want to swing the bat and the middle of our lineup did enough to keep us going. We almost feel like our 8 hitter is the leadoff spot because our 1-2-3 hitters have more RBI than you think possible being the leadoff it’s because the back of our lineup causes enough chaos that they can turn it over.”

Wolf singled and Caitlin Yearick doubled, but that’s when Wolf was thrown out at home, leaving Yearick at third. Burge walked and Chloe Perritt hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

The game went to the eighth inning tied, but again it came to the top of the lineup.

“We are just a fighting team,” Wolf said. “I think that shows the whole year. We fight to the end and that’s what we did today. I felt great knowing I was going to hit again and I could make a change.”

Wolf hit a one-out single and Yearick drove a double to left. The lefifielder slipped and Yearick moved to third on the throw with Wolf scoring.

“It was good for me after a bad inning,” Yearick said of the hit after she had a mistake defensively. “I was able to come back and lift myself up. I saw her (slip), I was on my course. I started going (to third). It really cleared my head. I knew I was stressed going up to bat. I knew I had to pick myself up and I was lucky to get a pitch I could hit and I did.”

Burge then walked and Chloe Perritt hit a two-run bloop single.

“You just have to do a job, you have to get those walks, walks are amazing, that means runners on base,” Burge said.

The game went to the bottom of the eighth with the Blue Raiders up 6-3.

“My mindset was three outs, that’s what we need,” Yearick said.

There were some tense moments as Clarkstown South walked and hit back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs.

While it was a nervous time, Wolf was up to the challenge.

“I thought the pressure was a good thing,” Wolf said. “It was cool, it was a cool atmosphere to be in. There were people watching so you had a pit in your stomach, but you had control.

Wolf got a strikeout. There was then a walk to bring in a run and make it 6-4. A comebacker to Wolf led to an out at home, but a throw to first to try and get the double play got away, making it 6-5, setting up the Wolf strikeout to end the game.

Saturday will be a special day for Horseheads athletics. The softball team plays Orchard Park at 1 p.m. in the state final at Greenlight Grand Slam Park. That game is after baseball plays Fox Lane at 10 a.m. at Binghamton University in the baseball state final.

“It’s very cool to be able to do it with them and be right beside them, we are ready to go,” Wolf said. “I think we are both ready for tomorrow and ready to come home with some hardware.

“We were watching (the baseball semifinal) on the way here on the bus. It was great to see them here. We are happy for them, we hope they are happy for us. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”

The baseball team was there on Saturday watching the girls win their game.

“Having them come and support after their game today, it was great knowing we have the whole school supporting and having each other’s backs,” Burge said.

Now, it’s back to Greenlight Park, where the Blue Raiders have played as many times as they played at home this year.

“This is like our home field, so we can’t wait to come back tomorrow,” Wolf said.
————
PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:


Print Friendly Version