SECTION 4 SOFTBALL: YEARICK HAS MAGICAL FINAL GAME, BUT HORSEHEADS IS EDGED IN SECTION FINAL (15 PHOTOS) (May 30, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — Caitlin Yearick put on a show in her last high school game, but Vestal rallied late to top the Horseheads Blue Raiders 5-4 in nine innings in the Section IV, Class AA championship at Greenlight Grand Slam Park on Saturday. 

The game was scoreless into the bottom of the fourth when Vestal got two straight singles to start the inning and after a walk loaded the bases, they got an RBI ground out to go up 1-0.

It was still a 1-0 game in the top of the sixth when Yearick led off the inning with a solo home run. 

One inning later Kolby Chaffee doubled to lead off the inning and with two outs Grace Cronin drew a walk. Yearick then came to the plate and crushed a three-run home run. 

Yearick, a St. John’s commit, was intentionally walked in her final at bat, and doubled in her first at bat of the day as she went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and she drove in all four runs for the Blue Raiders. 

“That was pretty cool,” Yearick said. “I couldn’t have done much more. I am happy with it, not so much with the loss, but everyone gave it their all. I can’t ask for any more.”

In the bottom of the seventh KayLynn Tanton led off the inning with a single and Rachel Quintette bunted and reached on an error. Horseheads got Tanton out trying to score on the play. 

After a groundout that left a runner on with two outs, Tilly Macnamee singled to score a run and cut the deficit to 4-2. Maggie Costello then hit a two-run game-tying home run. 

Neither team scored in the eighth and Horseheads stranded two runners on in the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth Emma Annunziata singled to lead off the inning and after a fielder’s choice and a groundout, that left the runner at second, Natalie Frobel came through with a walk-off RBI single. 

“It’s not tough, it’s proud,” Horseheads coach Paul Richmond said of the game. “That’s the first time we have been healthy this year. Everyone wrote us off this year, but when we are a healthy team we are still the same old Horseheads. Life is not a Disney movie. Just because you try hard doesn’t meant mean you are guaranteed a win. But, we’ve got a bright future with our JV and varsity. We are going to miss our four seniors, but we will go back to the drawing board and hopefully be here again next year.”

Chaffee led the Blue Raiders with the three-hit day.

“She did a great job,” Richmond said. “There is not a mean bone in her body, but every bone is a competitive bone. I’ve never met a girl that tries as hard as she does and is as nice as she is. St. John’s has something special in her.”

Chaffee and Aubrey Howe each had doubles in the game with Chaffee scoring a run. Cronin had a hit and scored a run and Reagan Burge and Presely McInnis each had hits in the game. 

Burge struck out six in 8 2/3 innings on the mound. 

For Horseheads they have a number of younger players and this experience can only help them.

“We have talked about that all year,” Richmond said. “We had probably the most adverse season on the planet. We probably had the toughest schedule in the state, but that didn’t stop us, we used the last two weeks as almost like a boot camp to reset and we almost did it today.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

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