BY BRIAN FEESSouthern Tier Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — The Corning Hawks played a little home run derby as they topped Elmira 12-3 to win their fourth straight sectional championship on Saturday.
The Hawks, who are 17-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state in Class AAA, got home runs from Hannah Kauffman, Emelia Smith, Sophie Schoonover and Lauren DeRosa in the victory.
“Really proud,” Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. said. “This is step two, step three of our goals for the year. Win the league title, STAC West, win the conference titles in the sectional title. Now we move on to our next step. Next step is to win the regionals and we go from there. It’s one step at a time. We play the at large big out of Section 9, which is Newburgh, who got beat by Pine Bush yesterday, and we play them right here, 1 o’clock on Tuesday. We have a day off tomorrow. Get ourselves rested, and we’ll got at it on Monday and get them ready based on the scouting report, based on what we’ve seen and come in with a game plan on Tuesday.
“We had four home runs today. Obviously you always find something as a coach to work on and we pride ourselves on base running and I’m not so sure that was our best effort on the base paths today. I would like to think we are high IQ and we made some mistakes we have to sure up. We gave up three runs late in the game. Those are some things as coaches you nit pick. You have to find some things you can work on Monday. Can’t be satisfied, ever. But, I am satisfied with our kids always play hard and they are great kids. My hat goes off to the. 17-0 in the state, you just won a sectional championship and really proud of that. But, again, goal oriented, here is our expectation, up here, we have more to accomplish.”
Corning had a first inning run, and the game was 1-0 into the bottom of the third.
“I thought we started off slower than we have throughout the season, but we were able to get it gong with a few home runs and help each other out,” DeRosa said. “I think we struggled a little at the end, but we were able to clean it up and finish it.”
Kauffman hit the first home run, then Schoonover, Smith and DeRosa got into the fun.
“I was like get me in there to,” DeRosa said.
Corning had three runs in the third and four in both the fourth and fifth innings.
“I thought we played pretty efficiently,” Matti Johnston said. “Our four home runs really helped. Defense was solid. All around I think we played pretty well.”
Getting four home runs takes a lot of pressure off Johnston on the mound.
“It definitely does,” she said. “It takes all the pressure off in a postseason playoff. Having someone really good behind the plate and offense and defense really helped.”
For DeRosa it’s special to be a part of this win after she missed a lot of last year with an injury.
“Really great this year since last year I was out with an injury and I wasn’t able to help my team compete,” DeRosa said. “I love being able to come back and just work together and be able to trust each other. We are a super close knit team this year and I think the chemistry really helps us play, because we trust each other. If we are down we don’t let it affect our mood and we are able to pick each other up.
“I was out almost the entire season (last year). I played won in Myrtle and then when we came back to New York I wasn’t able to play because I was in a boot the entire time. I’m just super happy I can go back out on the field this year.”
Johnston had two hits, three runs scored and an RBI, with a double and Schoonover had two hits, with the home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
DeRosa had the home run, two RBI and two runs scored and Smith had the home run, with an RBI and a run scored. Kauffman had the home run two RBI and a run scored.
Keana Mann, Katie Grover, Keira Brass and Araya Archuleta all had hits for Corning. Grover scored two runs and Brass had an RBI, while Mia Madden scored a run.
Johnston struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings and Smith got the last out in the game.
Madi Smith struck out two in 3 2/3 innings for Elmira and Almeida Agosto struck out one in 2 1/3 innings.
Grace Romeo had three hits and scored a run for Elmira and Ava Cornacchio had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Rylee Gonzalez, Anna Osborne and Agosto all had hits, with Agosto scoring a run and Gonzalez driving in a run.
Now it’s onto the sub-regional game.
“We are so excited,” Matti Johnston said. “We have to get through our next championship, which is sub regionals here on Tuesday. That’s our next goal to win that one and just keep going on game by game.”
Saturday was a first step for the Hawks.
“It’s the first step in our plan,” Matti Johnston said. “We want to keep going, just want to get this game over and push through.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:
