The festivities of Brockport’s Annual Senior Day celebration on Sunday provided the perfect backdrop for their doubleheader against the Russell Sage Gators. The Golden Eagles Softball team held the seventh seed in the Empire 8, eyeing an upgrade to a fifth seed with a 13-15 record and a 9-7 conference record. Led by freshman pitcher Liana DeValder’s dominance on both sides of the ball, Brockport claimed hold of the fifth seed by winning 3-0 in game one and outlasting Russell Sage 8-6 in game two.
” I feel great,” said Brockport head coach Mary Karen Wheat. “It’s exciting that we won.”
Brockport entered the doubleheader with a six-game losing streak, while Russell Sage held a four-game win streak.
GAME ONE
Brockport struck first with first-year Liana DeValder getting her first RBI of what would be a big day for the first year. Erin Dougherty led off the inning with a walk and a steal, followed by Natalie Faas walking as well. After a strikeout from Julia Hill, DeValder sailed her single into shallow center, driving in Dougherty and moving Faas to second to put the Golden Eagles up 1-0.
DeValder continued her impressive start through the top of the third inning, where she made a diving play from the pitching circle to put out Russell Sages Annalise Tyler. DeValder was momentarily taken off the mound to be checked on after a possible injury to her throwing hand, but continued her start nonetheless. The first-year made quick work of the inning by striking out Emma Heartquirst and flying out Katie Call to center.
With Brockport in control, the bottom of the fifth saw the Golden Eagles tack on the winning two runs, courtesy of Senior Julia Hill. Coming off another Dougherty walk and a Natalie Faas single, both women found themselves advancing to occupy third and second with no outs. Hill promptly took advantage of this by singling a ball that straddled the 1st base foul line before leaking into the outfield. This cleared the bases and allowed for Dougherty and Faas to tag home for a two-run single for Hill, bringing the game to a score of 3-0.
To close the game, Liana DeValder struck out two more batters to finish her third complete game shutout with 106 pitches. DeValder struck out a total of nine batters to only 1 walk and six hits, closing out what was an impressive game on both sides of the plate.
“The kid likes to step up and rise to the moment, and we knew that kind of when she was coming in, and we’d just been waiting for her as a freshman to get comfortable and take that role, and she did it today,” said Head Coach Wheat when asked about DeValder’s commanding start.
In game one for Brockport, DeValder finished with an RBI-single to go along with her stellar day on the mound while Faas led the way going 2-for-2 with a run. Hill notched a two-run single while Aubrey Ennis, Caitlyn Dailey and Paige Wentland tallied a hit apiece. Dougherty crossed home plate twice and stole a base as well.
GAME 2
The Russell Sage Gators took charge at the start of the first, with Katie Call providing a timely hit to get them on the board first. After Emma Heartquirst had advanced Annalise Tyler to third off a groundout, Call finished the job with another ground ball to drive Tyler in.
A costly error from Brockport allowed by the infield credited Ciana Santana with an RBI-single to make it 2-0. Santana stepped up to the plate with bases loaded, and grounded the ball towards shortstop Erin Dougherty, who overthrew the play to first. This resulted in chaos on the basepaths, scoring Bella Julian for Sage. The Gators attempted to wave in Heartquirst to add another run, but a timely throw from Dougherty to home plate resulted in a putout.
Brockport responded in the bottom of the third, once again leaning on DeValder to deliver. With Dougherty and Natalie Faas both on base, DeValder ripped a double to center field, driving in both runners to even the score at 2-2 and shift momentum back toward the Golden Eagles.
Russell Sage again regained the lead at the top of the fourth off an Emily O’Keefe single to right field, bringing home an unearned run, making it 3-2. However, Brockport responded in the bottom half of the frame with a four-run surge.
Paige Wentland tied the game with an RBI-single, followed by Faas driving in another run to give Brockport the lead. In another chaotic sequence on the basepaths, Faas was caught stealing, but Dougherty capitalized by stealing home to extend the advantage to 5-3.
The Golden Eagles continued to add to their lead in the fifth inning, as Wentland delivered again with an RBI-single to bring in another unearned run, creating separation from Russell Sage with a score of 6-3.
Faced with only seven outs to go, Russell Sage mounted a late push in the sixth inning. O’Keefe started by breaking for home successfully when Tyler stole 2nd. Then, a dropped out by Wentland allowed Tyler to capitalize by diving onto home plate to tie the game at 6-6.
Brockport responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning to reclaim control. DeValder engaged in more heroics on her big day as she lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Faas and give the Golden Eagles a 7-6 lead. Immediately after, Aubrey Ennis provided insurance with an RBI-double to left field, bringing home Julia Hill and extending the lead to 8-6.
The biggest shock of the night wasn’t Brockport’s rally, but DeValder coming out to pitch in relief for starter McKenna Hart at the top of the sixth. DeValder gave up two earned runs before working her way out of the inning, and closing the game to solidify Brockport’s win, throwing 1.2 innings with a strikeout and two walks for the win.
“Oh, absolutely,” is the response Brockport softball head coach Wheat responded with when asked if the plan was for DeValder to appear once again on the mound. “I had already touched base with her before the start of the game, and, like, we had Colleen (Davis) ready to go in a short relief role, and then we have Liana ready to go in a close relief situation.”
Faas led the offense once again goign 2-3 with two runs and an RBI while Wentland finished 2-3 as well with two RBI and a run. Dougherty ended 2-3 with two runs while Saylor Ayers notched two hits. DeValder collected a hit and three RBI while Ennis followed with a hit and an RBI. Hill added a hit and a run while Dailey and Isabella Moya both crossed home plate once.
With the win Brockport clinches the fifth seed for the Empire 8 Tournament and will host Elmira in the first round on Tuesday, May 5. Before that though, he Golden Eagles (17-15/13-7) host one more series against the Alfred Saxons (23-13/16-4) Thursday April 30, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to round out the regular season.
