Sports Recap: Greeley’s Weisser Has Outing For The Ages

Greeley upsets White Plains

It was a game that those who witnessed it, especially if they are Horace Greeley fans, won’t soon forget.

That was No. 12 Greeley’s opening round Section 1 Class AA Softball Tournament contest at No. 5 White Plains. The Quakers (11-8) only got one hit, but it was enough to upset White Plains 1-0 on a 10th inning single by winning pitcher Jamie Weisser on Friday.

Weisser’s single knocked in Meryl Rosenberg, who started the inning on second base because of the International tie-breaker rule, which is designed to speed up the game in extra innings.

Besides coming up with the clutch hit, Weisser gave an all-time performance on the mound. She outdueled one of Section 1’s best pitchers in White Plains senior Lauren Sputo, who will be pitching at the College of St. Rose in Albany next year. Weisser, just a sophomore, went all 10 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out seven.

“Going into the game, we all knew that we were going against a great pitcher,” Weisser said. “So being able to beat her gave us so much confidence. We were so excited about that. For our team, which doesn’t have as much experience compared to theirs, it was an amazing feeling to come out on top.”

Weisser put the Quakers (11-8) up on top in the tenth but admitted she struggled heavily with Sputo’s screwball, in her previous at-bats before her game-winning hit. She said Sputo was doing a great job of getting the screwball in on her hands so Weisser said she changed her approach at the plate before her game-winning hit.

“I had to start my swing earlier, in order to get around on her,” Weisser said. “She has a lot of speed on her pitches.”

On the mound, Weisser said that she just tried to stay as calm as possible.

"I owe it all to my defense in the field," Weisser said. "The outfield played absolutely amazing. Without them, I know White Plains would have scored at least a couple of runs. If the outfield didn’t play as well as they did, I don’t think we would’ve been as successful as we were.”

Greeley will look to continue its success when it travels to No. 4 Ursuline at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31 in a quarterfinal contest. The game is a rematch of a May 7 regular-season tilt that Greeley won 1-0.

In eerily similar fashion to the White Plains game, Weisser went the distance and struck out seven that day against visiting Ursuline. She also drove in the only run in the game in the sixth inning on a double, knocking in Rosenberg, who was on second with a double.

Fox Lane wins two

Throughout the regular season, the Fox Lane baseball squad has mashed the ball and has continued to do so through the first two games of the Section 1 Class AA tournament.

The most recent of those games was a quarterfinal contest on Friday.

Fox Lane (17-3), the No. 5 seed, beat No. 13 Ossining 13-5.

Fox Lane got off to a quick start, leading 6-1 after one inning and didn’t look back. The Pride had gotten to within 8-4 but the Foxes exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win.

“We just look at it as another game and we try to keep the same approach (as the regular season) at the plate and just keep putting runs on the board,” Fox Lane co-captain Jake McGrath said.

Leading the Fox Lane onslaught was Matt Oniffrey and Chris Tomassi, who were both 3 for 4 with 2 RBI.

TJ Hallock went the distance on the mound, striking out five and allowing only one earned run.

“TJ is great,” McGrath said. “He is a great competitor. He never gives in to any hitters. He always wants the ball, he never wants to come out of the game.”

Fox Lane beat No. 12 Mahopac in the opening round 13-7. The Foxes scored two runs in the first, three in the second to go up 5-0 and never looked back to earn the victory.

Oniffrey led Fox Lane to the win at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two RBI.

Robby Seraita pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning to nail the win down for the Foxes. Fox Lane led 9-7 going into the sixth, sealing the victory with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

“In both games, it seemed like we settled in the middle of the game,” said McGrath, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI against Mahopac. “We were able to tack on some big runs in both games in the sixth inning. It’s obviously something we can’t do against teams like Mamaroneck or Ketcham and Arlington. I think we are going to come out ready against Mamaroneck on Tuesday.”

That game against No. 1 Mamaroneck will be a semifinal contest at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31.