Calvini Leads Rye Neck into Sectional Championship in Softball

Jessica Calvini did anything and everything to help the Rye Neck Panthers get one step closer to winning a championship.

Behind eleven strikeouts and one hit allowed in seven innings from Calvini, the Rye Neck Panthers defeated Westlake 7-0 on Thursday afternoon in the Section 1 Class B Softball semifinals.

Rye Neck advanced to the Class B Championship game for the second year in a row and will go against number one seed Dobbs Ferry at 8 p.m. Saturday at Nanuet.

Calvini was on top of her game from the beginning. She retired 14 of the first 15 batters. This included striking out five straight batters in a stretch that bridged the first and third innings.

"The pitches were working," said Calvini when asked about her performance. She also gave credit to catcher Vanessa Laise. "I think the main component was that Vanessa was doing such a good job behind the plate. She knew which pitches to call and where they should go. She did a really good job," she said.

Calvini also helped herself with the bat. In the bottom of the third, she had a two-run single to give her team the lead at 2-0

"It was nice," Calvini said about her hit to give the team the lead for good. "It's great to know you have a team who can get in scoring position, to do whatever they can to get on base. The batters in front of me did a great job today."

In the bottom of the sixth, Rye Neck would break the game open. The Panthers scored five runs on three hits, two fielder's choices on sacrifice bunts where everyone was safe, a sacrifice fly by Calvini and an error.

Westlake did not have a hit until one out in the top of the seventh inning, when right fielder Lauren Birkelbach laced a single into left field.

Westlake eventually loaded the bases in the inning but a ground out to second preserved the shutout and the win for Calvini.

"She was outstanding," Rye Neck coach Joan Spedafino said about Calvini. "Throughout the game she gets stronger and stronger. She really read the batters well."

Rye Neck right fielder Georgia Richardson finished with three hits, two runs and an RBI, while first baseman Marisa Bella went 1-4 with an RBI, stolen base and two runs scored.

The Panthers will now have a chance to win the sectionals and Spedafino will have her team working hard to win that championship.

"We're going to work our hardest. We've been working hard all season. They are a great bunch of girls and I'm so proud of them," she said.