Marlboro High School’s Allison Swartz hits a double in the seventh inning of the Class B state softball championship game in South Glens Falls on Sunday. Marlboro defeated Windsor 2-1.
Marlboro High School’s Taylor Felicello, left, hugs Ashley Votta after Votta hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning in the Class B state title game against Windsor on Sunda in South Glens Falls.
SOUTH GLENS FALLS – The Iron Dukes already have a unique accessory picked out as part of their wardrobe for school on Monday.
Marlboro High School players celebrate winning the Class B state softball title on Sunday, after defeating Windsor in South Glens Falls.
It’s a style. All the rage at Marlboro High School. It’s new. It’s called “medal.”
As in, a medal you can only earn as a state champion.
“I’m wearing mine to school tomorrow!” senior third baseman Cassie Lapointe exclaimed Sunday.
“I’m never taking mine off!” senior starting pitcher Lily Moresco said.
The Marlboro softball team has reason to wear those medals with pride, following its 2-1 walk off win over Section 4’s Windsor at Moreau Recreational Park on Sunday to claim the New York state Class B softball title.
The victory gave Marlboro its first state title in the softball program’s history, and avenged a loss in the state final three years ago to Windsor. The feat matches the Iron Dukes’ baseball team, which won its first state title on Saturday.
Like his players, first-year coach Ryan Naccarato couldn’t be happier.
“I’ll probably sleep with (the medal) on (Sunday night),” the coach said. “And then put it in my collection somewhere.”
Marlboro High School’s Ashley Votta hits a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning against Windsor in the Class B state title game on Sunday In South Glens Falls.
Ashley Votta is yet another Iron Duke embracing the style. It was Votta who delivered the game-winning RBI single in the seventh inning to lift Marlboro to victory.
The last-inning rally began with a one-out single off the bat of junior center fielder Taylor Felicello. Ally Swartz followed with a double, then Amber Mianti drew a walk to load the bases.
With one out, Votta lined a sharp single into left field to bring Felicello home with arms raised and to secure the win.
Marlboro High School’s Taylor Felicello celebrates as she runs home to score the winning run in the Class B state title game on Sunday against Windsor.
“It was an inside pitch, so I just knew to pull it and keep it fair,” Votta said. “It means everything to have (the hit) and to be a state champion. It’s awesome.”
Votta’s heroics came shortly after Lapointe nearly won the game more dramatically. Lapointe led off the bottom half of the seventh and worked a tenacious at-bat. After fouling off several pitches, she crushed a long fly ball that tailed just outside the foul pole.
Lapointe ran the bases as if she had hit a walk-off solo home run — and the Iron Dukes charged the field as if the hit was fair — but it was a long, foul ball.
Missing the home run didn’t bother her too much in the end.
“There’s no better feeling in the world,” Lapointe said. “We all stormed the field (when Votta got the game-winning hit). We didn’t know who to run at. It was just an amazing feeling.”
Lapointe is one of 10 seniors on the team, along with Moresco, Votta, Mianti, Swartz, Michaela Casey, Alyssa Macario, Ashley Dimeglio, Sara Cerone and Melissa Sadler.
The maturity among his upper classmen, Naccarato said, helped in the long run.
“They’ve been through so much in their high school careers at Marlboro, so they handle pressure situations,” the coach said. “This is nothing new to them. It’s on a much bigger scale, a much bigger stage, but it’s nothing new to them.”
And, the Section 9 champions were hungry for it.
“I said all through high school, ‘I want a state championship title.’ This means a lot,” Sadler said. “We didn’t want to lose in the (state) final four. It was our time to win it.”
Marlboro High School pitcher Lily Moresco delivers a pitch against Windsor in the Class B state softball championship in South Glens Falls on Sunday. Marlboro won the game 2-1.
Marlboro got on the board in the bottom half of the second inning, when Casey grounded out and a run came home.
Windsor tied it in the top half of the fifth when Kasey Kozloski rocketed a single into left field to bring in the tying run.
But each time Windsor gained momentum, Marlboro halted it. In the top half of the seventh, Windsor put the go-ahead run on second base with two outs. But Moresco struck out Kozloski to end the threat.
In all, Windsor stranded five runners on the bases.
“There were so many turning points,” said Moresco, who struck out two batters and allowed four hits. “I think the last few plays in the seventh really fueled us to go into the bottom half (of the inning) and hit, and perform the way we know how.”
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter:@AJM_PoJoSports
Video, photos online
Visit http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com to watch video interviews with the Iron Dukes, see photos from the championship game and read stories from throughout Marlboro’s championship season.