WPCNR FLASH. May 31, 2007: This just across the wire from New Rochelle. The White Plains Tigers ousted New Rochelle out of the Section Class AA SoftballTournament with an extra inning win today completed moments ago 2-0.
With Sandra Mastrangelo aboard on an extra base knock, Tiger Shortstop Dani Szabo crushed a Jillian Schonberg pitch just a little too fat in the 9th and tagged it high and far and way deep into the Huguenaut's endless billiard-table synthetic turf outfield where the ball never stops rolling.
The desperate relay was not in-time and Szabo crossed the plate for a 2-0 lead. Our correspondent said the Tigers played flawless ball making numerous defensive gems. Lauren Sputo went all the way for the Tigers pitching a a great game. It was one of the the all-time awesome White Plains softball wins.
Lauren Sputo went all the way for the win, pitching out of a 2-on no out jam in the 7th and a 2-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the ninth. It was clutch pitching at its best, and not even Roger Clemens can go 9 innings. In fact, no one in the major leagues pitches 9 innings. The Sputo is only 13 years old, we think..but she looked like Don Drysdale today. Coach Ted O'Donnell said this was the most memorable game he has ever coached.
The great Jillian Schonberg, who lost the game, was gracious and gallant in defeat and should be saluted for a great season.
Dani's homer was a screamer soaring down the left field line just over the leftfielder's head and it just kept on rolling.
They're Smart Ballplayers too! The White Plains Fastpitch Softball Team being honored at the buzzingest, nosiest, most unruly Scholar Athlete Recognition School Board meeting tonight. The softball team (and there is nothing soft about the ball they play) compiled a team average of 91.2 as 11 of its 13 members recorded Grade Point Average of 90 or above qualifying the team as a Scholar-Athlete Team. Other teams that were Scholar Athlete Teams, were the Men's Outdoor Track Team where 21 athletes qualified; Women's Outdoor Track, 24 athletes qualifying; Women's Lacrosse, 13 athletes qualifiying, and Men's Tennis with 12 athletes qualifying.
White Plains plays Yorktown Saturday afternoon, in North Rockland, weather permitting at 5:30 PM for the Section I Class AA Crown. The Tigers second straight appearance in the Final, which WPCNR believes they have never done before. Yorktown is a fine ball club, blasting Clarkstown North (no slouch) 10-1 today.
The Tigers head to the Section I Final for the second year in a row Saturday. No details available but, our mom on the scene says there is pandemonium on that team bus right now. The Tigers -- a team written off this season by the experts -- had lost three times to New Rochelle this season, notching only two runs in 21 innings, but came through with one of the greatest wins in White Plains softball history today. The Tigers are 21-6 on the season and the 21st win will always be remembered by anyone who saw it.
