CLIFTON PARK — Natalia Colone, a Shenendehowa softball player, vividly recalls the rollercoaster of emotions she and her teammates went through during their time at the NYSPHSAA softball championships on Long Island last season.
From hitting a solo home run in the Class AA semifinals to scoring the game-winning run on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Morgan Smith, these are moments that Colone will cherish for a lifetime.
Despite the Plainsmen’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss after 11 innings in the state championship game, Colone was optimistic about the upcoming season and the chance to create more unforgettable memories with her team.
“Every day,” Colone said when asked how often she dreams about returning to the state championship. “I am determined to go back. That’s my primary goal, especially as a senior.”
“Last year was an incredible experience, and most of the girls on the current team were with us,” she added. “We’re still trying to maintain the momentum from then.”
Shenendehowa started the season strong, going undefeated in April. However, they faced a determined Guilderland team in May, which proved to be a challenge.
In the May 1 Suburban Council match, Guilderland scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, securing an 8-5 victory and handing Shenendehowa its first loss of the season.
“After going 13-0, and then losing to Guilderland, I think our coach was disappointed,” said Shenendehowa pitcher Bre Hayes. “We really started to refocus on having good at-bats, our pitch selection and our approach in the box.”
The following week, Shenendehowa experienced another setback when it lost its senior night game under the lights to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 3-2.
“I think they’ve done a good job of keeping things in perspective,” Shenendehowa coach Chris Farquharson said of the two losses. “Guilderland is a very good hitting, well-coached team, and the same with Burnt Hills. The girls took it in stride. They knew it was the regular season, they’ve been in sectionals before and we kind of reminded them of that.”
On Wednesday, the Plainsmen found themselves in another tight game, this time in a scoreless pitcher’s duel between Hayes and Ballston Spa’s Hadley Donnelly.
Shenendehowa managed to score a run late in the game, thanks to a double from Ella Kean in the bottom of the sixth. Pinch runner Izzy Mueller was able to score on a fielding error by Ballston Spa, on a ball put in play by Colonie.
“We had Bre in the circle, and we knew she was going to keep us in it,” Farquharson said. “We were just trying to put the ball in play. It was a tough day, with the wind blowing really hard, and we just wanted to make them make plays. That was our mentality every inning.”
Hayes then returned to the circle to secure the 1-0 victory, while also completing a no-hitter. The senior right-hander struck out 13 Scottie hitters, allowing just one runner to reach base on a hit-by-pitch.
“Bre was phenomenal today,” Colone said of Hayes’ performance. “She did an outstanding job and was hitting all of her spots. She didn’t give them anything to hit and we had her back behind her.”
“She was pitching really well, hitting her spots and had great movement on her pitches, and she’s very humble,” Farquharson added. “She has that very mellow key, and I might get more worked up sometimes than she does. She’s able to keep it very even-keeled, as a solid pitcher should do.”
Shenendehowa, which is 15-2 overall this season, is on track to take the No. 1 seed in Section 2’s Class AAA bracket this year.
With the tournament set to begin next week, Hayes and Colone are looking to finish the job they started last season.
“We think about it a lot. I have high hopes of us getting to make it back there,” Hayes said of getting back to states. “The season went really fast. The fact that this is our last week of regular season games is crazy.”
“Just being able to be down there in the hotel with everyone, we were spending so much quality time with each other — more than what we would do in a normal season,” Colone added of her team’s experience last year. “I just think we created a stronger bond together, especially with all of the new girls, and I think that’s carried into this year.”
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