The Tompkins Cortland Community College softball team did a lot of things right on Sunday, challenging Monroe Community College in both ends of a Region 3 doubleheader before ultimately falling 10-1 and 12-4. Tompkins Cortland is now 0-10. Monroe is 10-9.
Game One: Monroe 10, Tompkins Cortland 1 (6 innings)
The day started with Panthers pitcher Gabby Foley (Barton/Tioga H.S.) walking the first Monroe batters, but she battled back, striking out the Tribunes #3 hitter for the first out. The next hitter put the ball in play sharply toward third base, but Sara Cargen (Homer/Homer H.S.) make a nice, snagging the ball, touching third and firing across the diamond to complete the inning-ending double play. The momentum from that escape carried over to the bottom of the inning when Abby Foley (Barton/Tioga H.S.), Aliana Hart (Fort Covington/Salmon River H.S.), and Gabby Foley led off with consecutive hits, loading the bases with no outs. When Austyn Vance (Nichols/Tioga H.S.) ripped a liner it looked like he Panthers were in store for a big inning, but the shot up the middle found the pitcher's glove, and turned into a double play and leaving the rally on life support. As they did all day, the Panthers showed resiliency. Lana Thousand (Onondaga/Onondaga H.S.) stepped up and delivered a clean single to score Hart and give the home team the 1-0 lead.
In the second and third innings the Panthers weren't able to work out of trouble as quickly. Monroe took advantage of free passes and an error to plate six runs, and the Panthers weren't able to muster another rally. The defense held Monroe off the board in the fourth and fifth innings, but another four runs from the Tribunes in the sixth brought an early end to game one.
Game Two: Jefferson 12, Tompkins Cortland 4 (5 innings)
Hitting first in game two, the Panthers again got on the board first, this time taking advantage of Monroe errors to take a 1-0 lead. Monroe answered with six runs in the bottom of the first and added three more in the second, but the Panthers refused to give up. Cargen and Abby Foley led off the third with back-to-back singles, and after an out, Gabby Foley singled to load the bases. Vance delivered one run on a deep sacrifice fly, and Thousand followed with another clutch hit – a two-out two-run single to make the score 9-4. Some fine defensive plays kept the score the same into the fourth inning when Monroe pushed across three more runs. Despite putting runners on base in each of the final two frames, the Panthers weren't able to score the run needed to keep the game going beyond the fifth inning.
Thousand finished 1-for-3 with two RBI. Gabby Foley went 2-for-3 in game two, and Abby Foley, Hart, Vance, Cargen, and Marybeth Ortlieb (Cortland/Home Schooled) each had one hit.
Looking ahead
The Panthers have a few days off before welcoming #5-ranked Corning Community College on Thursday.