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Mission accomplished

OBSERVER Photo by Ron Szot Fredonia pitcher Rebecca Piede delivers to the plate during her team’s 10-0 win over Gran Island on Monday.

Special to the OBSERVER

Prior to this season some of the 12 year old girls in the Fredonia Little League program set a goal to return back to the New York state tournament for the fourth-consecutive year. That goal was met on Monday.

It began with a 10-0 shutout on Saturday against District 2 champion Friendship and continued on Sunday with an 8-0 win over District 1 champion Grand Island.

The run culminated with another 10-0 win over Grand Island again on Monday in the double elimination format. If you combine the two district games against Dunkirk, Fredonia allowed only two runs in five All-Star games.

The tone was set early on Monday when centerfielder Erin Schrantz made a diving catch in the top of the first inning off the bat of Grand Island’s Mackenzie Crowley. Shortstop Erin Mansfield had six putouts throughout the game.

Pitcher Rebecca Piede only had one tough inning when Grand Island loaded the bases in the top of the second inning, however, she struck out the last two batters to end the threat.

Offensively, Fredonia got on the board early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Second baseman Lila Cameron led off with a single as did number two batter Mansfield. Schrantz walked to load the bases, which was followed by first baseman Taryn Sillanpaa’s first of her two hits on the day.

Third baseman Hallie Laurito reached on an error and catcher Kyleigh Waterman singled to plate two more runs. Fredonia tacked on a run in the second inning by employing small ball. Cameron singled and moved all the way to third on Mansfield’s sacrifice bunt. Schrantz then ground out to score Cameron.

Scoreless innings followed until Fredonia erupted for six runs in the fifth inning.

It started with Schrantz’s third double of the tournament and was followed by Gabby Matos, Waterman and Nevaeh Zadzilka all reaching on errors. After walks to Piede and Cameron, Taryn Sillanpaa hit a ball up the middle to score the winning run (10 run mercy rule).

With the win, Fredonia now moves on to Fishkill, NY for the New York State Major Softball Tournament.

The tournament runs from Wednesday, July 12 to Sunday, July 16.

For 12 year olds Schrantz, Laurito, Piede, Cameron, Mansfield and Waterman, this marks their fourth-straight trip to the state tournament.

It started with the 9-10 year old division in 2014 and 2015. Then with the 11-12 division in 2016 and this year.

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