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Bound For The Final Four

Lady T’Birds Hold Off Cal-Mum, 4-3

Chautauqua Lake senior Cameryn Hawkins jumps into the celebration after the final out of the Thunderbirds’ 4-3 Class C Far West Regional win over Caledonia-Mumford on Saturday afternoon at Fillmore High School. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

FILLMORE — Cameryn Hawkins is going to miss her Senior Trip to New York City next weekend. That’s OK.

While all of her classmates are enjoying themselves in the Big Apple, Chautauqua Lake’s shortstop is going to play for a state title about 200 miles to the north.

The Thunderbirds took advantage of three Caledonia-Mumford errors in addition to an illegal pitch and held off the Red Raiders late for a 4-3 victory in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C Far West Regional on Saturday afternoon at Fillmore High School.

“This feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I’m so excited,” winning pitcher Olivia Anderson said. “Our school has never gotten further than this. This is pretty great. I’m excited to make our school proud.”

With the win, Chautauqua Lake advances to play in the first softball Final Four in school history next Saturday in South Glens Falls. The Thunderbirds will take on Section II champion Greenville at 11:30 a.m. at Moreau Recreational Park.

Chautauqua Lake juniors Olivia Anderson, left, and Katelyn Fardink celebrate the Lady Thunderbirds’ 4-3 win over Caledonia-Mumford. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“I never in a million years would’ve imagined that we would be here. When I was younger I watched my sister go to states for basketball twice,” said Hawkins, whose older sister Ryleigh won a state title in 2014. “It was just something that I never thought would happen to me in anything. It’s just amazing. Indescribable.”

The trip east will signify the next step for a Chautauqua Lake program that has been building over the past five years — not coincidentally since Anderson and her batterymate Chadelynn Johnson began playing varsity softball in seventh grade.

“I’ve been just hoping that these girls could get over that hump,” Chautauqua Lake head coach Sue Teets said. “I’ve had five juniors with me for quite a while. We’ve talked about this. I told them this was their year.”

As seventh-graders they lost to Franklinville, 1-0, before beating the Panthers the following year and losing to Addison in the Far West Regional. In 2016, the Thunderbirds lost to Barker in a sectional semifinal and last year, Chautauqua Lake won the Class C-1 title before losing to C-2 champion Portville in the Class C crossover game.

“It makes every loss that we took worth it,” Hawkins said. “Those just put us one step closer to where we are. They taught us where we are lacking … showed us what we needed to work on. Now we’re here going to states.”

Chautauqua Lake’s Olivia Anderson delivers to the plate. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

The Thunderbirds jumped on top in the third inning Saturday, only to give their lead right back in the bottom half of the frame. Johnson and Lily Studley reached base with one out before an RBI single from Anderson. Cianna Braymiller then hit a grounder to third and Studley attempted to score on the throw across the diamond, but Caledonia-Mumford first baseman Katie Harmon alertly came off the bag early to shorten the throw and made a play to the plate to cut down Studley. Hawkins then came to the plate with runners at first and third, and two outs. Red Raiders pitcher Hannah Rubinrott started her motion and then stopped, resulting in an illegal pitch to score Anderson from third for a 2-0 lead.

“The pressure is on the defense. If you put the ball in play, someone is going to get on base eventually,” Anderson said. “Once one person gets on, it fuels the rest of the team to get them in.”

Caledonia-Mumford answered right back with the help of some shoddy Chautauqua Lake defense. Kaylin Kennan laid down a bunt to open the inning, and the Thunderbirds’ throw to first base was dropped allowing Keenan to reach. No. 9 hitter Montgomery Kessler followed with another bunt, and the Chautauqua Lake throw to first was high. The ball caromed down the right-field line allowing Keenan to score. Two batters later, Makenzie Wilson grounded into an out, but the Thunderbirds’ throw to the plate was high, allowing Kessler to tie the game at 2-all.

“In the beginning of the game we started off with our fair share of errors,” Hawkins said. “The way we reacted is what won us that game.”

Chautauqua Lake regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning as No. 9 hitter Megan Fischer doubled with two outs and scored when Johnson’s fly ball to left field was dropped. The Thunderbirds added on in the top of the sixth inning when Braymiller singled with two outs and scored on Hawkins’ line-drive double past the Red Raiders’ left fielder.

“This game definitely tested us,” Hawkins said. ” … We proved that we could do it.”

Chautauqua Lake survived some moments of trepidation in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wilson reached on a one-out walk — Anderson’s lone free pass of the game — and went to third on Andrea Coyle’s double to left-center field. Cleanup hitter Meghan Mietlicki then lifted a long fly ball to center field — the deepest drive of the game for either team — but Thunderbirds junior Kendra Keyser reached up and caught the ball with her back touching the fence to keep the ball in the yard.

“I was so nervous that was going over,” Anderson said. “Luckily, she caught that.”

“I thought they were about to tie it,” Hawkins added. “I was nervous.”

Wilson scored on the play and Coyle went to third, but a groundout to third ended the threat with the tying run at third.

“We got to the sixth inning and I was thinking about who was up to bat for them,” Teets said. “I thought, ‘Get out of this and we’re OK.'”

Anderson struck out the first two batters of the seventh inning — her fourth and fifth strikeouts of the game — before Keenan attempted a one-strike bunt that Anderson fielded cleanly and threw to Sophia Woodis at first base for the final out, setting off a dog-pile celebration around Anderson in the circle.

“She changed things up toward the end,” Teets said. “She’s pretty confident with her pitches. Like I told her, she has so much experience. She knows what to do.”

NOTES: Next Saturday’s other semifinal will feature Section III champion Sandy Creek against Section IX champion Pine Plains at 11:25 a.m. The winners will face off for the state title at 4:30 p.m. … Coyle had two of Caledonia-Mumford’s three hits while Anderson had two for Chautauqua Lake.

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