Middies beat Crusaders in softball league game
Central Valley. The Crusaders’ record went to 4-4 for the season after the loss.
| 22 Apr 2024 | 02:59
Crusader pitcher Val Petersen struck out 10 Middies in the game. (
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Crusader center fielder Erin Coyle runs to second after her RBI double in the third. (
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Cori Exarchakis, #23, holds the Middie runners in place after a spectacular catch in right field. (
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Third baseman Callie Exarchakis, #12, had three hits in the game for the Crusaders. (
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On a cloudy, cool Friday afternoon on April 19, the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders softball team played against the Middies of Middletown in a key league match up. The Middies beat the Crusaders on opening day in Middletown 5-4 and the Crusaders hoped to change the outcome this time as the two teams squared off in Central Valley. The Crusaders came into the game with a 4-3 record on the season after beating Goshen in their last game 2-1. The Middies came into the game with a 3-2 record on the season after hammering Monticello 18-0 in their last game.
The Crusaders scored first with a run in the third inning. Isabella Brelesky reached first with a walk and quickly stole second. She reached third on a sacrifice fly by Gabby Schaeffer and then scored on a double by Erin Coyle. The Middies tied the game in the sixth inning with two hits and a run.
In the bottom of the seventh it looked like the Crusaders had the game wrapped up when they loaded the basses with no outs. That’s when the Middies’ pitching and flawless fielding rose up and squashed the Crusaders’ rally and the game went into extra innings.
The Middies’ defense seemed to spark their offense and they scored four runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. The Crusaders tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, but after a single by Callie Exarchakis, the Middies closed the door on the Crusaders.
Crusader pitcher Val Pedersen went eight innings while striking out 10. She was aided by some outstanding play in the outfield by center fielder Erin Coyle and right fielder Cori Exarchakis who both came up with highlight reel catches to keep the Middies off the board. The Crusaders 5-1 loss brings their record to 4-4 for the season.