CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, May 14, 2022
Hudson Valley Community College softball program had to fight back for an opportunity to play for the Region 3 Championship on Sunday afternoon after the Vikings allowed five runs in the first inning to a tough Mohawk Valley program.
The Vikings prevailed with a couple of big six-run innings in the second and the fourth innings to win the sub-regional series and advance to the program's first NJCAA Region 3 Championship game since 2015 when the Vikings won the Region 3 title and advanced to the NJCAA Nationals.
Despite giving up five runs in the first inning, the Vikings did not give up and they quickly eliminated the deficit in the second inning when they scored six runs. Katie Mannis started the rally with a lead-off double to centerfield. Jody Rogers singled to left field on the next pitch, which allowed Mannis to score.
A walk to Alyssa Smith followed by a single bunt by Hannah Taylor had the Vikings offense rolling. Shealynn Peckowitz then singled to center to advance all runners, and allowed rogers to score. The Vikings now trailed 5-3 with bases loaded and still zero outs in the inning. Abby Campbell sent a deep fly ball to center field for a sacrifice, scoring Rogers. Two batters later, Maryssa Sano singled to right field, scoring Peckowitz and the Vikings were now tied at 5-5, setting the stage for Gabrielle Castiglione.
Gabby quickly sent a 0-1 pitch to left field for a two RBI double, scoring Bucciero and Sano. The Vikings gave up the 7-5 lead in the very next inning, but Hudson Valley regrouped in the fourth inning to score six more runs, providing Miranda Peck, who entered the game in relief of Shea Peckowitz in the first inning, plenty of run support.
Despite Mohawk Valley's best efforts to make a late game rally, the Vikings secured the 13-9 win and punched their ticket to the NJCAA Region 3 Championship series.
Up Next: Game Three on Sunday
The Vikings advance to the NJCAA Region 3 Championship series and will face No. 2 Herkimer for another three-game series. The Generals have defeated the Vikings in four games this season, which includes two games during the Vikings' spring trip at Myrtle Beach in March.