BINGHAMTON — The opening act was a stumble, but the Chatham Panthers made sure the finale was pure joy.
Shaking off a rough first inning, the Panthers stormed back from a three-run deficit to defeat Section VIII’s Carle Place 6-3 on Friday in the NYSPHSAA Class B softball state semifinals at Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park. With the win, Chatham (20-3) advances to Saturday’s championship game at 1:30 p.m. against Section V’s Haverling, returning to the state final for the first time since 2012.
It’s everything between our ears," said sophomore ace Skylar Groom. "Everything is mental about this game and that’s what makes it great.
Groom, the two-time Patroon Conference MVP, looked uncharacteristically rattled early. She walked three batters and allowed three runs — none earned — in a chaotic first inning. But after that, she was nearly untouchable. Groom allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in a complete-game effort.
I just told her to settle down," said John Brantley, head coach of Chatham. "By the third inning, she started throwing with conviction. She stopped aiming and started pitching.
The Panthers' offense came alive in the third inning when junior Rylie Barden was hit by a pitch and eventually scored after two Carle Place errors. That crack opened the floodgates.
In the fifth, with two on and one out, senior Anna Friedman lined a two-run double to left to tie the game at 3-3. It was a pivotal moment that flipped the game’s momentum.
I definitely felt the emotion shift," Friedman said. "We had two really fast players on base and I just wanted to get the ball into the outfield so they could make it home.
In the next inning, Chatham surged ahead. Singles by Rowe and junior Samantha Silver set the stage, and Barden’s speed increased the pressure once more. After a passed ball gave Chatham a 4-3 lead, Addison Perry singled to drive in Silver and then scored herself due to an error, extending the lead to 6-3.
From there, Groom shut the door, retiring the final six batters she faced.
It took a lot of resilience," Brantley said. "We dug ourselves into a hole, but they kept grinding and I told the girls, 'One at a time.' It wasn’t the prettiest, but I guess that doesn’t matter anymore.
The groom's day wasn't statistically perfect, with six walks and a rough opening frame. But her outing was a testament to her poise.
"It's great to be able to lead this team, even on a bad day," Groom said.
The Panthers' last state semifinal appearance in 2019 ended in heartbreak. Now, with a mix of young talent and senior leadership, they'll get a shot at a state title.
We've been talking the past two weeks about not being afraid of the moment," Brantley said. "So, that's been our approach and we're going to continue with it and go out there and give it our best shot.
Ichabod Crane falls short
Ichabod Crane's season came to a heartbreaking end on Friday with a 2-1 loss to Williamsville South in the Class A state semifinals, as timely hits proved elusive despite a late-game rally.
The Riders (19-5) took an early lead on a two-out solo homer by junior Abigail Milazzo in the bottom of the first, but couldn’t break through again, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Seniors Kari Graziano and Emma Holmberg, along with sophomore Skylar Konkle, all reached safely in the final frame, but the Riders were unable to push the tying run across the plate.
“We had our chances,” coach Tracy Nytransky said. “We didn’t string hits together when we needed them, and that’s what it came down to.”
Williamsville South tied the game in the third after a walk and an error, then grabbed the lead in the sixth on a soft RBI single to shallow left field from Olivia Sackel.
Defensively, the Billies made two outstanding plays in the sixth — a diving grab in left field and a lunging snare down the third-base line — to deny the Riders key opportunities.
“We didn’t play bad defense. They just made a few more plays,” Nytransky said. “This group gave everything, and getting here was a big deal after who we lost last year. I told them, don’t hang your heads. We’re still one of the top four teams in the state. Nobody’s happy right now, but we could have been home a week ago, so at least we got here.”
Alyssa Budzinski secured the win for Williamsville South, pitching seven innings and allowing one run on five hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Torri Cutler pitched the complete seven innings for Ichabod Crane, giving up two runs—one earned—on three hits, walking three and striking out five.
Argyle advances
Argyle advanced to the Class D state final with a 3-2 win over Section VII’s Crown Point in Friday’s semifinal.
Argyle junior Brooke Austin and senior Becca Campbell capitalized on early runs from Crown Point errors, while freshman Grace Depew allowed two runs on three hits and struck out 10. Argyle led 3-0 before Crown Point closed the gap in the sixth, but the Scots held on to improve to 16-6.
Argyle, which defeated Eldred 6-3 in the state quarterfinals on Monday, will face Section III’s Hamilton (19-2) on Saturday at 11 a.m.
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