Rhinebeck softball.Their players don't hit the ball the farthest or the hardest. They don't have the fastest runners. They aren't the biggest players on the field. Their pitcher doesn't throw as hard as some of her flashier counterparts. But what they are is a team and what they are is New York State, Class C champions for the second consecutive year.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is called a TEAM.
The Hawks won two exciting games that left their fans breathless and brought home an unprecedented second state crown. Rhinebeck defeated South Lewis in the first game by a score of 3-1 before capturing a scintillating 3-1, extra-inning victory over Hoosick Falls to bring home the gold.
" I think there were some people last year who really didn't believe that we should have won," said Rhinebeck coach Steve Boucher, still dripping wet from an ice water bath after the championship game. " Maybe this gives that championship a little legitimacy. It wasn't easy this year. Everyone brought their "A" game against us. We've had the bullseye on our backs. Man oh man, its tough enough to have that bullseye on your back but now we have one on the front, too."
For a while in the second game, it didn't look like the Hawks would be celebrating much of anything. Several players were having trouble catching up to the Blazing fastball of Hoosick Falls ace hurler, Rachel Quackenbush, all afternoon. To make matters worse, some of the Rhinebeck players were losing some of their zip after having their strength sucked out of their bodies by oppressive heat and humidity.
Hoosick Falls had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning against Hawks ace Megan Michie who had nearly tossed a perfect game against the Panthers in last year's state tournament. Michie blanked Hoosick Falls from that point on and also had a slight "hand" in Rhinebeck's tying rally in the sixth inning.
Speedster Amy Mandigo, who had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate in the championship game and six hits on the afternoon, reached base on an infield single to start the sixth inning. While sitting next to one of her coaches, Michie predicted that Hawks catcher would get a hit. Sure enough, Ferry slapped a fastball through the hole between first and second base to send Mandigo home and tie the game.
" I knew she was a tough pitcher because we played against her last year," said Ferry. " We had faced a slower pitcher in the first game so it was hard to time her. When I finally got a piece of hit, I said I can hit this and was very confident during that at-bat."
We always seem to find a way to come back and just do what we need to do," said another of the game's heroes, Katie Braggins. " We know how to get the hits when we need them. That's what Becky did so I knew that I had to do the same."
Braggins delivered her crushing blow to Hoosick Falls in the top of the eighth inning but not before Michie pulled a Houdini act by wriggling out of a bases-loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the seventh inning to thwart the Panthers.
After two singles and an error jammed the bases full, Hawks coach Boucher called a timeout and went to the mound to chat with Michie and his team.
" I've done that before but not in the bottom of the seventh in the state championship game with one out and the bases loaded," laughed Boucher when asked if he broke the tense moment with a Bull Durham-like witty chat on the mound. "
" Megan has such composure and, as a leader, I feel like I need to have that type of composure, " said Boucher about the tension-filled moment. " If they see you react either way, then they are going to react. I went out. I reassured them and told them everything was going to be alright. That they were doing just fine. Of course, I said that they were going to get two strikeouts and sure enough, Megan got two strikeouts."
" I was worried a little bit but Megan settles in to a groove when she gets in to those situations," said catcher Becky Ferry. " She's so confident that she can do whatever whenevershe wants to. She tends to put a little more speed and movement on the ball in those situations."
After the consecutive whiffs, the Hawks seemed to gain some renewed energy and the hope only intensified when Olivia Rogine reached base when a third strike sailed over the catcher's head. Rogine was able to steal second after two were out. Katie Braggins did the rest.
" She was really only giving each player one hittable pitch," Braggins said of her ensuing at-bat. " In the first inning I made contact and then was having a little trouble but I just really wanted to hit that ball as hard as I could."
Braggins got her wish as her hit skidded through the infield to allow Rogine to dash home with the go-ahead run. Just moments later, Braggins scampered home on Quackenbush's third wild pitch of the inning.
Needing just two outs to preserve their second straight state title, Rhinebeck's defense clamped down for one last time during the 2010 season.
First shortstop Karen Kirker snared a line drive and then left fielder, Page Albano, camped herself under a fly ball to record the second out. The game ended when Michie induced a foul pop up that Becky Ferry squeezed tightly before the players began their happy celebration.
" At first she scared me by not jumping up right away but I knew that we had a two-run lead and it was only a foul ball but it was good to end it right there," said Michie when asked what ran through her mind during the game's final play.
The Hawks coach wasn't surprised that this team was able to pull off the task of back-to-back New York State championships.
" We've been in these kinds of games alot," Boucher said. " It speaks of the big game pressure they've been in. Things aren't always going to go your way and you're going to have to deal with it. They learned how to deal with it."
" It's different," said Braggins when asked how this championship compares to the one they captured last year. " Last year it was about the experience and helping the other players win. This year it was really making sure that I was doing as much as I possibly could to send the seniors off with the state title."
Perhaps it was the unflappable Michie who summed up this year's version of the Hawks the best.
" Its a little bit of a different team this year and I'm really proud of the way we have come back all season. We never let a few tough losses hurt us. We just kept fighting and we proved that today."
