Softball
South opens sectionals with shutout victory over Amherst

Meghan Cuda. The next day, Amherst lost at Williamsville South, 17-0, in a prequarterfinal game. Photo by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Williamsville South's quest to the Section VI Class A softball title began with a 17-0 shutout over Amherst in a prequarterfinal game held on Friday, May 25.

South pitcher Chelsea Plimpton tied a New York State record with her 75th career shutout. It was also her 23rd win of the season.

South senior Elena Hozdic led off the third inning with a triple and eventually scored the winning run to break open a scoreless game. South scored seven runs in the third, five in the fourth, and another five in the fifth.

South scored 17 runs on 11 hits. Hozdic, Chelsea Plimpton, Claire Gerlach, and Sam Strapason each had two hits and Lauren Falzone, Kyle Plimpton, Lisa Fronczak, Kate Kurchanski, and Devon Powers had single hits.

Amherst committed nine errors, including three in the third and another three in the fourth.

Eva Lankes and Kelly Dixson each had two hits off Chelsea Plimpton.

South faced Iroquois in a Class A quarterfinal game on Tuesday, May 29 but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

Earlier in the week, South won non-league games over Clarence, 9-2, and Williamsville North, 5-2, on May 22 and May 23, respectively.

South opened the scoring against Clarence in the first inning. Falzone led off with a single, Fronczak followed with a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second and Carolyn Schaus sent a triple to right center field to score Falzone and Fronczak.

The Lady Billies added five runs in the second on a Powers walk, a Clarence error on a Hozdic infield ball, and hits by Falzone (double), Fronczak (triple), Chelsea Plimpton (single), and Schaus (single).

In the third, Falzone's two-out single along with Gerlach's single and Fronczak's double added two more runs to South's total.

Falzone finished with three hits, a double, and a RBI. Fronczak had a double, triple, and three RBIs. Schaus had two hits, including a triple, and two RBIs. Gerlach and Cheslea Plimpton added singles. Chelsea Plimpton struck out 15 batters.

South won a hard-fought battle against rival North when they scored their first two runs on a Chelsea Plimpton home run in the third after a two-out Fronczak single.

South added three additional runs in the fourth on several North errors. Other South hits came from Falzone and Robin Donovan.

Chelsea Plimpton fired 16 strikeouts.

Amherst Central

Heading into the South game, Amherst were winners of five of their last seven games, including two victories out of three other contests last week.

The Lady Tigers beat West Seneca West, 7-0, on Tuesday, May 22 and Lewiston Porter, 8-0, on Thursday, May 24 in a Class A first round game.

Amherst coach Mike Chatelle called the West Seneca West game "the most complete performance of the season."

Eighth grade JV call-up Erin Dixon fired a six-hitter and struck out five batters for her first varsity win. Amherst scored one run in the first (Lankes on Liz Reid single) and third (Mollie Lang on Reid fielder's choice) and added three in the fifth (Lang on Reid single, Lankes and Abby DeFrancis on errors) and two in the sixth (Dana Ruh on Lang single, Lankes squeezed in by Reid). Reid had two hits and three RBIs. Lankes had two hits, scored three runs, and stole three bases. Lang had two hits and scored two runs.

The Lady Tigers led Lew-Port, 4-0, heading into the sixth. In the sixth, Lang drove in Becca Masters with a RBI single and Lankes hit a three-run triple to score Julie Halm, Ruh, and Lang.

In the first, Lang led off with a single and scored on a DeFrancis fielder's choice and Reid knocked in Lankes on a single to right center.

In the second, Masters led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored along with Halm, who walked and stole second, on an error by the Lew-Port right fielder.

Lang (two hits, RBI), Lankes (two hits, three RBIs), Masters (two hits, two doubles), and Sweeney (hit) and Reid (hit, RBI) paced the Amherst offense. Jessica Banning and Dixson combined for a five-hitter and six strikeouts.

Sandwiched in between the West Seneca West and Lew-Port game was a 10-2 non-league loss with Clarence on Wednesday, May 23.

Amherst trailed 3-2 after the fourth after Sam Sweeney singled to center field, scoring Banning, who singled, and Halm, who walked, but Clarence scored three runs in the fifth and another four in the sixth.

DeFrancis (3 for 4), Lankes and Masters (two hits) and Lang, Kelly Dixson, and Sweeney (hit) contributed on offense for the Lady Tigers.

Amherst finishes 9-13. Lang, a four-year starter, Masters, a three-year starter, Reid, Halm, and Sweeney graduate.

(Patrick J. Nagy contributed to this article)