Marlboro successfully defended its Section 9 Class A softball title, but not without some serious scares in a 6-2, eight-inning victory over top seed Saugerties at Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday, May 30.
The Dukes beat the Sawyers in the 2024 and 2025 finals, and has won five titles in a row and 20 overall.
Tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Marlboro left-hander Sam Maleck overcame a leadoff triple by Ava Stinemire by striking out the next three batters, pushing the game into extras. Stinemire had lifted a fly ball that kept drifting into right center with the steady winds and fell just beyond the dive of centerfielder Onyeka Okasi.
The Dukes took advantage of added life by pushing across four runs in the top of the eighth. Taylor Castellani lined a one-out double to left-center and scored when Maleck ripped a single to left-center for a 3-2 lead. Okasi beat out a grounder to shortstop to move the runner. Olivia Hite lined a shot up the middle to score both runners. Jordana Scrivani lined an RBI single past a diving shortstop to push across the sixth run.
Maleck posted her 14th strikeout to open the Saugerties eighth and then fielded a line drive and dribbler out front, throwing out the Sawyers’ final bid.
Marlboro scored twice in the early innings. Okasi led off the second with a triple that rolled to the fence in right-center and scored on a wild pitch by Saugerties starter Alaina Conrad. In the third, Castellani lined a two-out single past Conrad and scored on Maleck’s RBI double to left-center.
Saugerties halved the deficit in the fourth. Leadoff batter Sophia Tiano laid down a bunt but Maleck threw to the inside of the first base bag and the ball caromed down the fence line to right, allowing Tiano to take two more bags. She scored on a two-out single to right by Ava Stinemire.
The Sawyers tied the game in the sixth with a two-out rally. Tiano drew a walk. Courtesy runner Cecelia Smith took third on an opposite-field single by Emily Cogswell and scored when a relay throw by the second baseman sailed wide.
Marlboro almost pulled ahead in the top of the seventh off reliever Lauren Stinemire. Katie Mohl led off with a double to right-center. Courtesy runner Hayden Diviesti was nearly thrown out on a steal of third, but she reversed course, a relay throw to second was dropped and she ended up at third anyway. Kiera Del Salto struck out but the third strike was dropped; Ava Stinemire fired to first baseman Celina Vail, who returned a perfect strike back to Stinemire who applied the tag to an upright Diviesti.
Marlboro will face the Section 1 champion in a state quarterfinal playoff at Monroe-Woodbury High School at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 5.
Marlboro has a rich history of Section 9 championships. The Dukes won Class A in 2024 and 2025, Class B in 2002, 2007, 2009, 2013-17, 2022-23 and Class C in 1981-84, 1988, 1991, 1993.
Saugerties was bidding for its first title since Class B in 1981 and 1997, and Section 1 titles in 1977 and 1979.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Softball – Marlboro fends off Saugerties for Section 9 Class A title
Reporting by Ken McMillan, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
