Ross finishes with 1,511 career strikeouts as Friendship/Scio loses state semifinal
Friendship/Scio's season ended in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D semifinals to reigning champ Section IV's DepositHancock 8-2 at Martha Avenue Recreational Park in Bellport on Long Island.
Friendship/Scio coach Deb Warner's Golden Eagles ended the season 20-4 after advancing to their third straight NYS final four. Senior pitcher Nevaeh Ross, a Le Moyne commit, collected Friendship/Scio's only hit and ended her career with 1,511 career strikeouts, which is second in Section V and New York State's record books. She would have shattered the record if not for COVID. Sophomore catcher Morghyn Ross has won four section titles and made all three trips to states with her sister Nevaeh.
The Golden Eagles have played Deposit-Hancock (21-2) each year, losing to the Section IV champ in the 2022 semifinals, then in 13 innings of the 2023 NYS final.
Here is how the game unfolded:
Friendship/Scio 0, Deposit-Hancock 0: End of first inning
Sarah Gross hit a two-hit out single and stole second base before Nevaeh Ross struck out her third D-H Eagle. Friendship/Scio's Avery Lamberson worked a walk and was the only Golden Eagles to reach base.
Friendship/Scio 0, Deposit-Hancock 0: End of second
It's a good old pitchers dual. Friendship/Scio's Nevaeh Ross and DepositHancock junior Addison Machowski each struck out the side in order. Both have six strikeouts.
Friendship/Scio 1, Deposit-Hancock 0: End of third inning
At the top, Deposit nearly scored. Haley Begeal walked, stole second, then moved to third. Leadoff hitter Pagan Macumber made hard contact into the infield with two down, and pinch runner Kayden Appley would have scored, but Friendship's left-handed third baseman Avery Lamberson made a tough play to throw to first to retire the side.
Nevaeh Ross pulled Friendship/Scio ahead 1-0. With two down, Ross walked, stole second, and forced an errant throw to to third before finding a clear path to home plate for the lead.
Friendship/Scio 1, Deposit-Hancock 0: End of fourth inning
Deposit collected a base hit. Averiona Curtis sent a hard shot to third with two down, but Lamberson fielded another tough ball and beat Curtis to first. Ross has eight strikeouts and one away from tying former Deposit pitcher Makenzie Stiles (2019) for the second-most strikeouts in NYS history at 1,507. Bolivar Richburg's Jordan Ingalls (2008), a 2006 state champ, hold the Section V and NYS record with 1,603. Ross would have shattered the record if not for COVID.
Machowski retired the side with two strikeouts and now has 10.
Deposit-Hancock 6, Friendship/Scio 2: End of fifth inning
Deposit-Hancock scored six runs on four hits. Eighth-grader Olivia Bartholemew (single) scored Deposit's first run on Olivia Johnston's bases-loaded RBI to tie the game at 1 with no outs. Begeal (double) and Abby Russell (bunt single) and Johnston then scored on Sarah Gross' bases-loaded double. Gross scored on an errant throw to first, and pinch runner Leah Wist scored on Amanda's Ray ground out. Nevaeh Ross struck out her 10th batter for 1,507 total, tying her for second in career Ks in NYS history.
At the bottom, Jadyn Wonderling led off with a walk but was caught stealing second. Emily Lamberson and Leanne Pierce worked one-out walks. Nevaeh Ross loaded the bases with a fourth walk of the inning. Lamberson scored on a wild pitch.
Deposit-Hancock 6, Friendship/Scio 2: End of sixth inning
T6: Johnston (single) and Macumber (walk) both reached base, but catcher Morghyn Ross retired the side and ended the scoring threat by catching a pop fly.
B6: Nora Thompson and Wonderling worked walks but were left on base.
Deposit-Hancock 8, Friendship/Scio 2: End of seventh inning
T7: Bartholemew hit a two-run triple. Nevaeh Ross ended this game with 1,511 strikeouts for her career, which stands alone at No. 2 on the NYS career Ks list.
B7: Nevaeh Ross ended a DepositHancock's no-hit bid with a single.