By SPENCER BATES
ALDEN — The season has come to a close for the Allegany-Limestone softball team after falling 7-5 to No. 2 seed Alden in the Section 6 Class B Semifinals.
Having seen their season come to an end in the semis last season as well, the No. 3 seed Gators were looking to get over the hump and take a shot at the section title. And after an early feeling-out period, they looked primed to do so.
A-L had held Alden scoreless through four innings of play and in the third and fourth inning, it looked as though momentum was on its side, scoring once apiece in each frame thanks to smart baserunning and clutch hits from Peyton Truman (RBI) and Kendall Lemon (2-for-3, RBI).
However, the Bulldogs eventually figured out Gators starting pitcher Kailey Truman, and once they did, the runs came in bunches.
Alden had swung the two-run differential in its favor after scoring four runs in the fifth inning. It tacked on three more in the sixth, negating the inside-the-park home run that A-L’s Kennedy Honeck (1-for-3, run, RBI) had scored in the top of the frame.
A-L head coach Kaelyn Arnold came out to talk to her ace on two occasions as she tried to help get her back on track. That being said, the decision to make a change in the circle was never on her mind as she kept faith in the lone senior on the team.
“I knew she could do it, I knew she could finish it,” Arnold said. “She just had a couple walks there, and they had some good hits, got some lucky hits in there, and it just didn’t fall our way this time. And that’s just the way softball goes sometimes. So, kudos to Alden, I hope they can keep on going.”
Reflecting on the impression Kailey Truman has left on the Gators program, Arnold noted she will be remembered as someone who always brought the intensity, held people accountable and set the standard for future generations.
“She’s had a great impact on this team,” Arnold said. “I mean, she was our true leader this year, our only senior, and she was very aggressive, even at practices, always making sure the girls were ready to go, and just always a very good team player. She was always trying to pick people up, and we’re definitely gonna miss her, that’s for sure. But we’re lucky to get to watch her play at the collegiate level, so we’re excited about that.”
It was a Bulldog blitz and the Gators needed a response.
Things looked promising as they started the final inning with back-to-back singles from Mya Hayes (1-for-2, run) and Riley Sudbrook (2-for-3, run). Kailey Truman (1-for-3, 2 RBI) came up clutch with a two-RBI single that brought the tying run to the plate.
“They stayed aggressive the whole way through,” Arnold said of her team’s rally. “I mean, even in the last inning there, we got two runs across. We just stayed aggressive, which was great to see. They didn’t just back down after we were down by four runs. So it was good to see the resilience to come back and try to score some runs there at the end.”
Allegany-Limestone’s Kennedy Honeck (7) swings at a pitch against Alden. Honeck went 1-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run for the Gators. (Spencer Bates)
But an out on a bunt and a fly out left the comeback incomplete.
Still, despite the defeat, Arnold noted how proud she was of her team for making the run they did.
“I’m just proud of them, proud that we made it this far,” Arnold said. “It’s still a big accomplishment to get this far in the season. They put in a lot of good work this year. We just came up short.”
Resilience had been the theme for the Gators all season. Whether it was stealing wins late or recovering from miscues with momentum swinging plays, they had embodied the meaning of the word.
Arnold sees the team carrying that over into next season, with a slew of up-and-coming talent that knows how close they were to taking the next step in the postseason set to challenge for spots on the varsity roster, there is plenty to be positive about.
“They’ve been resilient all year round,” Arnold said. “At the end there, I had one of my seventh graders come in and pinch-hit and she did a great job. She put the ball in play, and that’s all we can really ask for. The future seasons are looking good. We’ve got Maci Darrow coming up pitching next year, and a couple of other pitchers coming up. We’re only losing one, so we’ve already got that spot filled pretty much. So we should still be very aggressive again next year. I’m excited to see it.”
Allegany-Limestone finished the season with a 14-4 record.
AT ALDEN
Allegany-Limestone 001 101 2 R:5 H:8 E:3
Alden 000 043 X R:7 H:10 E:1
A-L: Ka. Truman (3 SO, 3 BB) and P. Truman
ALD: Mann (9 SO, 0 BB) and Eberth
