The Firebirds and Masons closed out this summer’s Honesdale Missy Softball Association season in fine fashion with a truly grand finale.

On Thursday evening at the HHS Athletic Complex, Edward J. Schwarz Inc. rallied from a late-game deficit to tie Tallman Masonry in the Senior Division championship game.
The two teams then battled deep into extra innings before a victor finally emerged.

With local softball legend Bob “Meatball” Martin providing calm leadership, the Firebirds scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning. Coach Martin’s girls then held off one last Masons’ rally to sew up the win.

The final score was 11-8. This emotional victory was the 10th of the year for Edward J. Schwarz Inc. against just one loss. Tallman Masonry, which entered the play-offs as the #1 seed, finished up at 9-2.

Setting the Stage
The Masons and Firebirds dominated Senior Division action this summer. The teams split their two regular season meetings and ended the ‘08 campaign with identical 8-1 records.

Kristin Burke led the Edward J. Schwarz offensive assault with a monster day at the dish. The Firebirds’ slugger went 4-for-4 with a run scored and four RBIs.

Burke singled in a pair in the first, then added a two-run double in the eighth. Kristin added another single and a triple to close out her perfect day.

Megan Gallik sparked two rallies with clutch basehits in the first and eighth. The Firebirds’ speedy centerfielder opened the game with a ground single to center. Megan sprinted to third on a Josilyn Martin single and trotted home courtesy of Korilynn Grady’s sacrifice fly.

After Meghan Grady joined Martin on the basepaths with a basehit of her own, Burke chased both runners home with a bullet single to left.

The Masons got onto the board in the home half of the frame with one run off Martin.
Kayla Schuler stroked a one-out double to center, then promptly stole third. She trotted home with Tallman Masonry’s first run on an error.

The Firebirds added another tally in the top of the second and looked to be headed for more when a stellar play by Alexis Burkavage killed off the rally.

Morgan Dux opened the frame with a single to left center. She moved up on an infield out, then scored on Katie Martin’s RBI base knock.

Harley Straut hit a hard grounder up the middle, but Burkavage speared it. Alexis alertly stepped on second and fired a strike to first for an inning-ending double play.

Tallman Masonry chipped away at the lead with a run in the bottom of the second.

Renee Perricone reached on an error, advanced to second on Brittany Wolf’s basehit and scurried home when Kelly Dunn ripped a  single to right.

Erin Bergold continued her Gold Glove play at first, snaring a line drive off the bat of the Firebirds’ Faith Collins.

Susannah Daniels also turn-ed in one of the day’s top plays. Schwarz’s rightfielder sprinted toward the infield and made a circus, shoestring catch of Kori Williams’ bid for a basehit.

The Masons scored three times in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 lead. Bergold, Burkavage and Schuler each tallied a run, thanks to clutch RBI singles from Perricone and Wolf.

Hence, at the game’s halfway point, just one run separated the league’s two top teams in this exciting title tilt.

Down the Stretch
After the Firebirds tied things up at 5-all in the fifth, the Masons seized momentum in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs.

The inning’s big blow came when Caitlin Dunn crushed an RBI triple to the wall in right. This blast plated Kelly Dunn, who’d slapped a one-out single. Caitlin made the score 7-5 just moments later on a fielder’s choice groundout.

The Firebirds were just two outs from defeat in the top of the seventh before mounting a game-saving rally.

Burke ignited the offense by blasting a triple up the alley in left center. Sarah Tuman followed with a clutch RBI single. She took second on another key hit by Dux, then scampered home on an infield out.

Kori Williams nearly sealed the deal on the season in the bottom of the seventh.
With two outs and the score tied 7-7, Tallman Masonry’s clean-up batter smoked a liner to the base of the fence in right. Williams rounded third and looked like she was heading home, but slammed on the brakes at the last second.

One pitch later, Korilynn Grady sent the game to extra innings. The Firebirds’ sure-handed second sacker speared Perricone’s blistering liner to strand Williams at third.

Schwarz staged its game-winning rally in the top half of the eighth.

Masons’ pitcher Brittany Wolf got the first out, but then surrendered a double to Gallik. Megan scored the tie-breaking run on a bloop single by Martin.

The Firebirds’ offensive carousel continued to whirl thanks to big basehits from Korilynn Grady, Meagan Grady and Burke. Kristin closed out the scoring with her fourth hit of the night, this one an RBI double to left center.

Wolf tried valiantly to rally her team in the bottom of the eighth.

Brittany singled to center, took second on an error and scored on a groundout. However, Martin bounced back to retire Burkavage on a flyball to center and end the game.

Score by Innings...
Firebirds   3  1  0  0  1  0  2  4 - 11
Masons     1  1  2  0  0  2  0  1 -  8