Rusty Palmer’s players really had the deck stacked against them this time.

The Pirates had to take the field for Tuesday night’s Honesdale Missy Softball Association semifinal game with just eight players. Due to weather postponements that delayed the play-offs, several Rusty Palmer’s starters weren’t available for the battle with Tallman Masonry.

This didn’t bode well for the Bucs, who had won just one regular season game and now faced a showdown against the top-ranked Masons. Nevertheless, Coach Sandy Tasselmyer’s girls took the field with both energy and enthusiasm.

“We’re going to give it our best shot,” Coach Tasselmyer told TWI Sports just moments before the game. “They’re a good group of girls and I know they’ll try their hardest.”

Rusty Palmer’s undermanned squad did indeed put up a valiant struggle. The Pirates scored first and eventually built a 3-0 lead. The dam finally burst, though, and Tallman Masonry came pouring through.

Over the course of the final three frames, the Masons plated 16 runners. Those eruptions led to a 24-8 victory and a berth in the Missy Softball title tilt. Rusty Palmer’s will now face the Firebirds for the Senior Division all-season championship. This game is slated for 6:00 p.m. Thursday at the Complex.

Early Troubles
Tallman Masonry dug itself an early hole Tuesday due to some shaky defensive play. The Masons committed three infield errors in the opening two frames. These miscues led to three unearned runs and a 3-0 deficit.

Alyssa Weist led off the game with a clean single through the right side for Rusty Palmer’s. She moved up on a Rachel May base knock and scored on an error.

In the second, Chloe Lienert and Bonnie Smith both reach-ed safely with no one out. Both girls scampered home courtesy of two more errant throws.

The Masons came to bat in the bottom half of the second staring at a 3-0 hole. However, Coach DJ Daniels’ squad erupted for six runs and seized the game’s momentum.

Megan Linde, Renee Perricone, Britney Wolf, Kelly Dunn and Kori Williams each ripped a basehit and eventually came around to score.

Williams was right in the thick of every Masons’ rally on this particular day. Kori went 2-for-4, scored a pair of runs and drove in three. She gave Tallman Masonry fans a thrill late in the game with an unorthodox round-tripper.

Kori had laid down a textbook drag bunt in the bottom of the fifth. The ball hugged the first baseline and stubbornly refused to roll foul. When Pirate pitcher Rachel May realized it was staying fair, she barehanded the ball and fired to first.

Her throw was just a bit high and sailed into the rightfield corner. By the time Rusty Palmer’s outfielders could track it down, Williams was rounding third and heading for home. A perfect relay throw arrived just a split second too late and Kori scored in a cloud of dust.

Arielle Burkavage was covering the plate and deserves special mention. On an almost unbearably hot and muggy day, Burkavage made her catching debut. The Pirates’ rookie backstop turned in a solid performance behind the dish. She also contributed offensively with a single and run scored.

With the Sticks
Suzy Adams led the Masons’ offensive attack with a perfect day at the plate. Tallman Masonry’s three-hole hitter went 5-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs.

Alexis Burkavage, Kay Schuler, Megan Linde, Erin Bergold, Wolf and Perricone collected three hits apiece for the winners.

Caitlin Dunn provided some serious power with a bases-clearing triple to right center. The Masons’ second sacker also made two highlight-reel plays defensively. Dunn elicited a cheer from the crowd with a barehanded snag and throw in the top of the sixth.

Bergold was equally impressive with the glove. The Masons’ first baseman caught a line drive off the bat of Burkavage, then stepped on the bag for an unassisted double play. Erin also executed a split in snaring a low throw and somehow keeping her foot on the bag.

Brittany Wolf drew the starting assignment for Tallman Masonry and earned the win. The veteran righty worked all seven innings, scattering 11 hits and allowing four earned runs.

Wolf was opposed by the Pirates’ Rachel May, who also turned in a complete game effort and suffered the loss.

Rusty Palmer’s offense was paced by Macy Hessling, Bonnie Smith, Lienert, May and Weist, each of whom slapped two hits.

Defensively, Lienert and Weist each contributed a stellar play. Chloe made a running catch of Kori Williams’ liner in the sixth, robbing the Masons’ speed demon of certain extra bases. Alyssa ended the frame with a leaping catch of a liner off Schuler’s bat.

Score by Innings...
Pirates   1  2  2  0  1  2  0 -  8
Masons  0  6  2  6  6  4  x - 24