RUHS Ends Playoffs
In Poultney
By Morgan Stewart

Arielle Connolly gets on of the few hits in the Division II championship softball final Monday in Poultney. Randolph jumped off to a 2-0 lead but lost 3-2 to Lyndon, which has won 55 straight games.(Herald / Tim Calabro)

Seventh-seeded Randolph went into the playoffs knowing they had to play tight defense and be aggressive with the bats. That is exactly what the Gal Ghosts did as they faced 10^th seeded U-32 in the first round. After coming up with the 7-0 win and playing a near perfect game facing only 21 batters, Randolph boarded a bus and went on the road to face the second seeded team.

The playoff ride was not an easy one and Rutland began to feel like a second home to Randolph as they faced the number two (Mill River) and three (Otter Valley) seeded teams before finally reaching undefeated Lyndon in Poultney. The Ghosts could not have anticipated the spontaneous and wild ride they experienced in the playoffs having to wait not once but twice for storms to clear.

Mill River was the team to beat and with the Lady Ghosts speed, heart, and determination they shut out the Minutemen 3-0. After waiting over an hour due to severe thunder and lightning storms the game was underway. Everyone on the Randolph team played solid defense and made big stops when Mill River was able to get runners in scoring position. Also the Ghosts' aggressive base running and ability to put the ball in play forced Mill River to make mistakes. These mistakes and timely hitting allowed Randolph to cash in runners.

Semi Win

Otter Valley was the one team in the way of the Lady Ghosts’ championship dreams. As the Ghosts reached the semi-finals they only had one thing in mind, winning. Randolph once again pushed to get that first inning run, and for the third game in a row they did. Although two runs scored for the Otters, Randolph's defense was still the key to their success. Fielders made the plays that needed to be made, and when it was time to get the bats out the Ghosts came out swinging hard.

Timely hits led to Randolph notching a 6-2 win over Otter Valley. The next step was the championship against the Lyndon Vikings.

Finals

As Randolph arrived in Poultney the sun was shining bright. However, just minutes before it was time to take the field, lightning struck and the 90-minute delay began. Everyone just had to sit back and wait, wondering if the game would even take place that night. The skies finally cleared and it was time to "play ball."

Randolph's first at bat proved key when they again scored the first run. Arielle Connolly scored off a bunt, a sacrifice and an Amanda Gerstenmaier double to the fence. In the fourth inning Randolph scored their second run, when Ashley Chase crossed home plate. Things were looking great for the Lady Ghosts, who were leading 2-0 going into the fifth inning, but then the momentum changed.

Lyndon rallied and scored two runs to tie the game 2-2. The Vikings scored another in the sixth. Randolph was able to get the lead runner, Morgan Stewart on with a bunt in the seventh inning. Pinch runner Emily Beaudin was then bunted to second and on a single to the shortstop from Katie Jickling, Beaudin tried to take it home to tie the game. An amazing throw from the shortstop and perfect stop by the catcher ended the game. Randolph came up short 3-2 against an undefeated Lyndon team who took home their third straight championship title, and their 55^th straight victory.

The Lady Ghosts team of 2007 was crowned Division II state runners-up. Graduating this year are seniors Emily Howe, Kelsey Higgins, and Morgan Stewart. The Randolph Varsity Softball team would like to thank everyone who came out to support them this season and throughout the playoffs.

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