Colonie leaves no doubt

Malta

Two tight sectional victories put the Colonie softball team in position to claim a Section II Class AA softball championship Tuesday afternoon. The Garnet Raiders made sure the final was anything but close.

Colonie used a three-run home run by Jaclyn Dyer in the second inning to take the lead and blew the final against Bethlehem wide open by scoring nine runs in the third inning, including two home runs from senior catcher Chloe Vanburen, in a 17-4 victory at Luther Forest Complex that ended after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

"This is the wildest," Vanburen said. "I have been dreaming that we would win a sectional title. It came true."

"I am just really happy. I don't really know how else to describe it," Colonie sophomore pitcher Carly Gemmett said. "I am shocked and am really glad we are here."

Tuesday's decisive win against the Eagles, a team Colonie split two Suburban Council games with this season, was in stark contrast to the champion's first two playoffs wins where the Garnet Raiders edged Shaker 2-1 in the quarterfinal and Shenendehowa 4-3 in the semifinals. This time, fourth-seeded Colonie (14-7) pounded out 14 hits in earning the program's first sectional title since 2010.

The Garnet Raiders advance to a state quarterfinal contest Friday at Carrier Field in Syracuse vs. perennial Section III power Cicero-North Syracuse (20-3).

"There is no point in stopping now. We've got here, so let's keep going," Colonie senior center fielder Ciana Phillips said.

Anyone that witnessed Colonie perform against Bethlehem (12-7) understood little could stop the Garnet Raiders.

Phillips opened the game with a double and scored on an RBI single by Dyer in the top of the first.

"We wanted to get on them early," Colonie first-year coach Sean Merchant...