Friedman's walk-off propels Chatham softball to fourth section title in six seasons

MALTA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- One of the defining characteristics of this year's Chatham softball team is its ability to handle adversity. That would be put to the test Thursday night when the Panthers had a 5-2 lead dissipate in the top of the seventh inning of the Section 2, Class B championship game.

But, true to form, Chatham faced that adversity head-on, and quickly rallied to push across a run in the home half of the inning for a walk-off, 6-5 victory against Tamarac to claim the program's fourth section title since the 2019 season.

Anna Friedman played hero for the Panthers. With one out in the inning, Friedman delivered a looping single into shallow left-center field that scored Skylar Groom, who had doubled the at-bat prior.

A game-winning hit to win her team a sectional championship is a moment that will go down for Friedman, a senior, as one of the highlights of her career.

"I haven't felt emotions that high...I don't think ever in my life," said Friedman. "I just knew I needed to that ball in play somewhere. Skylar's very fast; she's in scoring position. Thankfully, the outfielders were pretty deep, so they couldn't get the ball. As soon as it dropped, I knew Skylar was getting home."

Groom's double, which set the stage for Friedman, came as an impressive response to what was a discouraging top of the seventh inning for the sophomore, who started in the circle.

She began the inning sporting a no-hitter, as both Tamarac's runs leading up to that point had scored on an error.

The Bengals started the frame by putting two runners in scoring position after a leadoff walk and another error. Addison Ferris laid down a bunt, which was fielded cleanly by Groom. Her throw to first base sailed high, though, allowing Kenlyn Ferris to score. That also allowed Addison Ferris to move up to second, and Tamarac had the tying run in scoring position.

After Groom recorded a much-needed strikeout, Makenna Ashe broke up the no-hitter with a single to center field. Ashlynn Tomaro scored from third, bringing the Bengals within one run at 5-4. Addison Ferris, representing the tying run, was thrown at home on the play by Addison Perry, who, for the time being, had preserved Chatham's lead, and picked up a massive second out.

But the very next batter - Tamarac starting pitching Toni DeLorenzo - laced another single into center, plating Ashe for the game-tying run.

To Groom's credit, after losing both her no-hit bid and surrendering the lead, she made amends in a big way at the plate with a timely two-bagger - her first hit of the night.

In fact, Groom's and Friedman's base knocks were the only hits from Chatham's 1-3 hitters. The heart of the Panthers' lineup did the majority of the offensive damage. Catcher Aubrey Rowe went 2-3 with three runs batted in out of the six-spot. She drove in Chatham's first run of the game in the bottom of the second on a single to left that plated Meta Mountain - one of the three runs scored from the Panthers' clean-up hitter.

Rowe delivered again in the bottom of the fourth, driving in Friedman and Mountain with a double. Samantha Silver followed that up with an RBI double, pushing the Chatham lead to 4-0.

After Tamarac responded with two runs in the fifth, Chatham pushed across what proved to be a crucial insurance run, as Mountain scored from second on a sacrifice bunt from Jordin Radley and Tamarac throwing error.

Rowe was the only player in the game to record multiple hits.

Groom, aside from the seventh-inning miscues, was lights out in the circle. Of the five runs Tamarac scored, none were earned. She allowed just the two hits, walked three and struck out eight.

Tamarac (19-3) ends its season as the runner-up in Class B for the second time in the last four years.

Chatham (19-3) advances on to the state tournament. The Panthers earn a bye straight through to the regional final round, and will await the winner of a sub-regional matchup between the Section 10 and 7 champions.