Argyle softball falls just short of completing miraculous comeback in Class D state final

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Most high school student-athletes are fortunate to play in even one state championship game in their careers. The Argyle softball team had that opportunity Saturday in Binghamton...and squeezed every ounce out of it.

Lexi Nassivera's bunch battled back valiantly from a 7-1 deficit to take a 10-9, seventh-inning lead over Section 3's Hamilton in the Class D final. But the Scots could not quite complete the comeback. Hamilton walked it off in the home half of the seventh, handing Argyle a gut-wrenching, 11-10 defeat.

Hamilton, ranked first in the state for Class D, hit Argyle with a haymaker out of the gate, posting five runs in the opening frame. The Scots got one of those runs back in the second on a Sunny Zuger sacrifice fly, but the Emerald Knights responded by plating a run in the bottom of the second and third frames, growing the margin to what proved to be a game-high six runs.

Argyle began its rally in top of the fifth, pushing across two runs on an error and wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position, Sophie Depew singled into shallow center field, plating Becca Campbell to pull the Scots within three at 7-4. The margin closed to one after back-to-back RBI groundouts.

Hamilton countered with a two-run single in the home half of the fifth, and would take a 9-6 advantage into the final frame.

The Scots loaded the bases with just one out after two walks and a single from Grace Depew. Lexi Anderson sent a fly ball out to right field, which was misplayed by Hamilton's Rhiannon Murray, allowing Campbell to score to make it 9-7 Emerald Knights.

Hamilton pitcher Eloise Freeth recorded a big second out when she struck out Kyleigh Dennis. Zuger picked up Dennis, though, with an RBI single, again bringing Argyle within a run.

That gave way to Riley Kober, and the Scots' right fielder drilled an 0-1 offering from Freeth into left-center, plating Grace Depew and Anderson to claim Argyle its first lead of the game at 10-9.

But Hamilton answered in a flash in the next half inning. Freeth led off and drilled the first pitch she saw over the left-field fence, tying the score at 10. Rihana Dye then worked a walk and advanced to third on an Alexis LaFrance sacrifice bunt. Dye would come in to score two batters later on a pass ball to walk it off.

Argyle's stellar 2025 campaign ends with the program's first state runner-up finish since 2000. The Scots posted a 16-7 overall record this year.