Tappan Zee Wins Section Softball Championship

Tappan Zee junior pitcher Paulina Gutkin struck out 10 in a two-hit shutout to give the Dutchies a 4-0 victory over Pearl River in the Section 1 Class A championship game Saturday at North Rockland.

"Just the greatest feeling in the world," Gutkin said. "Last year we ended early. This year, we were thinking we are going to get it this year and we did."

"We've seen her a lot," Pearl River junior pitcher Mandy McCarthy said. "We should have been more on her. She pitched a good game. She carried them a lot."

It was Gutkin's third shutout in three days. Tappan Zee gave up only two runs during its four-game run through the playoffs.

"You hear our chant, 'Dominate," Tappan Zee Head Coach Gene Kousoulas said. "We get on the field and we feel like we are the best team and we have to prove it each time. Albertus got (two) against us and we shut out the next three. That's domination right there."

Gutkin also scored the only run the Dutchmen would need in the bottom of the first. She bunted for a hit, moved to second on a sacrifice by Meagan Trozzo, stole third and scored on Dee Sininaj's sacrifice fly to right. 

"It feels amazing (to take the lead early," Gutkin said. "One-nothing is close, but you put pressure on the other team. 

"Obviously you want the momentum to get the first run, but we need to be more productive," McCarthy said. "Congratulations to them.

It was one of a number of occasions Tappan Zee took an aggressive approach on the bases. The Dutchies also had runners advance a base on a fly ball to left during their three-run fifth inning.

"Everything was to put pressure on Pearl River," Gutkin said. "We did some risky things. Stealing third was risky, but coach believed in me and I beleived in myself."

Pearl River managed to get more than one runner on base in only one inning, loading them in the top of the third inning. Kirsten McGarvey got the Pirates started by beating out a bunt single. With two out, Gutkin issued her only walk of the day to Erin Woods, then hit McCarthy to load the bases. She struck out Deirdre O'Malley to end the threat.

"That inning they had the bases loaded, my teammates had my back," Gutkin said. "We just believed in each other and that's what got us through. That was a big inning. That could have ended really badly. If you come out of that without scoring a run, there is no way they are getting another one. That was my attitude."

An effective change-up was a key for Gutkin. It was a strikeout pitch for her Saturday, including O'Malley's at-bat in the third.

"I was doing snaps to (catcher) Kelly (Connelly) and we saw it was working today and it really did," Gutkin said. 

Tappan Zee added three insurance runs in the fifth on an RBI infield single by Connelly and a two-run single to right by Caitlin Quirk. 
Gutkin and her defense did the rest, retiring six of the final seven batters, broke up only by a long double by McCarthy.

"She works so hard," Kousoulas said. "You hear me yelling that from the sideline. All the hard work. Whether it's hitting or pitching, that's where she's got to step forward and do it and she's done it for us time and time again.

"It rallies around Paulina, but at the same time there are plays being made behind her."