Resch, Stillwater End Whitehall’s Season

You are currently viewing Resch, Stillwater End Whitehall’s Season

By Keith Harrington

Sometimes getting high school students to do their homework is challenging. Not Eden Resch. After the teams met in the Class C sectionals, Resch began studying the Whitehall softball teams’ hitters a year ago. Thursday it paid off for the sophomore pitcher.

Resch fired a one-hitter as No.7 Stillwater upset second-seeded Whitehall 3-1 in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals.

“We’ve played them the last two years and I’ve been working on my spin a lot,” Resch explained after the game. “I remembered how they hit off me last year so I tried to hit spots where they couldn’t.”

Resch utilized a rise ball that proved difficult to handle, but perhaps her most effective strategy was to jam the Railroader batters inside. This made it difficult for Whitehall’s powerful hitters to get their arms extended and explode on the ball.

“I did that against Galway too and it’s worked out pretty well, so I’m going to try to stick with that,” Resch added.

Things appeared to be going according to plan for the Railroaders early on. Madi Gould struck out the Warriors in order in the first inning. Then Whitehall scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the frame.

Gould led off by reaching on an error. Advanced to third on an Ava Ruby groundout, and scored on a Khloe Paddock sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

Gould was in complete control for the next three innings. The senior allowed just a pair of hits and struck out six more Stillwater batters over the second, third, and fourth.

Resch was equally as solid, only striking out two during the span but inducing the Railroaders into pop-up after pop-out which her defense turned into easy outs.

Stillwater was able to break through in the fifth. Bella Toleman led off with a single. Resch drew a walk and Eva Thompson laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. With one out Lilly Russell blasted a double to the gap in left-center field to give the Warriors a 2-1 advantage.

Ava Russell closed the rally with a single to extend the lead to 3-1.

Resch kept the Whitehall bats silent the rest of the way. Mia Waters broke up the no-hitter with an infield single that Ava Russell made a diving stab on but Waters beat out.

Gould walked and Vinna Jensen was hit by a pitch to put a pair of Railroaders on base in the sixth, but again Resch was able to shut down the rally.

Resch took care of Whitehall in order in the seventh to set off the Stillwater celebration and send her team to the semifinals.

Resch finished with just five strikeouts but kept Whitehall out of sync all afternoon.

Gould yielded just five hits and struck out 17 for the Railroaders.

Waters was a bright spot for Whitehall, throwing out two Warriors from her catcher’s position and making an outstanding catch on a foul ball near the backstop.

Katie Coogan also added a hit for Stillwater.

The Warriors now move on to face Greenwich in the semifinals, a team they have played twice this season. The Witches are the defending Class C state champions, but Resch is confident that her team can get the job done.

“It’s amazing. I love these girls. We work so hard together. We beat Greenwich before so we’re trying to do it again,” Resch said.

Meanwhile, the loss marked the end of an era for a Whitehall team with six seniors who have won consecutive Adirondack League titles and three in the last four years. They are one of the most successful groups of student-athletes ever to wear the Maroon and White.

“They got us here. They’re the reason why we’re here. They’ve been great all of the way up through,” coach Chris Bascue said after the game. “They’re dedicated. They’re hard-working. When everybody else is going to birthday parties and pool parties in the summer these kids are on a softball field when it’s ninety degrees.”

Bascue keyed in on the reason the Railroaders came up short on this day.

“Unfortunately we didn’t hit today. I didn’t expect us to put up one run and one hit against this team,” Bascue concluded.

Stillwater improved to 14-4. Whitehall finishes 14-2.