By Keith Harrington

Hartford punched their ticket to the TCML softball championship game with a hard-fought 8-7 win over Argyle Monday evening at Hartford Central School. The top-seeded Chaos fought off a stiff challenge from their Route 40 rivals. Argyle was the No. 3 seed and was coming off an upset of No. 2 West Rutland.

The game was a back-and-forth battle. After a scoreless first inning, Argyle took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Hartford cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom half of the inning.

The Chaos plated two runs in the bottom of the third to grab a 3-2 advantage but Argyle answered with three in the fifth to lead 5-3.

Hartford scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, then exploded for four in the sixth to lead 8-5.

Argyle attempted to rally, scoring twice in the seventh, but Arianna Raymond fielded a hard grounder off the bat of Riley Gallagher at first base for the third out in the top of the seventh to seal the victory for the Chaos.

Reagan Gebo earned the win in the circle, striking out 11. Gebo was also 3 for 4 at the plate to help her cause.

Raymond was 3 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Madalyn Mead-Collins was 3 for 4 and drove in a run. Silver Stewart was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

Kyleigh Dennis recorded seven Ks in defeat for Argyle.

Ava Cormie was 2 for 3 with a triple for Argyle. Laura Pagano was 2 for 4 with a double.

Hartford is scheduled to face Ticonderoga in the championship game Wednesday night at Ticonderoga at 6 p.m. If the game is rained out there will not be a rain date and the teams will be declared co-champions.

Hartford improved to 10-3 on the season.