Marlboro strikes early, holds off Saugerties rally to win Section 9-A softball title

The Marlboro way remains the winning way.

The Iron Dukes played errorless defense, ran the bases aggressively and rode good pitching to yet another Section 9 title. Marlboro beat fellow Mid-Hudson Athletic League foe Saugerties, 4-2, in the Class A final held at Newburgh's Mount Saint Mary College.

Freshman Sam Maleck had three hits from the No. 5 spot in the order. Kalista Birkenstock, Emma Jackson and Kiera Del Salto added two hits apiece for Marlboro. Leah Gunsett limited Saugerties to eight singles and got eight strikeouts for the win.

For Saugerties, leadoff Natalie Tucker had three singles and No. 2 Stef Cogswell had a pair - the rest of the lineup managed only three singles. Alaina Conrad was roughed up for three doubles and nine singles and got only one strikeout.

Second-seeded Marlboro jumped out early on the top-seeded Sawyers. Taylor Castellani singled over second base, moved up on Jackson's single to center, took third on a Gunsett groundout and scored when Maleck's sharp grounder to third was booted by Elizabeth Sullivan.

In the third inning, Jackson hit a first offering to left-center for a double and scored on Maleck's one-out looped down down the left-field line. Del Salto easily beat out a bunt single, and when she stole second the throw from catcher Sammie Graham went astray, allowing Maleck to make it 3-0. Kaitlyn Gordon slapped a single through the hole at second for the 4-0 lead.

The score could have been wildly different as each team stranded nine runners. Saugerties left two aboard in the first, the bases loaded in the third, single runners in the fourth and fifth and two more in the sixth. With runners in scoring position, Saugerties batted 2-for-8 with a pair of walks and Marlboro was 4-for-12.

CLASS AAA FINAL: Pine Bush softball takes advantage of two errors for winning rally against Newburgh

CLASS C FINAL: Pine Plains scores nine early runs, rolls to Section 9-C softball title over Tri-Valley

CLASS D FINAL: Chapel Field struggles in field but beats Eldred for Section 9-D softball championship

CLASS AA FINAL: Minisink beats Valley Central for third time this season, claims section softball crown

CLASS C FINAL: Highland wins first Section 9 softball title in 10 years, topping Chester in Class B

Saugerties benefitted from a dropped third strike - which would have ended the inning - and two-out singles from Tucker and Cogswell, the latter producing the Sawyers' two runs. But Gunsett fielded Grace Madelone's chopper up the middle and got the third out.

Marlboro remains one of the most successful programs in Section 9 history. Since the turn of the century, the Iron Dukes have won 11 titles: two in Class A and the rest in Class B.

Marlboro advances to the state tournament opening round. On Tuesday, the Dukes will face the Section 1 champions at Monroe-Woodbury High School.

The game lasted 96 minutes.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Marlboro strikes early, holds off Saugerties rally to win Section 9-A softball title