RHS Softball
Garnets Falter in Playoff at Lakeland;
Several Players Earn Post-Season Accolades

Lakeland ace Brittany Lischinsky fanned 12 Rye batters May 29 in the first round of the Class A Section playoffs, leading her third-seeded Hornets to an 11-0 victory over the No. 14 Garnets.

Although the lopsided loss finished his team’s season, Rye head coach Alex Tejera was pleased with the team’s effort.

“I thought the girls played hard,” said Tejera. “Lakeland was a very good team and I thought we performed as well as we could. The score was a little worse than the game seemed. The girls pushed until the last out and I couldn’t have been prouder of them.”

Tejera went on to say the season was a success, noting the Garnets had reached the Section playoffs for a second consecutive year. In addition, several of his players earned postseason accolades. Juniors Karly FitzGerald and Samantha Lee and senior Alex Giroux were each named All-Section Honorable Mention and All-League players. Senior Kira Hessekiel, sophomore Jillian Chittenden, and junior Killian Harris were tabbed All-League Honorable Mention.

Garnets right fielder Amy Shanks had two of Rye’s four total hits. Hessekiel, who pitched nearly every inning of every game for the last three seasons, gave up seven earned runs and struck out four in her final Garnet appearance.

The Sectional clash with Lakeland would have been a tough matchup regardless of the situation, but there were extenuating circumstances for the Garnets on that particular day. The team traveled nearly an hour up the road for the rain-threatened 2:30 p.m. start, and over half the team had to be back at RHS at 6 p.m. to board a bus for the senior prom. Throw in future college star Lischinsky, and the Garnets were facing a perfect storm. Nevertheless, they handled themselves with poise and professionalism in their final game of the season.

– Melanie Cane