The Newburgh Free Academy softball team wanted to see where it was.

On April 25, they were close, but they weren’t there yet as the Warwick Wildcats scored two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings in a 5-3 comeback win over the Goldbacks at NFA North.

“We just told the girls, we thought we played a good game,” Newburgh coach Chris Leggett said. “Not great, but good, against very good competition, which is what we wanted: to see where we were at today. It was a competitive game for us. It shows us that we’re right there with everybody, and with Monroe-(Woodbury) coming back to Earth a little bit this year, it’s a pretty even playing field for all teams.”

The Goldbacks led 2-0 heading into the fourth inning, but Newburgh pitcher Alina Ferguson walked the leadoff batter, struck out the next two and then walked Amanda Wentworth. Katie Fiore then singled home Olivia Martino to put the Wildcats on the board.

Wentworth scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

The Goldbacks got right back on top with a little bit of small ball as Parker Mullarkey laid down a perfect bunt that died right in front of home plate. She was at first base before anyone touched the ball.

“She’s an excitable player who is always positive and happy, and moves at 100 miles an hour,” Leggett said. “So, we figured, let’s try to bunt her. She laid down an excellent bunt that I don’t even think anybody touched.”

Ryan Keller followed by laying down a sacrifice bunt in front of home plate. The sacrifice was more than successful as Mullarkey advanced two bases on the sacrifice.

“She wasn’t stopping at second,” Leggett said.
Then, she scored on Marissa Scarano’s sacrifice fly to give the Goldbacks a 3-2 lead.

The lead didn’t last long as the Warwick bats erupted in loud fashion to start the fifth when Annie Lincoln lined a single of Alina Ferguson’s pitching hand. Despite shaking the pain out of her hand for the rest of the inning, she stayed in the game.

“Two weeks ago, she gets a line drive off the shin, goes down, gets up, walks it off and goes out to pitch,” Leggett said. “I wasn’t expecting anything different. It’s a hand and you have to pitch, but she would be tough to take out of the game under any circumstance.”

It took a few pitches for Ferguson to find her groove again. Then, with one out, she gave up a single to Martino and the Wildcats tied the game when Alyssa Sarlo reached on an error by Scarano at shortstop. Clare Calandra gave the Wildcats the lead with a groundout.

Ferguson came back to pitch a scoreless sixth before giving up a triple to Etta Garofalo to start the seventh. She came home when Martino reached on a comebacker.

Ferguson also got Newburgh on the board in the second inning.

After the Wildcats walked Scarano to load the bases with two outs, she singled up the middle to give Newburgh a 2-0 lead.

“The other girls rally around her,” Leggett said. “The pitcher’s got to be a bulldog, and she’s definitely one.”

The Goldbacks were scheduled to finish the week on Thursday with a home game against Pine Bush, but it was postponed until Monday.

“We’re probably ahead of where we expected ourselves to be with a lot of young players, but we have great camaraderie amongst the team,” Leggett said. “That really shows as everyone is pulling for each other. We’re in a nice position right now just one game over the halfway point in the season.”