The Marlboro softball team ran into the best team in the land last Wednesday and couldn’t solve Monroe-Woodbury pitcher Brianna Roberts in a 5-0 non-league loss.

The Dukes only managed two hits off Roberts, and they didn’t come until the seventh when they loaded the bases. Roberts struck out 15 Marlboro batters and only allowed base runners in three innings.

“We did very well for not seeing a pitcher with the velocity that Monroe has,” Marlboro coach Ray Leduc said. “The first couple of times through the lineup, it was an adjustment, but we started adjusting toward the end.”

Roberts struck out seven batters the first time through the lineup. The first time through only Kalista Birkenstock put the ball in play, reaching on an error to start the game. Two batters later, Kasey Conn drew a walk.

Marlboro made more contact the second time through the order and got both their hits the third time through the order.

“It’s just seeing a pitcher like that,” Leduc said. “We have not faced a girl this fast, and it’s tough to go from the teams we’ve been playing, which have all been good teams, but we saw this extra level. Once they saw it, they were able to make adjustments and get more comfortable in the box.”

The Dukes looked most comfortable in the seventh inning, when Conn led off with a single through the left side. After Wednesday’s game, Conn was five hits away from her 100th varsity hit. Emmie-May Cabrera followed by dumping a single into right field, putting two Marlboro runners on base for the first time since the first inning.

Roberts came back to strike out the next two before walking Ava Del Salto to load the bases. Then, Roberts struck out Sydney Shuta to end the game.

“It was good to see some traffic and we were hoping to push one or two across, but we got stuck,” Leduc said.

Del Salto went the distance in the circle for Marlboro, but the Crusaders bedeviled he and the Dukes’ defense with small ball from the start.

Del Salto walked Danielle Ryan to start the game, and a bunt single by Roberts and a sacrifice by Emma Lawson got her to third base. She came around to score on Kelsey O’Brien’s bunt single.

“We were on them, but they just have some quick girls that got down the line,” Leduc said. “There were a couple of plays where we were right there, and they just beat us down the line. It’s good to play teams like this. I wish we had more games this year because it’s hard to adjust on the fly to a team that is aggressive like we are, quick and plays the game fast.”

Ryan singled home a run in the second, O’Brien drove home two with a base hit in the fourth and Olivia Shippee reached on an error and scored on Roberts’ bunt.

Del Santo allowed all five runs, four of which were earned, on eight hits. She walked four and struck out three.

“She was walking a fine line,” Leduc said. “You want to give them some stuff, but too good a pitch to hit, but then you don’t want to put too many on base, and she was hitting her spots. They got some small ball and they got on base.”

The Dukes finished their regular season on Friday, beating Minisink Valley, 7-1.
They earned the top seed in the Section 9 Class B tournament and will host the winner of Ellenville and Spackenkill on Wednesday.

“I feel if we play our game, we’re going to be tough, but anything can happen on any given day,” Leduc said.