By Ted Waddell
HANCOCK — May 21, 2004 – The Lady Comets of Fallsburg celebrated their first win of the year in fine style by dumping a bucket of ice water on their coach.
Helping to ease the chill a bit was the fact that Tuesday’s 9-8 non-league victory over the host Family Foundation School Lady Falcons marked Mike Weiner’s 200th coaching career win at Fallsburg Central School.
This marks his first season of coaching varsity softball at Fallsburg.
“My heart’s still beating,” said Weiner after the win, still feeling the effects of the icy bath of water.
Fallsburg (1-12) got off to a good start by scoring a run in the top of the first as leadoff batter Karen Perrello walked and later crossed the plate on an RBI single by Michelle Orrego.
A single by Jamie Cruz went for naught, however, as Mannie Wizwer popped out to third to end the inning.
The Family School (1-13) scored three runs in the bottom of the first.
Leadoff batter Jen Cole tripled and later crossed the plate on an RBI single by Joanna Heretick, who then stole third base and home.
The next couple of batters hit the ball, but were called out legging it to first. Anna Lanshe made it a 3-1 ballgame in favor of the Lady Falcons by smacking a double and then stealing third base and home.
In the top of the second, Rebecca Haber hit the ball to the Lady Falcons third baseman who fired it to first for the out. The next batter, Evelese Campos, walked and Sarah Halprin followed with a single. Perrello picked up an RBI when she singled and Campos scored on the play.
At their turn at the plate in the second inning, the Lady Falcons went up 4-2 as Christine Scutt walked, Christine Watson singled and Cole singled to send Scutt across home plate.
In the bottom of the third, the Lady Falcons picked up three runs and looked like they were out for a walk in the park on the way to sending Fallsburg to another defeat.
Lanshe tripled and made it home on an RBI single by Jamie Claudio, who then figured it was a good idea to steal second, third and home. After Scutt popped out to the mound, Watson walked and stole second and Rachel Knutson walked to put two runners on base. Cole made it a 7-2 ballgame with an RBI single.
However, the Lady Comets responded by scoring three runs in the top of the fourth.
Haber singled and Campos walked to begin the inning. Halprin’s RBI single scored a run. In the wake of Perrello popping out to short, Toni Wilkerson hit a two-run double.
In the bottom of the fourth, The Family School got what would prove to be its last run of the game.
After consecutive singles by Jamie Baldisan, Lanshe, Claudio and Scutt and a tagout, Watson poked an RBI single to put the Lady Falcons up by three runs, 8-5.
Then the momentum of the game switched gears as Fallsburg went into overdrive.
In the top of the fifth, Frances Melendez singled. Campos doubled to score Melendez and Halprin singled to send Campos across the plate to cut The Family School’s lead to just one run.
At their turn at the plate in the sixth, Lady Comet leadoff batter Perrello walked and Wilkerson then doubled to score Perrello and knot the score at 8-8.
Weigand singled to shortstop, allowing Wilkerson to score the winning run for the Lady Comets.
Perrello went the distance on the mound for Fallsburg. Cole pitched six innings for The Family School, while Sara Fisher closed out the game.
“It’s a disappointment because we fought hard for the win, but just didn’t pull it off,” said Family School Coach Donna Broce, who is in her first year of guiding the Lady Falcons. “We had the lead a couple of times, but couldn’t hold on to it.
“We played hard right to the end, they go out there and take it to them in every game, no matter what,” Broce added. “I’m very proud of ’em for sticking with it . . . they never quit.”
Weiner said the Lady Comets haven’t gotten too many breaks this season, but in Tuesday’s victory over The Family School, they got them when it counted.
“Normally our defense makes a lot of errors, but we played very well today,” he said.
Weiner noted that his pitcher, Perrello, “struggled a little bit” but came through on several 3-1 and 3-0 counts to retire opposing batters.
“She was battling it today,” he said.