By Rob Potter
CALLICOON — Two Sullivan County scholastic softball teams, Sullivan West and Livingston Manor, qualified for this week’s Section IX tournaments.
The Sullivan West Lady Bulldogs earned a spot in the Section IX Class B Tournament by winning their last two regular season games against the James I. O’Neill Lady Raiders and the Liberty Lady Indians on Wednesday, May 25.
SW, the No. 5 seed, visited No. 4 seed Tuxedo in Tuesday’s quarterfinal round of the Class B tourney. Unfortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, Tuxedo prevailed, 5-1, to advance to the semifinals.
Katie Taylor had an RBI single for the Lady Bulldogs. That was the only hit given up by Lady Tornadoes’ pitcher Kelly Ross.
Brittany Burton went 3-for-4 to lead Tuxedo (11-7).
SW finished the season with a 7-8 record.
The game was the final contest for SW seniors Amber Cookingham, Katerina Gaebel, Amanda Goddard, Maya Grady, Gabrielle Humleker, Jackie Parsons and Heather Puerschner.
The Livingston Manor Lady Wildcats, who won the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division VI title, qualified for the Section IX Class D tournament. However, as the only Class D in Section IX to reach the tourney, Manor is the champion.
Manor, which won the 2010 New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class D championship, will now seek to defend that title.
The Lady Wildcats earned a bye into the state tournament. Manor, which is 18-1 this season, will face either the Section III or Section IV champion in a state Class D semifinal game at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 11 at the Adirondack Sports Complex in Queensbury.