It was a comfortable outing for Hen Hud on Friday afternoon, May 22, as the No. 3-seeded Sailors cruised to an 18-0 victory over No. 14 Westlake in the opening round of the Class A softball sectional tournament.
Angelina Carbone and Bella Booth each collected three hits and drove in two runs, while Lillian Tomlinson added a single and four RBIs. Emma Barbelet recorded two hits, and Stella Krebser contributed a single and two RBIs. Jasmyne Kessler chipped in with a single and an RBI, while Hope McKay added a single. Emma Johannsen had two RBIs, and McKenna Silverman added an RBI.
Barbelet earned the win in the circle, tossing five innings while allowing just one hit and one walk. She struck out eight batters.
The Sailors entered the postseason in strong form. After opening the season 14-0, Hen Hud hit a few late-season bumps against John Jay-East Fishkill, Somers, and John Jay-Cross River. However, the Sailors rebounded with victories in their final two regular-season games and carried that momentum into Friday’s matchup.
“It was a good win — definitely a step in the right direction for sectionals,” said Hen Hud head coach Dennis Wolownik.
“What really got us going was playing a little small ball. We got the wheels going, got the bats going, and that really sparked us to start squaring up the ball throughout the game.”
Despite the dominant performance, Wolownik believes there is still room for improvement.
“You can always improve,” he said. “Base running, taking the extra bases, not making mental mistakes — we made a couple of base-running errors today.”
The Sailors (18-3) will host No. 6 Tappan Zee in the Class A quarterfinals on Tuesday, May 26, with game time still to be announced. The Dutchmen advanced with a 12-0 victory over No. 11 Pleasantville, highlighted by senior pitcher Haley Arvidson recording her 500th career strikeout after fanning 13 batters over five innings. Tappan Zee finished the regular season 15-5 and was recently described by Lohud as “the unsung team nobody wants to play” in the Class A postseason.
“I know Tappan Zee is going to be a real challenge for us,” Wolownik said. “They’re a quality team, and we’ve got to bring our A-game on Tuesday. I’m really excited for the game. I want my team to be tested.”
With the holiday weekend ahead, the Sailors are staying focused on preparation for what could be a defining game in their season.
“We’re practicing tomorrow (Saturday) and early on Memorial Day,” Wolownik said. “None of the team went away — they know it’s a commitment during softball season.”
The winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchup will advance to face the winner of No. 2 Pearl River versus No. 7 Albertus Magnus in the semifinals on Thursday, May 28.
