BINGHAMTON – Jordan Diemer struck out 12 in a four-hitter as Deposit/Hancock beat Section II champion Galway, 4-3, in the Class C softball championship at Greenlight Grandslam Park on Saturday, June 12.
Ivy Tice and Haley Begeal each had two RBI, and Tice scored twice for the Eagles, which won their fourth state title in five years of the two schools combining in the sport.
“At the beginning of the year we lost three all-state players from last year and I wasn’t sure we’d be able to replace them,” D/H Coach Dan Briggs said. “What this team proved is they replaced them and then some. The resilience from this team and just their attitude about fundamentals and hard work in general is really what stood out this week.”
Trailing 4-1, Galway rallied in the bottom of the sixth. Lily Bain tripled to the wall. Sadie Stead walked and stole second. Then Emma Menge hit a sacrifice to score Bain, with Stead scoring on a throwing error. However, Diemer stranded Menge on second and had no trouble in the seventh inning, getting the Golden Eagles out in order.
Briggs said he gathered his team before the final half inning and told them to play their game.
“Just complete the job,” Briggs said. “We had a one-run lead, so we just had to complete the job. We had to stay within ourselves, stay fundamentally sound and just get three outs before they scored another run.”
“It was a little scary, they kind of had us on edge,” Tice said, “but our pitcher, she’s strong. She is a freshman. She is amazing. I know all of us are confidant. We’re strong. We’re just good players. We’re confidant. We know when to come out to play. When know when to work. We’re always ready for each other. We’re ready for every play. We know where we’re going. We work hard. This is what we came for. This is what we do all year. What we did.”
Menge took the loss, giving up eight hits. She had trouble with the middle of the D/H order every time through the lineup. Twice she surrendered runs off of two-out rallies.
Kadyn Appley had both of the rally-starting hits, including one in the top of the first inning, a two-out double down the third-base line. Tice then blooped a single into center field to score her.
In the third inning, Pagan Macumber had an infield single and took second on a throwing error. Tice then doubled her home. Begeal then singled to center field to score Tice.
Galway got one run back in the fifth on a double steal, but D/H equaled it in sixth on another two-out rally. Appley tripled to the wall in left field. Tice was walked, but Begeal singled home Appley for the 4-1 lead.
Galway (21-4) had no seniors on its roster and played a 10-inning semifinal game late Friday, June 11. Briggs said he liked their spirit.
“I hope we see them here again,” he said.
The title is the seventh for Briggs at Deposit and fourth since the two schools merged for the sport. However, it is the first in Class C. Deposit won Class D titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Deposit/Hancock won Class D titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024. D/H lost in the Class C semifinals last year to eventual champion Bloomfield.
This season, Deposit/Hancock (23-2) won the Midstate Athletic Conference and Section IV title, as well as its first Class C state title.
“I say it every year, our ultimate goal is the section and state championship,” Briggs said. “I don’t care what grade they are in. … I don’t care if there are nine of them or 10 of them or 25 girls playing. As long as they are hard workers, looking to improve every day, we’re going to be champions.”