Monday, May 14, 2012: Corning wins Ace Morabito softball tournament

   Leading off today: Tournament MVP Quincey Lewis pitched two shutouts Sunday to lead Corning to the championship of the James 'Ace' Morabito softball tournament in Herkimer.

   The Hawks (14-4) defeated Oneida 2-0 in the final as Lewis tossed a four-hitter. Earlier, Corning defeated R.C. Ketchum 4-0 on Lewis' two-hitter. Lewis surrendered one run in four games over two days of the 16-school tournament.

   In the final, Corning scored in the first inning when Chaylen Andolino singled and scored on two passed balls. The other run came on consecutive sixth-inning doubles by Lewis and Andolino.

   On Saturday, Corning scored seven first-inning runs and beat Clarkstown South 8-0, then rallied past St. Joe by the Sea 2-1 to reach the semifinals.

   Oneida rallied for two final-inning victories on Saturday then beat 2011 NYSPHSAA Class B champion Windsor 11-3 in the semifinals on Sunday.

   Pure thievery: Niagara-Wheatfield senior Caitlin Attfield became the NYSPHSAA record holder for career stolen bases in softball at 122 on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 121 by Jordan Rutkowski of Alden set in 2007.

   Attfield, a University of Alabama-Birmingham recruit, stole six bases as N-W split four games over the weekend at the Ace Morabito Tournament. She has 34 steals this spring.

   Attfield's stay at the top could be short-lived: Elizabethtown-Lewis junior Kylee Cassavaugh is at 119 and counting. "She's very gifted athletically," Elizabethtown-Lewis coach Jim Monty said. "I might be prejudiced, but if she really concentrates, softball may be the best of her three sports.

   Cassavaugh stole 29 bases as an eighth-grader, 31 as a freshman and 41 last spring -- including six in one game. She has only 18 this spring, partly a function of hitting in the No. 3 slot in the lineup.

   Loucks Games recap: Reports out of White Plains say that this year's Loucks Games will go down as one of the best regular-season meets in state history, probably owing to some of the best early-season weather much of the state has seen in years.

   Peru senior Dan Lennon crushed his own Section 7 record in the 3,200 meters by winning in 9:00.52. That shaved a full seven seconds off his own mark set at the same meet a year ago, and he would have almost certainly have gone sub-nine had New Jersey junior sensation Edward Cheserek not scratched. Cheserek had won the 1,600 earlier in the three-day meet in a time of 4:09.90.

   Bronxville's Mary Cain moved a step closer to the unthinkable -- possibly erasing Mary Decker's national sophomore record in the girls 800 -- when she won in 2:03.34. Decker's mark of 2:02.29 seems reachable with a month left in the high school campaign and then a number of summer competitions available.

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   In the boys 800, Liverpool senior Zavon Watkins won his fifth career Loucks race (three individual, two relays) by firing off a 1:50.78 effort on Friday as five competitors broke 1:53. He was denied a record-setting sixth win the following day as he clocked "just" 4:11.86 behind Cheserek in the 1,600.

   St. Anthony's senior Mike Brunoforte set a Long Island pole vault record Saturday by clearing 16-1. Nick David of Mount Sinai set the record of 16-0 in 2007. In the weights, Hackley's A.J. Wolf swept the shot put and discus in 59-4 and 186-3, respectively.

   A couple of the other more scorching efforts saw Cardozo's Alexis Panisse follow up her 2:06 effort for second place in the 800 with a 4:44.06 win in the 1,600 to fend off Mamaroneck's Amina Banks (4:46.71), and Medgar Evers junior Kadecia Baird edging junior Precious Holmes from Connecticut in the 400 meters at :52.62 and then running the 200 in :23.98 (qualifying) and :24.13 (final).

   An aside: I won't name names, but while looking for additional meet details I read possibly the worst track and field game story I've seen since my days editing newspaper copy 20 years ago. It had two glaring factual errors (and I'm presuming that the athlete's name wasn't also butchered) in the first eight words.

   Writers shouldn't be making gaffes like that, but is it too much for the copy desk to save the reporter a little embarrassment now and then?

   Lacrosse tidbits: Suffern beat Lakeland/Panas in boys action Friday as Kevin Haggerty made an outlandish 29 saves. Haggerty had posted 16 saves in a recent 8-7 overtime win vs. Fordham Prep.

   St. Anthony, ranked No. 3 in Class A, edged Class B No. 7 Yorktown 13-12 as Nick Mariano had five goals and an assist. Frank Fusco and Conor Gately added two goals apiece.