Renee McGowan, Bayport-Blue Point outlast MacArthur in 12 innings to claim LI Class A softball championship
Bayport-Blue Point beats MacArthur 4-2 in 12 innings. Renee McGowan #17 Blue Point celebrates as she scores in the 12th inning at the Class A Long Island Softball Championship at Farmingdale State College, on June 2, 2023 Credit: NEIL MILLER
The clutch gene is alive and well inside of Renee McGowan. She stepped to the plate in the fifth and 12th innings with two outs and got the job done each time.
McGowan had two hits and three RBIs as Bayport-Blue Point defeated MacArthur 4-2, in the Long Island Class A championship on Friday evening at Farmingdale State. Erin McMahon struck out seven in a complete game effort as the program won its first Long Island championship since 1991.
“I knew when I went up there I had to give all I had left,” McGowan said. “You don’t get these moments back, I put my heart on the line for the team, for all my seniors.”
With two outs, Kristin Kloss launched a triple that rolled to the wall in the 12th inning. McGowan found herself with two strikes in the next at-bat but managed to shoot a single into rightfield that eluded the fielder and allowed her to get to third base, while scoring Kloss. McMahon singled down the third-base line in the next at-bat giving the Phantoms a 4-2 lead.
“I walked up after Renee’s hit and heard someone in the crowd scream, ‘unemotional’,” McMahon said. “So that’s how I felt, regardless of what just happened, I just focused on hitting the ball.”
In the fifth inning, McGowan hit a two-out, two-strike single into rightfield that scored Nicole Echevarria and Aleena Dolan, giving the Phantoms their first lead of the game at 2-1.
“I don’t like to swing at first pitches, it isn’t my thing,” McGowan said. “My mindset is long quality at-bats, work the pitcher.”
Bayport-Blue Point held that lead until the seventh inning. Hailey Trapani led off with a double for MacArthur, Taylor Brunn followed it up with a double down the first-base line to drive in Trapani and tie the game at two. McMahon induced three straight outs and sent the game into extra innings.
McMahon and Brunn each continued to dominate in the circle during extra innings. McMahon allowed no more than one base runner in each of the next four innings. Brunn retired the side in order twice.
“I was tired, but I just kept telling myself that I wasn’t and thinking about all my power workouts to be able to pitch so long,” McMahon said. “I don’t’ think I’ve played a longer game.”
MacArthur (25-2) grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Brunn doubled with two outs and came home on Hailey Feiler’s single.
Bayport-Blue Point (21-4) will face the winner of Section I Ursuline/Section IV Maine-Endwell in the NYSPHSAA state semifinals on June 9 at the Moriches Athletic Complex.
“We started so strong this season, we knew it would be our year,” McGowan said. “By the time the season was over, we said we were the best team and we didn’t come here today for no reason.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
