The Shipley School 2023 Friends School League Softball Champions
(Photo/ Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
BY MARK ZIMMARO
Lily Colvin saved the season.
The Shipley School softball team was in unfamiliar territory entering the bottom of the seventh inning in the Friends School League (FSL) championship. Earlier in the year, the Gators had pounded all seven of their league opponents during the regular season by a combined 103-4 margin and even won their semifinal round game by 16 runs.
The championship game against Academy of the New Church was a whole different story. Not only did the Gators find themselves in a dogfight with the young Lions, but they were also getting no-hits through six innings by pitcher Jamie Madara and trailed by a run with three outs to go. One swing by Colvin, who had only recently returned from a concussion just two weeks ago, changed everything.
“Going into the (batter’s) box I was really just trying to calm myself down,” said Colvin, a junior center fielder who led off the seventh inning. “I was thinking single just so I could get on base. But it felt amazing.”
Colvin blasted a ground rule double to left center field and scored the tying run on a heads-up base-running play from second base on a dropped third strike on the next batter. It gave the Gators new life and they rallied again in extra innings to pull out a thrilling 4-3 victory to claim their sixth FSL championship in school history and their second in the last three years.
Shipley's junior centerfielder Lily Colvin talks about hitting double, Springboarding The Gators to FSL Championship Title. (Video/ Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
“We worked really hard to get here,” Colvin said. “All season, this was our goal and I’m really happy that we achieved our goal.”
Madara did everything in her power to disrupt the Gators’ agenda. The Lions’ sophomore pitcher allowed just one hit and four walks while striking out 18 batters in a signature performance.
“She’s the backbone of this team through and through when it comes to bringing the energy,” said ANC coach Caitlin Irwin. “She’s genuinely one of the best teammates I’ve ever seen.”
Madara started the scoring by scorching a leadoff double to left field to start the game. After reaching third, her aggressive base running coaxed a throw down the line after the second out of the inning and the speedy sophomore broke for home to put the Lions up 1-0.
Academy of The New Church sophomore Ace Pitcher Jamie Madara is proud of her team's efforts and making it to the FSL final. (Video/ Mark Zimmaro)
ANC Head Coach Caitlin Irwin lauds her team's never give-up attitude and praises her Ace pitcher's character on and off the field. (Video/ Mark Zimmaro)
Shipley answered in the bottom of the frame as a leadoff walk by Cassandra Farrell eventually resulted in a run on a wild pitch to knot the game at one-apiece. It stayed that way until the seventh inning as both Madara and Shipley senior Maddie Todd settled in and put the clamps down on the offense.
“I just knew that I had to get it done,” said Todd, who finished with nine strikeouts and only three allowed hits. “I always get scared of errors because you never know when they are going to come, so being up there as fast as I can and going in as fast is really my mentality.”
The longer the game stayed tied, the more confidence was created in the visitors’ dugout. Shipley had beaten ANC, 20-0, just 10 days earlier during a regular season matchup, albeit on a chilly day. None of that matters when it’s tied in the seventh inning.
“We honestly didn’t know what we were walking into when we started the season, even what positions we were playing,” said Irwin. “The team really grew and everyone was willing to put 110 percent in and stay the extra hour outside just to get some extra hits in.”
Lions’ sophomore catcher Olivia Schriver was hit in the head by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh but refused to come out of the game. She scored from third base three batters later when a pitch made its way to the backstop with two outs to take a 2-1 lead.
Shipley senior pitcher Maddie Todd gets emotional with teammates after Championship Win. (Photo/ Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
Shipley senior pitcher Maddie Todd Talks about winning play and capturing the FSL Title her senior year. (Video/ Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
The Gators, who had also run a perfect regular season schedule in 2022 before experiencing heartbreak in the championship game, weren’t going to let it happen again.
“We were trying to stay up and be positive,” Colvin said. “We were all cheering. None of us were down, not even for a second.”
Some teams might feel nerves with the 6-7-8 batters needing to save the day. Shipley Coach Erica Cipollini liked her odds.
“Our bottom of the lineup has improved incredibly,” Cipollini said. “Even when I see 6-7-8, I’m like ‘perfect'. We’re OK because we’ve been working so hard on hitting so I had total confidence in all of my girls.”
Colvin sent it to extras and international tiebreaker rule went into effect in the top of the eighth inning and ANC immediately cashed in the advantage of starting the inning with a runner on second base. Maggie Dooley scored from third as Brianna Farrington hit a soft bouncer down the first base line for a fielder’s choice RBI and a 3-2 Lions’ lead.
Once again, down to their final three outs, Shipley’s Sophie Hansen scored on an error to tie it. With the potential winning run on third and one out, Todd placed a perfect bunt down the first baseline to score Farrell from third and finally the Gators could celebrate.
Shipley vs. Academy of The New Church in FSL Championship Game. (Photos by Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
“I was definitely really nervous,” Todd said. “I really didn’t know what was going to happen. The pitcher kind of dodged me going to first so I didn’t know (Farrell) made it home till I reached first. But after that moment, it felt really good.”
For Shipley, it was a moment of accomplishment of a goal that was set in the preseason.
“To do it this year feels amazing, especially because last year was such a disheartening game,” Colvin said. “That one really hurt. But to finally bring home the trophy and do it with our seniors, who we love so much, feels so good.”
Academy of the New Church took the fast lane in surpassing all expectations this season. The Lions nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Friends School League history, led by one of the gutsiest performances by Madara, who is actually a true shortstop but has become the Lions’ ace.
Shipley vs. Academy of The New Church in FSL Championship Game. (Photos/ Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
“It’s a loss but it feels good to be in this position,” Madara said. “ANC’s softball program is not a huge softball program, so to be in the position we are in right now and to be in extra innings and fight to be here feels really good.”
It was the Lions’ third trip to the championship game with other appearances coming in 2016 and 2018.
“It’s the third time in our school’s history that we made it to the championship game,” Irwin said. “It’s pretty special for my assistant coach and I because we played in those other two games. This one felt really special to watch the kids absolutely give it their all and leave everything they had on the field.”