West Babylon beat Cicero (North Syracuse), 3-0, in the Class AA state semi-finals. Chelsea Shea threw a third straight shutout.
West Babylon will play Horseheads in the championship game.
UPDATE: East Hampton trails 3-0 in the top of the third.
The Eagles got on the board in the top of the second inning when hits by Melani Maxwell and Shea put runners at first and third, which setup a double steal. Melissa Frederick, pinch-running for Shea, took off for second and, when the catcher went through with the throw, Maxwell immediately broke for home. The throw short-hopped second base so Frederick was safe and Maxwell scored standing up for the first and deciding run. Amanda Vetter added a single to right to score the second run.
Shea got into a jam in the bottom of the frame when Cicero, on three infield singles, loaded the bases with nobody out. Lucia Meola beat out a slow roller to short, Morgan Nandin dropped a perfect bunt up the third base line and Brittany Paul slapped a grounder up the middle and legged it out. But Shea, like a magician (or a bullfighter or MacGyver), managed to wiggle out of it. She struck out the next two batters and made a leaping snag of Lindsay Flanagan’s chopper up the middle. From there on, she shut down the Northstars.
In the fifth, Hannah Leary tacked on an insurance run (cushion for the cushion) by drilling a solo home run over the left centerfield fence. On a 3-2 count, she guessed fastball, got it and tagged it. The ball, which traveled an estimated 220 ft., landed on top of a tent covering a concession stand.
Shea finished up the seventh with a strikeout and two popups.
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