D-I ace Groom fans 14, No. 1 Chatham outlasts Saranac

PLATTSBURGH | Saranac produced two runs against reigning Class B state Player of the Year Skylar Groom to cut its deficit to 4-2 in the fourth inning. But the Chatham junior quickly regrouped and showed why she's already committed to Division I Binghamton University. Groom retired nine of the next 11 batters she faced, striking out six during that stretch, to anchor No. 1 Chatham's 9-2 win over No. 15 Saranac in a NYSPHSAA sub-regional Wednesday at Plattsburgh High. Groom tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out 14 without a walk. Perhaps most remarkably, she threw 64 of her 72 pitches for strikes. "Well, I was pleased with the way we made some plays. I would have been happier if we'd have been a little more aggressive at the plate, knowing that she's throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes," Saranac head coach Sam Campbell said. "She's throwing a fastball. Just gear up and get ready and go. Don't be looking at pitches, and we know that when she gets ahead that she's probably going to come with that riseball. She did four or five times today, and we've got to be able to lay off of that." Saranac's Irelyn Ryan led off the fourth inning with a single, Elizabeth Recore doubled, and Rowan Ryan and Emma Duquette each delivered RBI groundouts to second base. But Chatham (21-2) responded immediately. Madisyn Domkoski singled on a hard ground ball to right field to score Laney Steltz, and Chatham tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth inning. Meta Mountain and Samantha Silver delivered back-to-back RBI singles, and Steltz hammered an RBI triple. Groom helped her own cause at the plate with a run-scoring single in the seventh inning before recording three more strikeouts in the circle to finish off the complete game. Saranac sophomore Gracie Baxter also pitched a complete game, allowing 13 hits, nine runs and three walks to go with one strikeout in the seventh inning. The left side of Saranac's infield was outstanding. Irelyn Ryan, a junior, was perfect on seven chances at shortstop, highlighted by an inning-ending L6-4 double play in the fourth inning. Abby Carter, only a sophomore, handled five chances cleanly at third base, recording four assists on 5-3 groundouts at the hot corner while snagging a pop fly. Campbell's lineup card included one eighth-grader, four sophomores, two juniors and only two seniors. Saranac finished its season 13-9 overall and 9-4 in the CVAC, one game behind Peru in the Division I standings despite sweeping the Nighthawks in the conference series. Saranac captured the Section VII Class B championship with a 9-5 win over Northeastern Clinton on May 29. "I think it's just the younger kids, they like to play, and they wanted to buy in," Campbell said. "We've had a couple of those younger kids who were here last year, and they're just growing and more successful, and they're good players. I think that the next five years, without a doubt, the program should be pretty strong." — Chatham 9, Saranac 2 Chatham 310 013 1 — 9 13 2 Saranac 000 200 0 — 2 2 3 Groom and Rowe. Baxter and Duquette. WP- Groom. LP- Baxter. 2B- Groom (C) 2, Steltz (C), Recore (SCS). 3B- Rowe (C), Steltz (C). Weather: 79 degrees, sunny. First pitch: 4:32 p.m. T: 1:46. Venue: Plattsburgh High. June 3, 2026

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D-I ace Groom fans 14, No. 1 Chatham outlasts Saranac

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