WPCNR PRESS BOX. June 2, 2007: An hour of thunder and impressive cloud to ground lightning resulted in an hour and a half delay today at North Rockland High School, forcing postponement of the White Plains-Yorktown Class AA Section I Fastpitch Final Championship Game. The game will be played at 11:30 A.M. at North Rockland

Tigers in Action in last year's Fastpitch Section I Final in North Rockland. Coach O'Donnell's team is back in the Finals Again with another fantastic fastpitch finish.

That old Hudson River Bandit feeling. The former Bandit infield of Nikki Tamburri on the mound finishing off Tappan Zee in the 7th Saturday afternoon. Jill Gallagher at first and Heather Claussen at third lean in.

After resumption of their game with Tappan Zee, Hen Hud,  trailing 3-1; strung together 8 hits in the 4th inning to score 6 runs and defeat Tappan Zee for the Class A Section I Championship, 7-4. Jill Gallagher drove in the winning runs. Nicki Tamburri went all the way for the win, shutting Tappan Zee down from the 4th to the 7th.

In the stunning rally, Nikki Tamburri walked. Heather Claussen battling on a 1-2 count ripped a single up the middle to put runners and first and second. Meghan Kiernan singled to make it 3-2. Katie Joblon singled up the middle to tie it 3-3. After Nicole Martin struck out, Jill Gallagher blasted a scorcher again over the middle to put the Sailors ahead 4-3. Jackie Gallagher hit into a force at third for one out. Then came the hits that give you nightmares. Shannon Brown dunked into center and took second on the throw to the plate for a 5-3 lead. Kirby Wright tenth hitter up in the inning smacked a Baltimore Chop off the sunbaked infield that the shortstop could not handle, to make it 6-3. Nicki Tamburri did the exact same thing again chopping the ball high to the mound to get in the 7th run. It was a top to bottom team rally. In the fifth Jackie Gallagher with a TZ-er on at first and `1 out, cheating towards second backhanded a bullet at second, stepped on the bag and blazed a throw to first for a 6-6-3 DP.

Hen Hud -- Class A Section I Champions.

It was the culmination of a team that had played together as the travel team, the Hudson River Bandits, six years ago and played with and against each other over years of travel fastpitch softball. It was good to see them together at the top.