Corning takes Section 4 Class AAA softball title behind Matti Johnston no-hitter

Corning sophomore Matti Johnston picked the perfect moment to deliver her first career varsity no-hitter as the Hawks beat Elmira, 5-0, in the Section 4 Class AAA softball championship game Saturday afternoon at Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park in Binghamton.

The right-hander overcame a second inning in which she walked two and hit a batter to dominate the rest of the way. She finished with six strikeouts and three walks.

Three straight groundouts in the seventh closed out the no-no and touched off a celebration around the pitcher's circle. Given the appreciation she had for the play behind her, that was a fitting way to end things.

"It was great," she said of the no-hitter. "I loved it, but the most important thing was my defense backing me up. They made it happen, really."

Three-run sixth key for Hawks

Corning beat Elmira (6-13-1) by scores of 8-6 and 18-2 in the regular season. Offense was harder to come by in round three.

Express reliever Ava Cornacchio gave her team a chance with 3 2/3 shutout innings of relief, but small ball, typically aggressive Corning base running and timely hitting produced three runs off her in the sixth to turn a tense two-run contest into a comfortable five-run margin.

"Our kids understand how to play the game," Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. said. "They’re high-IQ, and we have high expectations for them. We did some things in that inning and scored some runs that other teams don’t."

Corning's runs in the second inning came on a bases-loaded walk and wild pitch. In the sixth, Kendall Curreri took advantage of an Express miscue for the third run. A pinch-hit RBI single from eighth-grader Hannah Kauffman made it 4-0, and an RBI groundout from Peyton Sullivan accounted for the final run.

Kauffman is one of five girls on Corning's roster in seventh or eighth grade.

"There’s an eighth-grader that’s just got confidence," Mike Johnston said. "She showed it in the last week or so that she was capable of getting it done, so I gave her the opportunity, and she took full advantage of it."

What It Means

Corning beat Elmira for the second year in a row in a sectional final. Last year's win came in Class AA, which was New York's highest class until the addition of AAA this year.

The Hawks won their fourth sectional title since 2019 and fifth overall under Johnston since the program's first season in 2011.

"Very proud of our kids for what they accomplished today," Mike Johnston said.

More: Corning captures Section 4 Class AAA baseball title behind Terwilliger's two-hitter

Closer look at Johnston's gem

Matti Johnston took some time to find her release point, but once she did she entered cruise control. She set Elmira down in order in three of the final five innings, with the lone Express base runners in the other two frames coming on a walk and throwing error.

Asked how she found her groove, Johnston responded, "I turned around, and I looked at my team, and I said, 'I've got to win this for them.'"

She credited an effective cut curveball and screwball as difference-makers.

Johnston Jr. is Matti's uncle. Mike's brother, Matt, and Matt's wife, Toni, are assistant coaches for the Hawks and Matti's parents. Toni, also a pitcher, was a two-time National Player of the Year in college.

"I thought she made great adjustments through the last four innings, and I thought my sister-in-law, Toni Johnston, and my brother, Matt Johnston, did a heck of a job calling the game and working with her," Mike said. "They have utmost confidence in her and each other. You just don’t do that, go out and throw no-hitters."

Gloves played key role

Coach Johnston pointed to a number of defensive plays as contributing to the no-hitter, and Matti said the fielders surrounding her make her very confident.

Most notable was second baseman Kayleigh Sparks going high to snare a line drive off the bat of Lily Cornacchio.

Mike Johnston praised catcher Sophia Polzella for making "a heck of a play" on a bunt and shortstop Curreri for "gobbling ground balls up." Speedy center fielder Lauren DeRosa tracked down three fly balls.

"I thought we got a great effort on the mound today," Mike Johnston said. "Threw a no-hitter in the sectional championship game. Her defense was outstanding behind her."

Up Next

Corning (11-6) has a bye in the sub-regional and will meet either the Section 9 or Section 1 champion in the regional final/state quarterfinal. That game will be played May 31 or June 1 at Monroe-Woodbury if it's Section 9 or June 1 at North Rockland if it's Section 1.

"I’m so excited. I’m so happy I get to move forward with my group, and I just can’t wait to see where we go," Matti Johnston said.

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Corning earned a second straight Section 4 title in softball