ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — At the Suburban Council softball poker table, Colonie currently holds the best hand, with a pair of aces that have an undeniably strong bond.

The pitching duo of junior Lauren Cosselman and sophomore Adrianna Laraway has guided the Raiders to the top seed in the Sec. II, Class AA sectional bracket.

The two have developed the ultimate support system, which has been an integral component to their success.

“It’s amazing to have my best friend with me, especially at one of the most important positions on the field, (and) especially in big games like sectional time,” said Laraway. “To have my best friend by my side on the field and off the field, ’cause we do a lot of stuff off the field together too – a lot more than even the cameras, or our fans come to see – it’s great.”

“It means a lot to have somebody so close to me, always picking me up when I’m down,” added Cosselman. “And whenever I’m on the mound, she’s happy for my successes. And I’m always happy for hers. (We’re) always picking each other up. And…she always has my back. That’s the best thing I could have on this team.”

And, of course, there’s notable intangibles each player has in the circle, which is evident in their combined sub-2.00 ERA.

“Lauren has some disgusting movement on her pitches,” said Laraway. “She’s really good at picking where she wants to throw the pitch. I’ve seen her shake off Coach Kelly (Barkevich) a ton…’cause she knows what her best pitches are, what’s working that day and what’s not. She’s really good with making sure she’s throwing what she believes is the best for her.”

“She definitely knows who’s up in the lineup,” said Cosselman of Laraway. “Like, whether it’s one, two, three, or eight, nine. And she knows where to throw ’em. As a pitcher in general, I think the mental side…she’s stayed up much more than she used to. And now that we’ve been together for another year, we know what to say to each other to help each other out; just to get the next pitch out.”

And what a luxury it is for a head coach to have two pitchers to hand the ball to that can be counted upon to go out and get a win.

“You know, they each kinda bring their own little twist,” said head coach Sean Merchant. “Whether it’s being able to ensure just a ground out, fly ball, things like that. Or, a strikeout, one way or another. But, we know that we’re gonna get the out either way.”

But it’s the unselfishness of this duo that might just be the recipe to a deep playoff run.

“I think me and Lauren are pretty good about, “Hey, it’s time for me to go out; time for you to come in,”” said Laraway. “Which is what’s so great about our friendship being so strong. Even if we get taken out, we’re always happy for the other person, because we know that, “Hey, a team win’s a win.” And together we can do anything.”

Colonie (15-2, 12-1) begins its’ quest for a section title Thursday, and will host eighth-seeded Albany at 4:30 p.m.