Somers Breaks Open Pitcher’s Duel for 8-4 Victory over John Jay

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On Wednesday March 25, Somers hosted John Jay at Primrose, and despite facing runners in scoring position over three separate innings, Emily Boyle remained on the clock. “She stays in the present,” said Coach Theresa Ricci, and with the fires put out, the offense was left primed to do the rest.

The girls broke a 2-1 game open in the fifth and sixth and finished off the Wolves by a score of 8-4.

Nonetheless, John Jay came out swinging. Elise Templeton and Natalie Sacco both got a good piece of the ball to lead of the game, but Julia and Gianna Peanamanda gobbled up the drives in left and right field.

One out to go, Riley Foote’s single got past Gianna, and John Jay had a runner 60 feet away. On hold, Boyle dialed in, and Carys Cooper ground out to second.

Onto the bottom, Somers started out by keeping it small. “I just try to get it down in a direction,” said Julia Peanamanda, and the location was perfectly placed for a bunt base hit down third.

Sister act too was next. “Every time she gets on base I feel really confident,” said Gianna Peanamanda, and the nearly identical placement had Charlotte Bender overrunning the bunt.

Katie Cole then walked, and with the bases full of elephants, Caitlin Fitts also kept the attack contained. The first baseman got good iron on the ball, and her sacrifice fly to left moved up all three runners.

1-0, Somers continued to keep it simple. Alyssa Pirraglia lifted a bloop behind short, and Riley Foote was unable to squeeze an over the shoulder grab. Even so, Natalie Sacco was able to get the runner at third, and Maria DeGaetano escaped with a strikeout of Keira Griggs.

Down two, John Jay did answer back. Charlotte Bender and Bella Barry both singled to the right side with one out, and walks by Clare Doherty and Templeton cut the lead in half. Work to do, Boyle didn’t shrink, and the Somers starter sent Sacco down swinging.

DeGaetano’s turn, the John Jay starter made quick work. A ground ball and two strikeouts moved the game to the third.

There, Boyle faced a little more trouble. Foote reached on an error, and after stealing second, Carys Cooper came up with nobody out. Boyle remained unfazed, got the cleanup hitter to bounce back to the circle and kept Bender’s bat immobilized for a called strike three.

No surprise, DeGaetano kept her end of the pitcher’s dual up in the top of the fourth. The Wolf got three ground outs, and Boyle was up. Two strikeouts and a fly out and the duet wasn’t done.

The two pitchers faced seven batters and retired six, but the artistry soon became one sided. Still, Boyle had some help from her catcher in the top of the fifth. After Boyle got a pair of runners on strikes, she still had a runner on third to contend with. No problem, Brooke Olivier picked off the runner as she danced off third.

Then Olivier began DeGaetano’s demise. “It was right down the middle,” said the 8th grader, and the ball carried deep to left for a double.

Alyssa Pirraglia did strike out next so Somers went back to the beginning. Julia Peanamanda bunted for a clean base hit, and Gianna Peanamanda’s bunt resulted in an error again.

That left Cole to cleanup. She stroked a single for a 4-1 lead, and John Jay had no answer for Boyle in the top of the sixth.

The command then followed to the batter’s box. Boyle singled to lead off, and Griggs sent her to third on a double to right.

In came Kaleigh Conti and her RBI single had the centerfielder explaining the solving of DeGaetano. “After each of us went up there, we gave each other pointers and made a plan,” she revealed.

Not done, Olivier’s ground out to third brought in run six, a double by Pirraglia made It 7-1, and Julia Peanamanda’s grounder to third brought in the final run.

John Jay didn’t quit, though. Kristin Zabrocki’s single and steal was followed by a Doherty walk. No one out, Doherty took off for second so Cole stepped forward. She took the short throw from Olivier, and the shortstop fired home for the crucial first out.

John Jay still proceeded to put up three runs but Boyle closed the door for the win.

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