It was a matchup that was brewing all season as the Xaverian Clippers hosted the Molloy Stanners on Shore Road for the CHSAA Brooklyn-Queens Varsity Softball Championship.
The Stanners got on the board in the first inning. Joe Donaluma bunted her way on base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Angie Roma. The Clippers were held scoreless until the fourth inning, when Aylessa Dalo reached on an error and was sacrificed home by pitcher Kelly Baker to tie the score.
Baker, who had eight strikeouts, kept the score close until the seventh and final inning. With their backs to the wall and two outs in the seventh, the Stanners mounted a winning rally when Jordyn Ferrandino and Donaluma hit back-to-back singles and scored on Jackie Piazza’s two-run triple for the 3-1 win.
Molloy’s KC DeSarro, who is headed to pitch at Maine’s Colby College, kept the Clippers off-balance and had 12 strikeouts in seven innings.
“I’m really proud of my girls this season, they worked hard to reach this final,” said Xaverian coach Mark Biancoviso. “This season we lost only two games to Molloy and St. Joseph by the Sea, two of the top teams in the league.”
Biancoviso also praised his pitcher and catcher.
“With Kelly Baker on the mound and Olivia Scarpaci behind the plate, that pair really carried this team all season to get us to this point,” he said.
Some of the Clippers will be using their softball skills for college scholarships, including Scarpaci (MIT), Baker (Wesleyan), Sarah Coccodrilli (Oneonta) and Emerson Hannon (Skidmore).
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