“Just get one (run) and I’m fine,” she said. “That’s…
By Dylan Butler
It’s become Nicole Losito’s mantra this season and once again she repeated the phrase to her Mary Louis softball teammates in yet another tight game against St. Francis Prep at Cunningham Park Friday.
“Just get one (run) and I’m fine,” she said. “That’s all I need.”
Julie Walsh manufactured the lone run in the sixth inning and Losito made sure it held up as the senior pitcher struck out 11 and walked three in a three-hit shutout as Mary Louis defeated St. Francis Prep, 1-0.
Led by Losito, who has a 0.10 earned run average against CHSAA opponents, Mary Louis (14-5, 10-1 CHSAA) clinched the top seed in the Brooklyn/Queens playoffs, which were slated to start Tuesday afternoon.
Mary Louis, which threatened for much of the game, finally broke the deadlock in the sixth inning when Walsh reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, stole third and scored on a throwing error by St. Francis Prep sophomore catcher Justine Clifford.
“Tom came over to me and told me I was going to be running because we need the run,” Walsh said of Mary Louis coach Tom Sarosy.
Added Sarosy: “Having two kids like (twin sisters) Michelle and Julie who can (steal) 90 percent of the time, we have to take advantage of that. It’s nice to have.”
The Hilltoppers had runners at second and third in both the second and third innings, but St. Francis Prep pitcher Nina Cecare struck out Meghan Diffley and Kelly Langer in the second and got Julie Walsh to pop out in the third to end each rally.
Cecare was deceivingly difficult, striking out 14 with three walks while scattering just three hits. The lone run Mary Louis scored was unearned.
“She’s done well this year but this was definitely her best game,” St. Francis Prep coach Ann Marie Rich said of her junior pitcher.
St. Francis Prep (11-7, 8-4) was inches away from tying the game in the bottom of the seventh when Clifford hit a bomb down the left field line with a runner on third, but the ball trailed just foul.
“I saw it come off the bat and I didn’t even look at it. I just knew it was going foul,” Losito said. “It was just in my mind that it was foul. I didn’t turn around; I didn’t want to turn around.”
Clifford was then caught looking at strike three and Losito got Mary Anne Diehm to ground back to the circle to end the game.
Molloy 12, Stella Maris 0. Jackie Pizzo was 2-for-4 with an RBI triple, and Michele Viani was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a triple for Molloy (12-4, 10-2 CHSAA) Monday.
St. John’s Prep 16, St. Agnes 4. Alexis Pennella was 4-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs, and Melissa Mieles went 4-for-4 with two RBIs for St. John’s Prep (3-9 CHSAA) last Thursday.
Mary Louis 2, Molloy 0. Losito tossed another three-hitter and Lauren Milczinski drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in a game played at Preller Field May 5.
Christ the King 6, St. John’s Prep 1. Tracey Florio struck out 10 in a complete-game four-hitter, and Sandra Noer had a triple and an RBI for Christ the King (4-8, 3-7) May 5.
Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
