By Mitch Abramson
After winning 24 straight games, Mary Louis' season closes with back-to-back losses.Mary Louis pitcher Nicole Losito had mastered Moore Catholic all game, serving up a six-hitter by mixing fastballs and off-speed pitches. Nevertheless, with Moore Catholic's Nicole LoVerde casting a shadow at second thanks to the international tiebreaker rule, Losito fielded a bunt from Jennifer Volpe to begin the eighth and uncharacteristically froze.Losito's uncompromising instincts told her to keep the runner at second, so she wheeled around and followed LoVerde back to the base. But with Volpe tearing down the line, Losito fired a fastball to first that sailed over the outstretched arms of Julie Walsh.LoVerde scored to give Moore Catholic (23-4) a 1-0 lead. One batter later, Volpe scored on yet another perplexing fielding play by Mary Louis and with pitcher Nicole Broecker rendering the Hilltoppers' bats lifeless, the game was basically over.”We made some poor decisions in the field,” Mary Louis coach Tom Sarosy said. “The primary job is to just get an out, and we didn't do that. We gave (the game) back to them.”The clumsy ending was eerily reminiscent of the Hilltoppers' 1-0 win over St. Francis Prep in the Brooklyn/Queens final May 17 when an errant throw in the eighth inning during a run-down allowed Mary Louis to win the game.Broecker pitched a two-hitter and didn't allow a runner past second. She struck out five in the complete-game win and was rewarded with a game-ending double-play that sent the Mavericks into party mode.Moore Catholic, which repeated as city champions and defeated Mary Louis in the city final in 2002, was late arriving to the game because the bus driver couldn't find the field. “This game we really played as a team,” said Broecker who received a scholarship to play softball at Division II Felician College in New Jersey. “We didn't make any errors, and we didn't allow them to hit. This win was important for all of us, and we played like it was important.”Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by E-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 130.
