Home-and-home series honors fallen teammate

In a show of solidarity, Fox Lane and John Jay players gathered to play two games to benefit cancer research in memory of Brooke D'Aleo, a 2025 John Jay graduate who played for the Wolves. JIM MACLEAN PHOTOS

By JIM MACLEAN 

Emotions were high for both teams as John Jay hosted rival Fox Lane on May 2, for the first of two Brooke D’Aleo Memorial Games between the Wolves and the Foxes.

Both teams knew Brooke, a Class of 2025 John Jay graduate who played varsity for the Wolves and also played club softball with several girls from Fox Lane, so the teams will honor her memory with a home-and-away pair of Memorial Games with proceeds raised going to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York City. The two teams will square off again this Saturday, May 9, at Fox Lane for round two.

After a pregame ceremony where Brooke’s mom and dad threw out the first pitch caught by her sister, Paige, a freshman on the John Jay varsity, the two teams got down to business, locked into a nail biter that would not be decided until the final out.

MARIA DEGAETANO

SOFIA RODRIGUEZ

As expected, it was a pitcher’s duel as Maria DeGaetano of John Jay and Sofia Rodriguez of Fox Lane took the mound and refused to give an inch.

The scoreboard was filled with zeros as neither team could get a hit or a run heading into the fifth inning when John Jay finally broke the scoreless tie, manufacturing a run without a hit. Senior Laney Daly reached on a walk, stole second, then stole third and came home when the throw went into the outfield.

“I was getting to home plate no matter what, we all knew whoever got that first run, that was it, and we wanted this game a lot,” Daly said. “Today definitely wasn’t just about us. Brooke’s passing was super hard on the team, she would be at every single game if it was 30 degrees or sunshine and rainbows, she was always there for us even during her hardest times and she still inspires us every single day.”

That one run proved to be the difference as John Jay held on for the 1-0 victory. Both pitchers dominated, allowing just one hit for each team, while DeGaetano finished with 12 strikeouts in seven innings and Rodriguez had 12 strikeouts in six innings for the Foxes.

Laney Daly, left, celebrates with Margaret Lawton and Natalie Sacco after she scored the only run of the game.

DeGaetano had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning until Avery Genovese led off with a single for the first hit of the game and the only hit for the Foxes.

“It was definitely really important for us to get the win today, Brooke is a presence in everything we do and that pushed us a little more today,” admitted DeGaetano.

Rodriguez was just as dominant, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning when Carys Cooper got the only hit of the game for John Jay.

“A pitchers duel, a great game, Sofia pitched a great game and we just couldn’t hit today,” said Fox Lane coach Mike Olivier.

Fox Lane tried to answer in the top of the sixth as Jojo Kerwar connected on a long drive, but John Jay senior Bella Barry raced back to make an over the shoulder grab to rob Kerwar of an extra base hit.

“It was a little stressful, I just had to make that catch, I couldn’t let that one get over my head,” explained Barry. “We’re playing this game for a purpose much larger than ourselves. Brooke was such an important person to all of us and we always play for her, but especially today with her parents here for the ceremony.”

DeGaetano struck out the last two batters of the game to close out the victory for John Jay, but it was more than just a game as both teams posed together for a photo after the final out.

“Brooke was a big part of our community and the school, so all the girls knew her and this was very important to them,” said John Jay coach Theresa Assumma. “It’s bigger than just a game, both teams knew her, a softball community coming together and it was really nice to see.”