Hot bats + dominant pitching = two shutouts for John Jay softballers

Riley Sacco slides into second base on a force play. JIM MACLEAN PHOTO

By JIM MACLEAN 

Two games, two wins, and an almost perfect week on the mound for the John Jay varsity softball team as the Wolves scored a pair of shutout victories over Horace Greeley and Walter Panas.

After a tough 1-0 loss to undefeated Somers on April 15, the bats came alive two days later as John Jay bounced back with a 9-0 win over Panas. Julia Gieras pitched a no-hitter for the Wolves.

Gieras and Siena Giandalona were on the mound for another shutout on April 21, as the Wolves hosted Horace Greeley and the Wolves cruised to a 15-0 victory. The emergence of Gieras and Giandalona on the mound gives the Wolves a chance to rest ace Maria DeGaetano, and a strong trio of arms to share the load down the stretch. It also helps if the bats come alive like they did against Horace Greeley.

“Definitely nice depth with our pitching now with Maria, Julia and Siena, who we called up from J.V.” explained John Jay coach Theresa Swertfager-Assumma. “We’ve been working a lot on hitting and everyone got involved today up and down the lineup, and everyone got into the game today, it was important to see live reps.”

First inning lead

Against Greeley on Tuesday, John Jay jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Then Riley Sacco delivered a two-out single for an RBI to make it 4-0 in the second inning.

Everyone got involved in the third inning, as it was one hit after another for the Wolves. Riley Foote started it off with a double and she scored on a hit from Bella Barry. Riley Sacco then had an RBI single, followed by an RBI single from Laney Daly. Elise Templeton then delivered a 2-run double. Carys Cooper followed with an RBI single. Riley Foote had an RBI single as the Wolves batted around the order and they were not finished yet. Barry delivered an infield single for an RBI, and DeGaetano finished off the rally with a 2-run double to make it 13-0.

In the fourth inning, Claire Doherty had an RBI single and Charlotte Bender had a sacrifice fly to make the final score 15-0 in five innings. Gieras pitched three innings for the Wolves and allowed no hits while striking out seven. Giandalona came on for the final two innings to wrap it up.

Hot hitters

Templeton went 4-for-4 on the day with three runs scored and two RBI. Riley Foote had three hits and scored two runs while driving in three. Bender and Riley Sacco each had two hits.

In the win over Walter Panas, Gieras went the distance for the no-hitter on the mound. McKenna Foote had two hits and two RBI to lead the way at the plate. Templeton, Kristin Zabrocki, Cooper, and DeGaetano all delivered big hits as well to help lead the Wolves to the win.

It adds up to a good week on the diamond for the Wolves as the bats came alive. John Jay has now won four of its last five, and both losses on the year to date have come against Somers. The Wolves continue to show they can compete with anyone in Section 1 Class A heading into the second half of the season and the playoffs.

“We’re building, we’re slowly getting there, seeing the improvement every day,” added Swertfager-Assumma. “We’re refining our game. We feel on any given day anyone can win and we just have to show up every game.”

John Jay hopes to keep it going this week as the Wolves were on the road at North Salem on Friday, April 24, and Brewster on Saturday, April 25. The Wolves then come home to host Hastings on the 27th.