Comeback Cougars Fall Just Short

The St. John the Baptist Lady Cougars almost proved the adage that the game isn't over until the last out is made. The Lady Cougars rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but couldn't plate the tying run in their 4-3 loss to St. Joseph by the Sea from Staten Island in the NYSGCHAA state semifinals in softball.

"This team has a history this whole season of having those comeback wins. They like to play from behind for some reason. I really thought we were going to pull it out," said Lady Cougars coach Brianne Herr. "We had a lot of things to work on this last year and one of the things was staying up in every inning of every game. All I can ask from them is to do what they did."

At the softball field of the St. Paul's Church in Jericho, the St. Joseph by the Sea Lady Vikings wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first. But St. John's tied the score in the bottom of the third when junior second baseman Allison Cain doubled home senior Christina Vitale, who had tripled.

From there, though, St. Joseph junior pitcher Kristina Mazzarisi put a stranglehold on the Lady Cougars' offense while the Lady Vikings increased their lead.

In the top of the fourth, St. Joseph's scored two runs highlighted by a homerun by senior Toni-Ann Canova.

St. Joseph's would add another run in the top of the seventh to increase the lead to 4-1.

With the Lady Vikings needed just three outs to advance to the state finals, the Lady Cougars sprang to life. Senior catcher Kaitlyn Crowley led off the inning with a single that was followed by a double by senior Kaitlin Pescitelli. 

With runners on second and third, senior Allison Schmidt delivered a big single to pull the Lady Cougars to within one run. The clutch hit was enough to chase Mazzarisi from the game.

"I was just trying to think confidence and I just sat back and drove the ball. I was lucky to get the two runs [home]," said Schmidt.

With St. John's having the tying run on first with no outs, St. Joseph's turned to a sophomore, Amanda Barrese, who retired the final three batters and ending St. John's quest for a second consecutive state championship. 

"When you're down in the seventh inning, you just want it so much more. I just makes you work so much harder. We should have worked that hard all game," said Cain, who also played sparkling defense at second base. "We came back, but it just wasn't enough."

Still, the Lady Cougars have a lot to be proud of for winning a league championship. Said Herr, "I told the girls at the beginning of the game that anything that happened today was icing on the cake. Of course, we wanted to repeat. It would have been great to win another state title. But winning the league championship for us was really the pinnacle of our season because I don't think we really thought were going to be there. A lot of people didn't think we were going to be there and that really meant a lot to us."

The Lady Cougars defeated St. Mary's High School of Buffalo in the consolation game and St. Joseph by the Sea went on the win the championship over Archbishop Molloy.