By The TimesLedger
Trailing 5-1 after a Sacred Heart grand slam in the home third inning, the Our Lady of the Snows seventh-grade girls softball team fought back and earned a well-deserved victory, 9-5. The win over a tough Sacred Heart team was no easy task. Sacred Heart’s outfield made two sparkling plays to hold OLS down in the early innings. Amanda Tolento’s long fly ball was caught in deep center field in the first inning.
OLS had jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, as Cathy Culp’s grounder drove Dina Forero home from third base in the visiting second inning. A combination of walks, infield hits and aggressive base-running helped OLS close the gap to 5-4 in the fourth inning. With runners at second and third and Snows threatening to take the lead, Nicole Bavaro’s hard line drive was hauled in for the third out by a charging Sacred Heart rightfielder.
Snows grabbed a 6-5 lead in the sixth as they capitalized on a Sacred Heart error with timely hitting. Leading 6-5 as they began the seventh inning, OLS loaded the bases with none out, but it looked like Sacred Heart might get out of the jam when Megan Brosnan found herself at the plate with two outs and two strikes. Megan came up big with a clutch line drive base hit to drive home a run. Susan Garrett and Angelique Campana followed with base hits to give OLS two more insurance runs.
Krissy Amorese did not need the insurance, as she caught a low line drive and turned it into a game-ending double play to give OLS their second win of the young season. Krissy pitched the complete game for the win. She was supported by fine defensive plays by Susan Garrett, Vanessa Zampelli, Amanda Tolento, Dina Forero and Danielle Cervantes. Second baseman Angie Campana was the defensive star of the game for Snows, as she repeatedly made sparkling plays, including the defensive play of the game. Angie’s lunging catch a hard line drive snuffed out a Sacred Heart threat. Lauren Marino and Shannon Moran were also part of the OLS winning effort.
