By Anthony Bosco
Moments before taking the mound in the crucial CHSAA league softball match-up between St. Francis Prep and Archbishop Molloy, Terriers starter Kristen McEvitt was visibly ill.
The senior out of Flushing had been battling a stomach virus for the better part of the week, a virus which intensified the day before Prep was to take on the Stanners. Still, the team needed the win, and as the ace on coach Ann Marie Rich’s staff, McEvitt wasn’t going to sit out.
“I felt nauseous, but I was OK,” McEvitt whispered after the game, despite a case of laryngitis. “Yesterday and today were the worst.”
McEvitt turned a gutsy and brilliant performance, allowing just two hits, striking out 10 and going the distance for the complete-game 5-0 shutout victory Monday afternoon at Cunningham Park.
Rich said she knew McEvitt wasn’t well Sunday and didn’t know who would take the mound for the game prior to learning her ace made it to school.
“I didn’t know if she was coming in today,” Rich said. “But she wasn’t going to stay home. She wanted to play this game.”
One of the reason’s McEvitt was so anxious to pitch was Molloy’s 6-3 win over the Terriers April 15, a game McEvitt was preparing to pitch before being struck in the head with a ball during warm-ups and being taken to the hospital while her shell-shocked team tried to scratch out a win.
X-rays eventually found no injury, but the Terriers had lost a crucial league game. McEvitt, who was unable to pitch at all during her junior season after an arm injury limited her contribution to late-season position player, made up for her absence in a big way.
“I didn’t know how long she was going to go, but she didn’t give up,” Rich said.
Molloy’s two hits came in the third, but the Stanners never got a runner past second base.
The Terriers, on the other hand, pounded out 12 hits. Prep stranded five runners in the first two innings, but finally touched Stanners starter Christina DelMaestro for two runs in the third on a two-run home run to right by Christina Aracena. A sacrifice fly by Aracena brought home another run in the fifth, followed by a one-out run-scoring single by Marissa Evangelista.
Michelle Gutierrez belted a solo home run in the sixth to round out the scoring.
“We’re just hitting so much better now than we were early in the season,” Rich said. “One through nine they are very productive. They looked comfortable today. It was an all-around great game.”
Prep improved to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in league play with the win. The Terriers will face league-leading Mary Louis Friday.
The Mary Louis Academy 4, Christ the King 0. The Hilltoppers received a stellar all-around effort from starting pitcher Nicole Losito, who no-hit the Royals Monday afternoon at Juniper Valley Park, striking out eight and walking just one. Losito also provided the offense, belting a three-run homer. Mary Louis improved to 8-5-1 overall and 6-0 CHSAA in league play. CK dops to 4-6 overall and 1-5 in league play.
Art and Design 3, Christ the King 0. The Royals dropped this non-league matchup Friday to Manhattan’s Art and Design. Shaniqua Pippen recorded the shutout and had 11 strikeouts. Tracy Florio pitched for CK and was the hard-luck loser despite a solid outing.
St. Francis Prep 5, St. Anthony’s 2. Starter Christine Hunt picked up the win for the Terriers, giving up just three hits. Aracena had three hits, including a home run, driving in three.
Bayside 5, Midwood 2. Sapphire Edwards and Kim Hattan combined to toss a three-hitter, and Allie Falco went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Bayside (10-4) in a non-league game.
Francis Lewis 18, Van Buren 0. Meghan Wooley and Jennifer Smith combined to pitch a no-hitter and Jessica Gerloven went 3-for-4 with four RBIs for Francis Lewis (7-5, 3-2 Queens A) in a five-inning, mercy-rule shortened game.
Newtown 15, Long Island City 5. Laura Ulloa belted a pair of home runs and drove in four runs, and Katie Gorman fanned 10 for Newtown (10-4, 6-0 Queens II-B).
Jamaica 11, Flushing 1. Kedesha Farquharson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three stolen bases, and she also struck out 12. Samantha Williams went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, four stolen bases and two runs scored for Jamaica (8-5-1, 5-2 Queens III-B).
Franklin K. Lane 16, Renaissance School 0. Tara Brignoni went 4-for-4 with a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored, and Patricia Schuett went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer for Lane (9-3, 4-0 Queens II-B) in a five-inning, mercy-rule shortened game.
— Dylan Butler contributed to this story
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
