Schiano, late rally lift Terriers

When St. Francis Prep third baseman Alexis Namit’s throwing error sailed wide of first base, rolling down the right field line, turning a one-run lead into a one-run deficit, the Terriers could’ve wilted. With just six outs to go against Molloy’s flame-throwing righty, Kayley Ferran, St. Francis was looking at their second straight league loss.
It turns out, they needed just two outs, as they rallied for three runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, capped by Bonnie DeFina’s two-run single up the middle, leading the Terriers to a 4-2 victory over Archbishop Molloy at Cunningham Park Friday afternoon. “Even though we were behind, we knew we were going to come back,” said Lynn Schiano, who earned her second win of the year.
Echoing her ace starting pitcher, St. Francis Coach Ann Marie Rich, said, “They don’t give up. This is a very uplifting group of girls. … [The comeback] was awesome. It’s nice to see we can do things like that.”
Much of the credit should fall to Schiano, the junior right-hander from Middle Village. As the Terriers (2-1) were stranding seven runners in the first five frames, Schiano was pitching brilliantly in the spotlight against a borough rival, allowing just two hits and striking out 12.
In the fourth, she left two Stanners (2-1) stranded, inducing Kristen Torres into a weak fly ball to DeFina with runners on the corners. In the fifth, Schiano worked around a one-out walk, and she wrapped up the win in the seventh, blowing a fastball past Ferran. “She was very consistent today,” said Rich, who was impressed with her young hurler’s composure after Namit’s gaffe. “She doesn’t get rattled. She’s so focused on the game. She doesn’t blame anyone, either.”
After an impressive freshman season on the jayvee, Schiano’s most important tool was her eyes and ears, not her right arm. Her job was to follow the every move of Nina Cesare, the Terriers’ star pitcher now at New York Tech, who led St. Francis to the city championship game. “Nina’s amazing,” Schiano said. “I just watched her every game. I learned how to stay strong and never give up from her.”