It’s Stanner Time!

St. Francis Prep was seemingly on their way to repeating as CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan champions. They had just won their 10th straight, dominating Molloy, 6-1, in the opening game of their best-of-three series. They battered the Stanners ace Kayley Ferran, while their own No. 1 gunslinger, Krystil Hofmann, buzzed through Molloy, beating the Stanners for the third straight time.
And now Manager Maureen Rosenbaum was going to sophomore Janelle Boyd with the season on the line. Shockingly, the move to the talented underclassmen turned the series around.
Barely more than 24 hours later, Boyd was leading the entire Molloy club in an impromptu dance on the mound, moments after she was joyously tackled by catcher Jackie Rafferty in a raucous celebration following the Stanners’ first ever Brooklyn/Queens title, over fierce rival St. Francis Prep no less.
“Nothing feels better than beating Prep in the championship,” Rafferty said.
After her one-hit gem and two-run triple keyed Game 2’s 9-2 victory Monday, Boyd was less spectacular although just as consistent Tuesday afternoon in Game 3. She scattered six hits, struck out four and, most importantly, didn’t walk a batter in the 5-1 triumph at Queens College.
“She carries us today,” Rosenbaum said, “that’s for sure.”
In a dizzying two-day span, she tossed 14 brilliant innings, holding the potent Terriers to a mere three runs and struck out eight. “She overpowered them, yesterday and today,” Rafferty said. “Her drop was amazing. We just kept them off balance the entire game.”
Boyd showed surprising poise for an underclassman pitching the biggest game in school history. She followed her routine to a tee - standing behind the mound, slowly toeing the rubber, methodically raising her arms over her head, and going into her windmill delivery as she sang Faith Evans’ song “Hopeful,” in her head to relax. None of the St. Francis chants or attempts to break her rhythm by calling for timeout managed to disturb her.
“It doesn’t work against me,” she said, “because I take my time.”
Molloy methodically built the lead by taking advantage of St. Francis (15-5) miscues. Katie Massowd’s two-run first-inning single followed the first of three third baseman Lauren Ferenc errors. After shortstop Nicole BiFulco threw away a routine grounder in the fifth, Boyd drove in Rafferty with a sacrifice fly and Massowd’s RBI groundout plated Tiffany Ott.
The Stanners (19-6), by comparison, made no errors in the field. Twice, hard-hit balls by St. Francis second baseman Bonnie DeFina were stabbed by Molloy infielders Justine Chirichella and Anniela Vaccaro with two Terriers aboard.
“Today, we really pulled it together,” Rafferty said.
“Luckily, they didn’t get rattled today,” Rosenbaum said. “We had a couple of young players in the field and they stayed composed. I can thank the upperclassmen for that.”