John Jay’s Season Comes to end with 3-1 Loss in Section Finals

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In a 15-5 season, the Wolves still saw their share of disappointment. Suffering a series of walk off homers, the heartbreaks didn’t deter, according to Laney Daly. “Those losses, they made us grow closer,” said the senior. “We took those as opportunities to learn.” And the curriculum brought them all the way to the section finals versus Pearl River on Sunday May 31. But even the best students have to face that the lesson must come to an end.

After jumping out to a 1-0 lead, John Jay saw the Pirates answer right back with three, and the first inning output was good enough for the title.

Off the bus, John Jay continued the momentum from their semifinal win at Somers. Elise Templeton singled up the middle, got to second on a wild pitch and made the most of Charlotte Bender’s foul pop on the first base fence.

With the Pirate off balance after the great catch, Templeton tagged and made it to third. Carys Cooper then followed with a more tradition sacrifice fly to left, and the Wolves excitedly were on the board.

Unfortunately, Pearl River didn’t take long to dampen the mood. After Julia Gieras ate up a grounder right back at her, Charlotte Bender was just as flashy with her glove. Even so, her diving stop wasn’t good enough to get the speedy Angie Franzese.

First and second with one out, Gieras got the ground ball she wanted. To the third base side of Daly, the shortstop fielded cleanly but threw high to third. The score was now tied with runners at first and second.

Another ground ball on the way, Gieras didn’t get a break again. Brooke Donnelly beat the throw, but that didn’t stop the rest of the runners from trying to advance. All three stood well off their respective bases, while Riley Foote eyed Franzese at third and Donnelly more than halfway to second. The moment froze for almost 30 seconds before Donnelly was able to sneak back to first.

The bases left loaded, Gieras got out number two when Catie Donohue got out of line. She stepped out of the batter’s box, and one more out would contain the damage. Not to be, Bender was unable to field Brielle Busco’s grounder, and two more runs were in.

McKenna Foote kept her head up nonetheless. She doubled deep over the left fielder’s head, and the Wolves were really packing when a wild pitch put the third baseman 60 feet away. Not so fast, Bella Barry was called for interference, Foote was sent back and Daly’s bunt ended the inning with a put out at first.

Gieras now took her turn staying heads up. With a little help from Carys Cooper, she got a strike out, a bunting pop out to Cooper, and Donnelly was caught stealing at second.

Onto the third, Ashlyn Ryan continued the pitcher’s duel. A strikeout, a pop to second and line out to right gave the ball back to Gieras. Less efficient, the Wolf still got out of the inning despite putting on a couple of runners around a pair of strikeouts.

Ryan back to the circle, the Foote family remained focused. Riley Foote found a gap in left center, but there she was stranded by a Maria DeGaetano strikeout and a groundout by McKenna Foote.

From there, both pitchers completely dominated until Riley Foote had enough. In the top of the seventh, she smoked a single to right, and the Wolves had their lead off batter on.

So in stepped DeGaetano and her sinking bloop to center had the Wolves howling. Unfortunately, Donnelly’s diving catch turned the excitement into a collective cower, and moments later, she raced in to eat up McKenna’s Foote shallow pop.

The last out made by Barry, the disappointment didn’t take away what was won. “I’m so proud of us, and how we managed to make it here, which we haven’t done for a very, very long time,” said the senior. “So to even be here, it’s just an honor.”

The wins weren’t all contained to the boxscore, though. “There’s been a lot of low points in high school that didn’t go right for me,” she remembered. “I always had this team to literally bring me up.”

Daly agreed. “This is definitely one of the best families I’ve ever had,” she reflected.

As for Coach Swertfager, her pride acknowledged all the hard work, while understanding that this year’s success is no dead end. “They taught the younger players that believing in yourself can get you here,” she concluded.

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