Fontbonne Hall ace Bianca Marletta did all she could, but two early runs were too much to overcome for and her team.
The third-seeded Bonnies failed to capitalize on two key scoring chances and fell 2–0 to No. 2 St. Francis Prep in the Brooklyn-Queens softball semifinals at Cunningham Park on April 11.
Fontbonne hinged its success this year on forcing opposing defenses to make plays under pressure, but that didn’t happen with its season on the line. It’s the second-straight year the Terriers beat them in the game.
“We couldn’t get that ball in play at the times that we needed it,” said Fontbonne coach Frank Marinello. “We left [eight] girls on base.”
His ace Bianca Marletta was again superb. The junior allowed two runs, one earned, on just two hits over six innings. She struck out six, but saw both batters she hit with pitches cross the plate. St. Francis Prep (10–5) got a run in the bottom of the first on an outfield error and then a RBI triple from Rebecca Colak in the second to grab a 2–0 lead. Marletta allowed just one base runner after that.
“We had a few innings left, and I realized we had to get those runs and outs,” she said. “So I got madder and madder every time, so I had to throw harder and harder.”
Fontbonne (9–6) wasn’t able to muster any run support for her against St. Francis Prep starter Katie Siano, who it beat 3–0 on April 4. The Terriers defense had just one hiccup in the field behind her as Siano scattered five hits and struck out two.
The Bonnies stranded players on loaded bases with one out in the third after Siano jammed clean-up hitter Ariana Dillon and struck out Nataliela Cogata. Jill Nixon reached on an error to start the fourth, but was thrown out at third on a single by Gabi Casagrande. Julia Schalk, who also made a fine running catch, singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Siano retired the next two batters to end the threat.
“It was really frustrating,” said Marletta of her team failing to push across a run. “It was so upset. We came back. We tried so hard.”
But the future is still bright for the Bonnies. They lose five seniors, including Dillon at third base. Marinello is still confident with strong pieces coming up from its junior varsity next season.
“We are a good program,” Marinello said.
