Fontbonne Hall Academy’s win sends the team to its first ever Catholic state title game, where the team will play the defending champs.
To get there, the Bonnies needed to beat Buffalo’s Nichols School in the Catholic High School League softball state semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at Queens College.
Fontbonne Hall’s star players, ace pitcher Nicolette Trapani and cleanup hitter Maria Serrantino, were front and center in the team’s 1-0 win. Against Nichols, Trapani threw a shutout and Serrantino drove in the winning run. The Bonnies then played defending champions Kellenberg in the final game, held later on Wednesday afternoon.
Trapani, who picked up both Bonnies wins in the diocesan championship series, tossed a three-hitter. The junior windmiller struck out 10, walked one, and hit a batter.
Trapani wiggled out of some trouble three times during the quick moving contest. She stranded a runner on second with two outs in the third inning. She did the same thing with one out in the fourth after a leadoff walk to Ashley Lyman. Trapani hit Maddie Welch to start the top of the seventh, but got the next three batters to pop out. That ended the game and sent the Bonnies to their first Catholic state championship game.
Serrantino provided the only run Fontbonne would need. The junior catcher doubled to right center to bring home shortstop Ariana Dillon. This gave the Bonnies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Dillon led off the inning with a single to right, and moved to second on a sacrifice play by Christina Calascione. Over the last three playoff games, Serrantino has driven in four runs.
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.
