Archbishop Molloy’s Amanda Zeni proved to be too much for Fontbonne Hall.
The Bonnies threated twice threated to break through against the Molloy senior only to come up empty both times. Zeni, who missed most of last year because of injury, allowed just four hits, to hand Fontbonne a 4–0 defeat in Catholic High School Athletic Association Brooklyn-Queens softball at McGuire Fields on April 13.
“Amanda is a good player,” said Bonnies coach Frank Marinello. “Amanda has been there for the last four years. She’s a senior — she knows how to pitch.”
Molloy got all the runs it needed in the top of the second inning. Stanners catcher Victoria Brown went one-for-three with three runs batted in. With the bases loaded and no outs, she drilled a triple deep into center field off Bonnies ace Bianca Marletta. It cleared the bases to give Molloy a 3–0 lead. Brown said she went up to the plate just trying to help her team get an early lead.
“I just try to hit for the team,” she said. “I am looking to drive the ball, looking for a single, nothing more, to get one base to help the team out.”
Fontbonne looked like it would finally get to Zeni in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Marletta smacked a triple to right field. Zeni then got cleanup hitter Ariana Dillon to dribble the ball back to her with Marletta trying to score. Zeni fielded the ball and threw it to Brown to cut her down at the plate.
“Anyone in their order can hit the ball,” Zeni said, “so you just need to be on top of your game and just pitch where you are told and hit your spots.”
After the Stanners escaped the jam, Allie Klesin hit a pinch-hit single to center to give Molloy a 4–0 lead in the top of the fifth. The Bonnies threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, with runners on first and second and one out.
Zeni again remained calm under pressure. Dillon hit a ground out to third and Zeni struck out Natalie Lacognata to end the inning.
“I’ve grown up learning to worry about the batter, not worry about who is on base, and it helps me get through the inning,” said Zeni, who had four strikeouts.
Marletta allowed just three earned runs on seven hits and struck out eight. Her team went down early and couldn’t scratch its way back against one of the city’s top teams.
Marinello said his team played well, but made a few mistakes that cost them the game.
“Molloy is a good team,” he said. “They are one of the teams that will compete for the state final. I’ve said it a million times you can’t blink against good teams. You blink against good teams and you are going to fall behind.”
