There was plenty of talent on Brooklyn softball fields this spring, but one player stood out.
James Madison senior pitcher Bella Gerone — an undeniable force on both sides of the ball — led the borough in just about every statistical category. It’s because of those numbers, and Gerone’s on-field leadership, that the multi-year starter is Courier Life’s Brooklyn All-Area Player of the Year.
Gerone’s season came to an end earlier than she expected as Madison dropped a surprising 9–3 game to New Dorp in the second round of the Public Schools Athletic League playoffs, but the senior was still proud of her squad.
“This year went by a lot faster than I thought it would,” Gerone said. “I still thought we had a pretty good season even though it ended a lot quicker than I wanted it to.”
The Hartford-bound standout didn’t notch a championship, but she led Brooklyn’s A division in batting average (.718), on base percentage (.792) and runs batted in (42).
And she was even better in the circle.
Gerone posted a league-best 0.40 earned run average in 80 innings pitched, giving up just 26 hits and racking up 193 strikeouts.
“My favorite pitch is definitely a drop-curve,” Gerone said. “I’ve been working on that for the last eight months. We decided to try it and it really started to work. That’s how I get someone out.”
Gerone has played softball for as long as she can remember and spent the majority of her high-school career pitching.
She’s felt the pressure of being team leader and knew coming into this season that Madison’s success was going to depend on her. There were times, she had to admit, that it was almost too much.
Then she’d go through her windup, stare down an opposing batter, and strike them out. She felt better after that. Those moments — an important reminder that she was exactly where she wanted to be, playing the position she loved — helped Gerone keep her confidence up throughout the season.
“I can’t really see myself playing anything else,” Gerone said. “I used to play other positions, but now if I had to play another position, I feel like I’m in the wrong spot. It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Gerone is thankful for the last four years — she’s faced plenty of ups-and-downs throughout her high-school career, but she wouldn’t change a thing. Every pitch, every win, and every loss have all helped shape her game, preparing her for the next level.
That level is, of course, college, and Gerone is anxious for her career to continue at Hartford next season. She’s still a bit nervous, but Gerone knows, as soon as she throws that first strike, everything else will fall into place.
“I definitely loved it when I went on the visit,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it, and I’m happy to bring my talent there.”
