Isabella Gerone is taking well to her role as James Madison’s new ace and captain.
Gerone, just a sophomore, made her presence felt in the Knights’ most important game of the season so far.
She had two hits, drove in two runs, and struck out six batters in Madison’s 10–2 victory over rival Telecommunications in Public School Athletic League Brooklyn A softball at the Dust Bowl on Monday afternoon.
The game was called because of heavy rain with two outs after the Knights scored five runs in the top of the seventh.
Gerone is drawing strength from her new responsibilities.
“I like the idea of that,” she said of being captain. “It just gives me more confidence. It puts a lot more pressure on me.”
Gerone, the younger sister of former Knights star Gina Gerone, was a key player for Madison as a freshman on a more veteran team. Her role expanded after fellow pitcher Grace Sullivan transferred.
That left Gerone as the best option in the circles, and she has run with the opportunity. Gerrone is off to a 5–0 start, has allowed just four earned runs in 28 innings of work, and struck out 43 batters.
“Bella threw amazing,” freshmen catcher Samantha Mendelsohn said. “She threw pitches that the umpire said in my ear he thought was beautiful.”
This was a victory Gerone really wanted. Madison (5–0) split its two meetings with Telecom last season, and lost the division title to the Yellow Jackets (6–1) after having more than a decade-long stranglehold on the crown. This meeting was a chance at redemption.
“It felt really good,” Gerone said. “That was my focus. I mentioned to them before I really want to win this game.”
Things didn’t get off to a good start when Telecom grabbed a 1–0 in the first inning on a run-scoring single by freshman pitcher Thalia Santiago. Gerone got stronger in the circle as the game went along — and took matters into her own hands at the plate in the third inning.
She drove in two runs with a double and Mendelsohn scored her with a double of her own to make it 4–1. Mendelsohn went three-for-four and was just a home run shy of the cycle. Madison increased the lead to 5–1 thanks to a Cheyenne Tatesure fielder’s choice.
Telcom got a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning, thanks to a single by Desiree Vasquez, to pull them within 5–2. But the Yellow Jackets, who got eight hits on the afternoon, missed numerous early opportunities to put runs on the board.
Telecom stranded two runners in the second, third and fifth innings. Yellow Jackets coach Glenn McCartney felt his team’s upperclassmen didn’t come through when he needed them to.
“The seniors didn’t knock them in,” he said. “Our overall demeanor, we weren’t ready to play the game. That’s on the seniors.”
Madison, on the other hand, starts four freshmen along with seniors Tatesure and Samantha Rehill. A win over Telecom was a big step toward regaining the division crown.
“We worked as a team, it is raining, but we did good,” Mendelsohn said.
