Fox Lane softball off to perfect start; Rodriguez reaches another milestone

Left to right, Eva Santos makes the catch for the Foxes. Sofia Rodriguez recorded her 300th career strikeout with three wins on the mound for Fox Lane. Avery Genovese connects at the plate.  Jim MacLean Phtotos

By JIM MACLEAN

After a fast start with two dominant wins, the Fox Lane varsity softball team knew it was in for a tougher challenge as the Foxes hosted Brewster on Friday, April 4.

And to make it even tougher, Fox Lane would be missing some key starters with four players out with the flu, facing Brewster with a depleted lineup.

Luckily they had pitcher Sofia Rodriguez healthy and on the mound, and she delivered just what the Foxes needed. Rodriguez, despite being only a sophomore, registered her 300th career strikeout earlier in the week, and she added 10 more strikeouts against Brewster as the Foxes pulled out a 5-4 win.

“Big win, very, very proud of them, we’re actually missing some starters because of the flu, but they all did a great job of battling each inning, playing together,” Fox Lane coach ToniAnn Licati said of her team after the win. “This was a good softball game between two good teams. This is what you want to see, definitely a battle and they never got discouraged, our captain Gabby Naar kept them up, and they were in it the whole game. To see them fight back like this to win this game was really nice to see.”

It wasn’t easy as Fox Lane had to battle from behind the entire game. Brewster took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, and the Foxes would never have the lead until the final play of the game.

Fox Lane answered back in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1 off an RBI single from Taylor Reilling. Brewster regained the lead with two runs in the top of the third, Fox Lane answered right back again in the bottom of the third as Avery Genovese reached on a single and came around to score when Sofia Valente drilled a long double off the wall in center to make it 3-2.

Brewster made it 4-2 in the fifth, but once again Fox Lane responded with a run as Nora Antonaccio reached on a walk and came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-3.

Fox Lane tied it up in the sixth as Sienna Greco was hit by a pitch to lead off and came around to score on an error to even it up at 4-4.

That set the stage for some seventh inning heroics for the Foxes. It started on defense in the top of the inning as Evangeline Santos made a diving catch in right field to spark the Foxes, and Rodriguez then struck out the next two batters to shut down the Bears.

Fox Lane then started off the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with no outs as Antonaccio led off and was hit by a pitch. Genovese then singled and Naar followed with a single to load the bases. With two outs, Santos then worked her way on with a walk and Antonaccio came home with the winning run.

For the game, Reilling was 2-3 with an RBI, while Valente was 2-4 with a double and an RBI, and Antonaccio was 1-2 with two runs scored. Rodriguez finished with 10 strikeouts on the mound as she recorded her third win.

Prior to the win over Brewster, Fox Lane had cruised to a 13-1 win on the road at Pelham on April 1 as Rodriguez registered nine strikeouts, including her 300th career strikeout.

“I wasn’t thinking about it, I just try to keep everything out of my mind and just make the pitch,” explained Rodriguez. “It feels like I’ve been here a long time, and we have a lot of girls back from last year and we have a strong bond. I’m just trying to throw strikes, and if I don’t strike them out, I know my team will make the plays in the field.”

She helped her own cause at the plate as Rodriguez went 2-4 and scored a run. Jordana Kerwar was 3-4 with three runs scored and four RBI to lead the way, while Ava Rose Kalachian also had a big day at the plate going 3-3 with three runs and an RBI. Valentina DeLuca was 2-4 with two runs and two RBI.

Fox Lane started the season with a bang, shutting out Mahopac 15-0 at home on March 31, with Rodriguez pitching the shutout and Antonaccio and Naar each hitting a home run to lead the way on offense.