CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - In a 15-5 season, the Wolves still experienced their share of disappointment. A series of walk-off home run losses could have broken their spirit, but according to senior Laney Daly, those setbacks only strengthened the team.
"Those losses made us grow closer," Daly said. "We took them as opportunities to learn."
That lesson plan carried John Jay all the way to the Section 1 Class A championship game against Pearl River on Sunday, May 31. But even the best students eventually reach the end of the course.
After jumping out to a 1-0 lead, John Jay watched the Pirates respond with three runs in the bottom of the first, and that early outburst proved enough to secure the title.
Fresh off their semifinal victory over Somers, the Wolves carried that momentum into the championship. Elise Templeton opened the game with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a wild pitch and took advantage of Charlotte Bender's foul pop near the first-base fence.
With the Pirates momentarily off balance after a difficult catch, Templeton tagged up and moved to third. Carys Cooper then delivered a more conventional sacrifice fly to left field, and the Wolves were on the board.
Unfortunately for John Jay, Pearl River responded immediately.
After Julia Gieras fielded a comebacker for the first out, Bender flashed the leather with a diving stop. However, she had no chance to throw out the speedy Angie Franzese.
With runners on first and second and one out, Gieras got the ground ball she wanted. Daly fielded it cleanly to the third-base side of shortstop, but her throw to third sailed high. The tying run scored while runners remained at first and second.
Another ground ball followed, and Gieras again couldn't catch a break. Brooke Donnelly beat the throw to first, but the ensuing confusion nearly led to more trouble. All three runners found themselves well off their bases while Riley Foote kept an eye on Franzese at third and Donnelly, who had strayed more than halfway to second. Play seemed frozen for nearly 30 seconds before Donnelly managed to scramble back safely to first.
With the bases loaded, Gieras recorded the second out when Catie Donohue stepped out of the batter's box. One more out would have limited the damage. Instead, Bender was unable to field Brielle Busco's ground ball cleanly, allowing two more runs to score.
McKenna Foote kept the Wolves' hopes alive in the second inning, drilling a double over the left fielder's head. A wild pitch moved her to third, but a baserunning interference call on Bella Barry sent Foote back. Daly's bunt then resulted in an out at first, ending the threat.
Gieras responded with a strong inning in the circle. With help from Cooper behind the plate, she recorded a strikeout, induced a bunt pop-up to Cooper and caught Donnelly stealing second.
In the third, Pearl River's Ashlyn Ryan continued her dominant performance. A strikeout, a pop-up to second and a lineout to right quickly retired the side. Gieras worked around a pair of baserunners in the bottom half, striking out two and keeping the deficit at three.
Back in the circle, Ryan remained in control. Riley Foote eventually broke through with a line drive into the left-center gap, but she was stranded after a Maria DeGaetano strikeout and a groundout by McKenna Foote.
From there, both pitchers settled in completely.
In the top of the seventh, Riley Foote ignited one last rally with a single to right field, putting the leadoff runner aboard.
DeGaetano followed with a sinking blooper to center that initially had the Wolves roaring from the dugout. But Donnelly made a diving catch to steal the hit, then raced in moments later to snag McKenna Foote's shallow popup.
When Bella Barry recorded the final out, the disappointment of defeat could not overshadow what the Wolves had accomplished.
"I'm so proud of us and how we managed to make it here, which we haven't done for a very, very long time," said Daly. "To even be here, it's just an honor."
The victories, she said, extended well beyond the scoreboard.
"There's been a lot of low points in high school that didn't go right for me," Daly reflected. "I always had this team to literally bring me up."
"This is definitely one of the best families I've ever had," she added.
Head coach Swertfager shared that pride while recognizing that this season's success could serve as a foundation for future teams.
"They taught the younger players that believing in yourself can get you here," she said.
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