Leading the Hornets into this season is their top returning player, junior pitcher Nicole Mautone, who earned All-Section and All-League honors in 2024.
“Nicole dominated in the circle last year and will continue again in her fourth year on the mound for us,” said Hornets second-year coach Danielle Fiore, a 2004 Lakeland graduate, team captain, catcher, and Hall of Famer. “We are looking forward to her contributions offensively.”
Two other top returnees are junior catcher Jenna Yazzetti and freshman shortstop Liliana Aguire (All-League).
“Jenna holds it down for us defensively with her communication skills and leadership,” Fiore said. “Liliana has been consistently strong for us in the field and up at bat, I’m excited to see what she has in store for us.”
Junior center fielder Taryn Burno and senior second baseman Madi Panos are both returning captains from last year.
“They both have shown tremendous leadership in the offseason, they are an extension of my assistant (Nicole Verrino) and me,” Fiore said. “So I expect them to represent us and our program in the most respectful way.”
The above are part of a team that is basically all returning.
“Luckily we just graduated two seniors, so our strengths are basically our team coming back, plus a few newcomers who with only having day one of tryouts, I am unsure of at the moment,” Fiore said.
Lakeland will start the season 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, at Pelham.
“This year our goal is always to win a championship but along the way I want these girls to know the value of teamwork and overcoming our challenges,” Fiore said. “We want to be playing as a family instead of individuals.”
Last year, Yorktown finished 11-11 and, as the No. 11 seed, beat No. 6 Ursuline (2023 Section 1 Class A champion) 7-2 in the opening round of the Section 1 Class AA Tournament before falling 13-4 at No. 3 Harrison (the eventual 2024 Section 1 champion) in the quarterfinals.
Top returnees from that squad include senior All-Section Honorable Mention catcher, captain Eva Destito, sophomore All-Section Honorable Mention pitcher/first baseman Kate Brown, and junior All-League third baseman/first baseman/catcher Ava Huffman.
“Eva’s strengths are her leadership and knowledge of the game,” said Yorktown first-year coach Gianna Degaltini. “Kate has composure and mental toughness. She could give up like nine runs in an inning or strike out the side and she would still have the same reaction. Ava is a consistently good hitter.”
Yorktown’s other key returnees are senior captains, infielder Alyssa McEniry, who has solid bat to ball and fielding skills, outfielder Katie Piehler, who is a good leader and defender, and outfielder Penny Einhorn, who has good arm strength, defensive abilities, and is a team player.
Yorktown’s top newcomers are freshman pitcher/first baseman Adriana Barca, freshman catcher Keira Keaveney, sophomore outfielder Skyler Benfante, and freshman pitcher/utility player Sofia Sladek.
“Adriana’s arm strength and power at the plate are unmatched,” Degaltini said. “Keira’s strength is her ability to be a person everyone can rely on. Keira displays an extremely composed demeanor but still loves to have fun. Skyler has shown tremendous growth not only over the last several weeks but from year to year. She brings the ‘grit’ that I believe this team needs. Sofia is a powerhouse for this team. She is a player that can be used in any position and she is a stellar pitcher with a strong bat.
Degaltini said the team’s goal this year is to “rewrite the script.”
“Myself, Brandon (Martelli), and Chau (Vo, JV coach) have been working seamlessly to create an environment that fosters respect, effort and hustle,” Degaltini said. “Across the entire program, we have worked to create this environment and I firmly believe that these girls have taken it and run with it. I tell my girls all the time, ‘How you do anything, is how you do everything,’ and I believe this will be the foundation of our season.”
Yorktown’s opener is 10 a.m. Saturday, March 29 at Carmel
“Being back at Yorktown has been such an amazing experience especially looking at it from a different perspective, being head coach,” said Degaltini, who played for the Huskers before graduating in 2016. “Every time I step back on the field I think back to my career as a student-athlete. To be able to flip the script and be the one that gets to make the decisions with the support of my assistant Brandon Martelli has been so much fun. It feels like yesterday that I was one of these girls and being a student-athlete at Yorktown was something special. I hope that these student-athletes always remember what an honor it is to be a part of the Yorktown community.
“Lastly, to have been given the opportunity to reinvent the wheel and create expectations across the entire program has been an exciting task for myself,” Degaltini added. “The hope is that this season serves as a steppingstone for not only next year but for years to come.”
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