If you’re going to have a big day after an injury, do it against your crosstown rival. That’s what Lakeland sophomore Arianna DeEsso did against visiting Yorktown on April 22, going 3-4, with two singles, a double and 3 RBI, including the game-winning hit, in the Hornets’ come from behind 5-4 victory on April 22.
Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Gianna Santini started Lakeland’s rally with a single up the middle. Jacklyn Gu followed with a bunt single (1-2, walk, single, run), and Liliana Aguirre loaded the bases with a single to left.
Ava Sabatello reached first on an infield error, allowing Santini to score and cut Yorktown’s lead to 4-3. With the infield playing in, Nicole Mautone (winning pitcher, five strikeouts) singled just over shortstop Mia Horn’s head to drive in Gu and tie the game at 4-4.
Two batters later, DeEsso singled down the left-field line to score Aguirre for the winning run.
“I was thinking about driving the ball hard and into play,” DeEsso said. “It felt so great to celebrate with my teammates because this is a huge win for us and especially this being my first game back (from injury).”
Lakeland got on the board in the first inning. With two outs and a full count, DeEsso singled to center to drive in Mautone, who had been hit by a pitch.
“It was a huge at bat for me because it was my first at bat back since getting surgery on my knee,” DeEsso said. “It was a 11-pitch at bat and I was looking to make solid contact to drive Nicole in.”
Yorktown answered in the second. Adriana Barca (2-3) led off with a double down the left-field line. Courtesy runner Isabella Schaeffer moved to third on a groundout by Horn and scored on an RBI double to deep center by Kate Brown (2-3, run, RBI), tying the game at 1-1.
“I was just trying to drive the ball hard to the outfield with a runner in scoring position in that situation,” Brown said. “It felt great to come through and tie the game early on.”
Sienna Katzenberg followed with a single up the middle that knocked in Brown, giving the Huskers a 2-1 lead.
Alicia Cinicolo made it 3-1 in the third inning. With two outs and the count at 3-2, she blasted a solo home run to dead center field, bringing everyone out of the Huskers’ dugout to celebrate with her as she crossed home plate.
“During this at bat I felt very relaxed and walked up there knowing I wanted to have some fun,” Cinicolo said. “I wasn’t thinking about anything in the moment and had an open mind as I walked up to the plate. I wasn’t focused on trying to change anything about my swing or kill the ball, and instead went up there trusting my own ability.”
She added that “connecting so naturally and seeing the ball go dead center was an incredible feeling and made me realize all of the hard work I put in during the winter had paid off.”
For Cinicolo, “being a part of a such a jelled team and having their support” as she rounded the bases made the moment “even more special, knowing that they were there to celebrate with me.”
Barca (6 innings, 6 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts) led off the fourth inning with a groundball single to right field. With one out, Schaeffer, again the courtesy runner, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Brown reached on a dropped third strike, giving the Huskers a 4-1 lead.
Lakeland began its comeback in the sixth inning when Jenna Yazzetti earned a one-out walk.Sofia Pikoulas was the courtesy runner for Yazzetti and came around to score on DeEsso’s double to right-center, cutting Yorktown’s lead to 4-2 and setting up the Hornets’ seventh-inning rally.
“I was looking for a pitch to drive early in the count with a right-field approach because I knew she might be able to score if I hit the ball to right field,” DeEsso said.
Katzenberg hit a line drive to right field and advanced to second on an error by the right fielder, then scored on a walk-off single to the left-center field gap by Nina Fasce (2-for-4, 3 RBIs) in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the Huskers a 5-4 win over visiting rival Mahopac on April 20.
“At my at bat I was thinking it didn’t need to be something big, I just needed to do my job,” Fasce said. “So I waited for my pitch and put the ball in play.”
Fasce was thrilled to have come up with the big hit.
“It was awesome to help my team win and it felt great to step up,” Fasce said. “It was amazing to get the game winning hit and was nice to come out on top against one of our rivals.”
Horn (2-4) also had a multi-hit game, and Brown (8 innings, 11 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts) earned the win on the mound against Mahopac.
Both local squads finished the week April 24, with the Huskers defeating visiting Suffern 13-1 and Lakeland losing at Carmel 13-4.
Yorktown (7-3) was led at the plate by Barca (3-3, 3 home runs, 4 RBI), Katie Egan (2-3, home run, double, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Kaitlyn Horn (2-2, double, 2 runs, stolen base), Mia Horn (2-3, double, 2 runs, RBI, stolen base) and Cinicolo (2-run home run). Schaeffer (first varsity win, 5 innings, 7 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts) and Brown (1 inning, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts) did the job on the mound against the Mounties.
Jenna Taylor (2-3, 2 singles, RBI), Santini (1-2, single, RBI) and Mautone (4 pitching strikeouts) produced for Lakeland (5-4) against Carmel.
Lakeland will next play visiting Mahopac on Monday, April 27 and Yorktown will host John Jay-Cross River on Tuesday, April 28. Both games are at 4:30 p.m.
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