By Rob Silverstein
Volume 74, Number 23 | Octuber 6 – 12 , 2004
Sports
Bonetti smacks five homers in two Fall Ball games
The Greenwich Village Blazers Senior girls softball team opened their fall season last Sunday with an exciting 16-15 loss to the North Riverdale All Stars in a game that saw the lead change four times and featured five Blazers homeruns, including three by power hitter Miriama Bonetti. This week the Blazers evened the series by beating North Riverdale 21-16 on two more Bonetti blasts.
In last week’s game, the Blazers played North Riverdale even heading into the seventh and final inning tied 9-9.
North Riverdale scored one in the first, one in the second and four in the third to take a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Blazers struck back to tie the game with four runs of their own on a leadoff single by Erica Silverstein, followed by monstrous, back-to-back homeruns by Mollie Schwartz and Bonetti. Rookie Jessica Cornils scored the fourth run by working a walk and proceeding to steal second, third and home.
The Blazers held North Riverdale scoreless in the fourth and fifth thanks to some great defense by star shortstop Sophie Spiegel and second baseman Brianne Hanley. With runners on second and third and one out in the top of the fourth, the North Riverdale batter hit a looping fly ball down the third base line about 20 ft. into left field, a ball that seemed destined to drop in and score two runs. But Spiegel came from nowhere to make a brilliant “Jeteresque” over-the-shoulder catch, and then had the presence of mind to fire a strike to second baseman Hanley to “double up” the North Riverdale base runner and end the inning.
In the fifth it was Hanley’s turn as she ranged far behind second base to catch a tough fly and fire to first baseman Schwartz for the second double play in as many innings. Hanley added a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to add to her heroics.
North Riverdale scored three in the top of the sixth and the Blazers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth on Bonetti’s second homer, a two-run shot to deep left field. Going into the top of the seventh, the score was tied 9-9. Even though North Riverdale came up with seven runs on seven hits in the top of the seventh, the Blazers were not ready to give up. They led off the bottom of the inning with three successive singles by Silverstein, Schwartz and Spiegel. Bonetti who had already tripled and hit two homers in her first three at bats, did not disappoint as she crushed a high fastball to deep centerfield for a grand slam and the Blazers were back in it.
Blazers starting pitcher Laura Manos-Hey followed with a triple and scored on a single to center by Hanley. The Blazers fastest player, Tory Brewster, then worked a walk. She stole second and Hanley scored on the throw. With two outs the Blazers had come all the way back to within one run. Brewster then stole third and when the ball got past the North Riverdale shortstop, Brewster took off for home. North Riverdale’s shortstop recovered, fired a perfect strike to the plate and the tag just beat Brewster’s aggressive slide to the end a terrific all around game.
Manos-Hey pithced the entire game for the blazers and did not allow a walk. Bonnetti ended the day with a walk, a triple and three homeruns, driving in seven of the Blazers 15 runs.
In this week’s 21-16 victory over North Riverdale, the Blazers sent Tricia Fratta, Bonetti and Janelle Rosario to the mound, each of whom were impressive in their pitching debuts. Manos-Hey came on in the sixth to close out the game and held North Riverdale scoreless over the last two innings to secure the victory. Bonetti continued her hitting tear with two more homers, and Spiegel continued to dazzle at short including nailing another runner at the plate to kill a late North Riverdale threat.
