The third inning started harmlessly for Cardinal Spellman.
Starter Tiffany Rondon struck out the first two Preston batters she faced with the bottom of the batting order coming up. It would take Spellman eight more batters, however, to get that final out as Preston uses speed and a two-run homer from Nicole Cavigliano to put together a six-run inning.
“The kids feel pressure,” Spellman coach Dan Crane said. “Even adults feel pressure. That was all with two outs. I couldn’t believe something like that would happen.”
The big inning broke open what was a close game and helped give Preston an 11-3 five-inning, run-rule victory over Spellman in CHSAA Bronx/Westchester softball at Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park Friday.
“We just have to stay focused on getting that one last out we needed and we didn’t quite get there,” sophomore catcher Victoria Quinones said. “We can’t let all their hits and the home run effect how we are playing.”
The bottom three batters in the Preston order, who scored a combined five runs, again got things started when No. 7 hitter LeeAnn Cerbone lined a double down the leftfield line. The Panthers (2-1) scored runs two high throws to second by Quinones, how was moved to catcher with three starters at a school retreat, two singles and a Cavigliano blast to take an 11-3 lead against Rondon, who struck out five.
“They hit one through nine,” Crane said of Preston.
The missing players caused Spellman to have to shuffle its defense and left it a few bats shorter in the lineup.
“That’s affecting us big time,” said Quinones, who doubled.
The Pilots, who had just three hits, got a run in the top of the first when Quinones, who later scored in a botched run down, reached on an error and Rondon singled. It added a run in the second with Victoria’s twin sister Christina singled and later scored on an error and one in the third to help pull Spellman (1-1) within 5-3 of the two-time defending division champions, before their big outburst.
“I said, ‘We are in this game girls and sure as anything the flood gates opened up,” Crane said.