Bronx Science was giving Nelyssa Rosario the Barry Bonds treatment. The Wolverines intentionally walked the Riverdale/Kingsbridge slugger three straight times and it didn’t make Jane Witkowski, who bats behind Rosario, very happy.
“To me, that’s disrespectful,” the RKA cleanup hitter said. “Don’t be scared – face her. They’re gonna walk her and they’re gonna pay for it. … I was waiting to come through. I gotta do something for [Rosario].”
Witkowski walked the first time it happened and singled the second time, but didn’t drive in any runs. Instead, she waited for the most opportune time to get her biggest hit.
With the Tigers up just a run in the sixth, Witkowski belted a screaming line drive that went over Carolyn Clendenin’s head in center. She ended on third base, two runs scored and RKA was able to cruise to an 8-4 win against visiting Bronx Science in PSAL Bronx A softball Tuesday.
“Jane came through,” Tigers coach Bob Finz. “I knew she was going to come through.”
The victory guarantees Riverdale/Kingsbridge (9-1) at least a share of the division title with games against Lehman, John F. Kennedy and Science left on the schedule. Finz said he didn’t want to get ahead of himself, but there was no understating the importance of what the Tigers have done just two years removed from the ‘B’ league.
“For this program, it’s huge,” he said.
RKA chased Science starter Stephanie Sfiroudis in a five-run third inning. The big hit was a two-out, two-run single by first baseman Isabel Allen off reliever Kelly Chewens that put the Tigers ahead, 5-2. Finz said he felt Allen was due. In a game last week against Clinton, she fouled off 11 pitches before drawing a walk and, according to Finz, it was only a matter of time before she broke out.
The coach actually cut Allen last year, but the sophomore has been in RKA’s starting lineup this year from Day One. It was one of the biggest hits of her young career.
“It felt really good,” Allen said.
Science (5-4), which was almost an hour late for the game due to Advanced Placement exams at their school, actually took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a ripped two-run double by Nicole Srbin. The Wolverines scored twice more, on a two-RBI double by Mackenzie Charter, to get within 5-4 in the sixth inning.
Charter admitted her team would have had a little more confidence going into the decisive seventh inning if it was only down that one run.
“That inning took it out of us, but not completely,” she said.
Witkowski had the big blow. The senior backstop, who will attempt to walk-on next year at Iona, admits she isn’t having her best season after breaking her ankle in three places in a playoff loss to Lincoln last year. She missed an entire summer of travel ball and is just now getting into the groove. But one thing is for certain.
“Jane has my back,” Rosario said.