Rebecca Warne saw a sizzling line drive off the bat of Emma Ferrington headed for the hole between short and third.
“I was nervous because I saw the hit going and the bases loaded,” Warne said.
But the ball never made it there.
Third baseman Shannon Minihane dove to her left and snared it, collected herself and threw to first for a double play with the bases loaded and one out. It was a fitting end to the Hilltoppers’ 12-5 win over St. Edmund Prep in both teams’ CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens softball opener Thursday afternoon at Cunningham Park. The play put a cap to a day that saw the sophomore go 3-for-4 with a double and five RBIs and turn two double plays.
“She has a great glove and a great bat,” TMLA coach Ginny Peiser said. “That term, the five-tool [player]. She’s got all of them.”
Minihane helped the Hilltoppers, who struggled to score runs last season, break things open in the second and third innings. She and Alyssa Paolicelli both had RBI singles and Stephanie Barbaro added a sacrifice fly during a five-run second inning that saw TMLA (1-0) take advantage of Eagles errors behind Ferrington and take an 8-4 lead. Minihane then launched a bases-clearing double in the third on the second pitch she saw to extend the advantage to 11-5.
“I love hitting early in the count. First pitch most of the time,” said Minihane, who plays travel ball for the Lady Rangers. “You don’t let the pitcher get ahead of you. Once you let the pitcher get ahead of you, you have to come back. Always stay in front.”
St. Edmund (0-1), playing without vacationing star Casey Sclafani, scored three times in the first inning, highlighted by Janelle Garvey’s RBI single. The Eagles added single runs in the second and third. Warne, who is known to struggle in the first two innings, allowed just one after that and four in the game, but walked eight, hit six batters and struck out five.
“I had trouble hitting my spots today, but when I actually did it caught them off guard,” Warne said.
Trailing 3-0 after one half inning, TMLA answered right back with three straight RBI singles from Minihane, Jen Falcone and Krystal Gonzalez to tie the score at 3 after one. Jill Zic was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and made a sliding catch to end the St. Edmund first. Minihane ended the sixth inning by stepping on third, with two men on and throwing to first to get two. Mary Louis collected 12 hits.
“I was thrilled, 12 runs, and we were hitting doubles, which is what I preach,” Peiser said. “It was just a super sign.”
So was the play of Minihane, who admitted to being nervous before her first varsity league game with a team that features just three seniors. Her first hit calmed all of the jitters and she and the team preformed just like Peiser had hoped against a squad considered one of the league’s best.
“It’s a huge statement,” Minihane said. “We knew we had to come here and prove ourselves. Even though we have a young team, we have unbelievable talent.”
Including her.