By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Meaghan Keil believed, and said as much after, that her team’s bats would not stay quiet after a turn through the order in the Class A1 semifinal.
“We have good hitters and trying to get them out three times is tough,” Keil remarked. “The second time around… our 2-3-4 (hitters) just ripped it.”
Brighton’s Isabella Rozzi and Schroeder’s Molly Broccolo conducted a pitcher’s duel for 2.5 innings, trading zeroes while yielding just a pair of hits apiece to that point.
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Schroeder, during that second time through the lineup, broke through. Hannah Secor recorded a two-out single to keep the Warriors’ inning alive before Madison Spakoski and Krislyn Clement crushed back-to-back home runs. Spakoski also doubled in the first inning, a 2-for-3 finish in the senior’s last game on home turf.
Clement produced an even more dramatic finale, homering again to lead off the sixth inning and stretch the lead to 4-0. That was the final as Schroeder advanced to the championship game, where it will face crosstown rival Webster Thomas on Saturday evening.
“I’d say that those last two at bats, those were just my pitches. They were right where I like them,” Clement explained. “I’m glad that I was able to produce for my team.”
Broccolo, also a senior, struck out nine batters and retiring the last 16 she faced after Sophie Zhou reached on a catcher’s interference call. Nora Smith and Vanessa Ng, who each singled, were the only Bruins to hit safely.
The Warriors earned their second shutout victory in as many games and their third shutout of the season overall. Brighton scored five runs in its second round win over Irondequoit and averaged just under seven runs a game this year.
“Really, we just played clean,” Keil assessed. “We made no errors; [Broccolo] had nine strikeouts and we know, we’re ready when the ball’s in play. We know if we can get two or three runs, we’re gonna be able to compete.”
Broccolo also excelled at the plate, with three singles and a stolen base. Sarah Ferruzza caught Broccolo and also threw a runner out stealing in the first inning, a strikeout-throwout double play.
The Warriors won Class AA last season after falling in the semifinal round to Victor in 2019. They lost 1-0 to Thomas on April 26 and are excited for the opportunity to avenge that defeat.
“I feel like, we’re not done yet,” Keil acknowledged. “We feel like we’re in this for the long haul. We’re just taking it one day at a time.”
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