Girls Softball comes back to beat Whitney Young 9-7 in CPS championship.

By Frank Rodriguez, Assistant Editor|May 23, 2018

Frank Rodriguez

Varsity Girls Softball poses for a team picture after a 9-7 win over Whitney Young

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Coming off of a semifinal win in a tight game against Taft on May 18, Varsity Girls Softball faced Whitney Young in a back and forth city championship matchup on May 22.

The game was scoreless for the first two innings until Katie Gallegos, Div. 952, drove in Lauren Gallagher, Div. 054, with a single to give Lane a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Gallagher would go on to finish 4-for-4 with three runs scored.

In the bottom of the inning, however, Brianna Nykaza of Whitney Young answered with a two-run home run to take a 2-1 lead.

Lane came back in the top of the fourth inning, thanks to a double from third baseman Vanessa Altman, Div. 983, knocking in three runs to give Lane a 4-2 lead.

Whitney Young would come back in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs before Molly Murray, Div. 951, came into the game in relief of starting pitcher Emma Fraterrigo, Div. 874.

The Dolphins added another run before the end of the inning, retaking the lead 5-4. Murray finished the game with 1 ⅔ innings pitched, giving up one hit and striking out two batters.

The score remained the same until the 6th inning, when Gallegos came up to the plate again. With the bases loaded, Gallegos hit a hard line drive over the left-center field fence to give Lane an 8-5 lead.

“[With the count at] 2-2, I knew she was going to give me a good strike, so I just put a good swing on it and put it over the fence,” said Gallegos, who finished the game 2-for-4 with five runs batted in.

Fraterrigo re-entered the game in the beginning of the bottom of the sixth inning, as Whitney Young attempted to mount a comeback. However, it was not enough, as Lane came out of the inning still winning 8-7.

In the top of the seventh, Kelly Watson, Div. 856, scored on a wild pitch to give Lane a two-run lead going into the bottom of the 7th inning.

Fraterrigo shut down Whitney Young in the bottom of the inning, and with a soft ground ball back to her and the throw to first, Lane finally took back the city title with a 9-7 win.

“I think it’s just relying on the people around you. It’s keeping your head up, knowing that you can do it,” Fraterrigo said. “Especially in the last inning, knowing that the pressure is on them, all you have to do is get up there and do your job.”

Although there were some ups and downs throughout the season, Assistant Coach Mr. Hofman commended the team on their ability to unite in the city championship matchup.

“It was kind of a roller coaster ride with a lot of ups and downs, but they came together really as a team the last third of the season, and I think that really pushed them to win the city championship,” Hofman said.

After making it to the sectional final last year but not capturing a city championship, the team was able to win its first city championship in multiple years.

“I’ve played four years in the city championship now, and I’ve never beaten Whitney, so especially as a senior, this is really exciting,” Fraterrigo said. “I knew it was something that we could do every single year that I’ve been here.”