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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Telecommunications’s softballers had every reason to hang their heads, but that wasn’t the way they wanted to leave the field. They ended their season with their heads up high.
The Yellow Jackets trailed top-seeded Construction by four runs after four innings. The Red Hawks’ all-city ace Britney Rodriguez firmly in control after stranding the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the frame. Telecom instead battled back and put a real scare in the defending city champions before falling 5–4 in the Public School Athletic League Class A softball quarterfinals thanks to a two-out, walk-off single by Emily Perez in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“My girls fought back,” said Yellow Jackets coach Glenn McCartney. “I think we are the only team in the city that would fight back when down 4–0 to the number one seed. We are tough as nails. I couldn’t be more proud of my girls.”
He said he didn’t consider walking Perez, who had three hits in the day, with first base open and the speedy Rodriguez on second because he felt the on-deck hitter, Jenasez Alves, posed and equally tough matchup. Perez fouled off numerous pitches from freshman ace Thalia Santiago before dropping a single on the left field foul line to plate the winning run. Santiago allowed two earned runs on 11 hits and struck out 10.
“It happens,” she said. “It was going to happen one way or another. Whatever happened was meant to be. I’m glad we played the best that we could.”
Telecom (16–4) began slicing into the lead in the fifth when Desiree Vasquez singled and scored on two Construction errors. The Yellow Jackets plated another run on a ground out by Santiago to make it 4–2. The Bay Ridge school pulled even at 4–4 in the sixth thanks to a two-run double by freshman shortstop Kristen Gutekunst with two outs.
“I knew she pitched fast, you have to be really confident,” Gutekunst said. “I just swung. It felt really great because the team really counted on me.”
Construction (17–1) got on the board in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Rodriguez, who had three hits and two runs scored. A Yellow Jackets error opened the door for three Red Hawks runs in the third that put Construction ahead 4–0. Santiago settled down after that, allowing just four hits over the final five frames.
Telecom missed chances to take the lead. Susan Gutekunst hit a hard ground ball to second with two runs already in the fifth and a runner on second. Constructions Lizul Portugal made a diving stop and threw Gutekunst out from her knees to end the inning. The Yellow Jackets had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Rodriguez struck out Emily Bianchino on a check swing to get out of trouble.
Despite the loss, the season was a great learning experience for the Yellow Jackets’ young returning core. Telecom loses five senior starters, but returns Santiago, Bianchino, Isis Gonzalez, and both Gutekunsts.
“I love this team,” McCartney said. “I’m going to miss the seniors, but we have a lot to build on next year.”