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Sports

Lady Bobcats Thrill Crowd With Senior Sendoff Victory

The Brookfield Softball Team Finished The Season With A 3-0 Win Over Bethel On Senior Night

The crowd was on it's feet, anticipating one final strikeout to punctuate an incredible season.  Playing in her final regular season game, Brookfield's senior starting pitcher Kayla Berardi did what she has done all season, she drilled a fastball past the batter and into the mitt of senior catcher Jill Carneglia to end the game and give Brookfield another win.

"It feels good to be playing like this," Carneglia said.  "We're excited to keep playing like this.  We will do well the next couple of weeks if we do."

Facing a Bethel (6-13, 5-8) team that was looking for revenge from last season when Brookfield beat them on senior night, the Lady Bobcats (17-1, 13-1) got a big hit from Felicia Lennon in the first inning and strong pitching the rest of the way to earn a 3-0 victory.  They did it in front of a large crowd of parents, family members, friends and fans, who came out on a gorgeous day to give the seniors one final sendoff.

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"The seniors have been here for four years," head coach Frank Bonacci said.  "We wanted them to go out on a high note.  I was hoping we could score a few more runs so I could take them out with two outs in the seventh inning so they could get a standing ovation, but a win is a win is a win."

The seniors and the team received plenty of applause when Berardi registered back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.  She had seven strikeouts total on the afternoon.

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"She's a four-year player who's gutted it out," Bonacci said of his ace pitcher.  "Some days she's at her best and other days she has to use guile.  We're going to ride her right through the playoffs."

To win the game the seniors got some help from their freshman teammates.  Ashley Lamparelli drew a walk in the first inning and was driven home by Lennon, who hit a deep triple.  Senior Stephanie Moss then drove Lennon in on a ground out for the early 2-0 lead.

"We hit well, we pitch well, we're going do it as a team," an emotional but confident Moss said.  "We work together, we're going to go really far.  We've really done it as a team.  It's the best experience of my life."

Senior Morgan Foley drew a leadoff walk in the fourth inning and was moved to third on back-to-back sacrifice bunts by freshman Danielle Demarco and Carneglia.  She scored when senior Nikkie Suib hit a towering pop-up that was misplayed by the Lady Wildcats third baseman for the 3-0 lead.

"As of now we're more together as a team," Carneglia added.  "We're more focused, we pick each other up.  Teamwork has carried us through."

Staked to a three-run lead, Berardi continued to shut down the Bethel hitters as she has done to Brookfield's opponents all year long.

"It's a lot of responsibility," Berardi said of the coach handing her the ball on every game day.  "I trust my team behind me, I know they'll make the plays. Everybody has each others back."

The Lady Bobcats now set their sights on the post-season, with the South-West Conference playoffs coming up next week followed by the state tournament.

"It feels really good," Berardi said.  "We'll take it game by game and see where it goes from there." 

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