Sullo, Montini hand Spartans first SCC loss

In a big spot Mike Bukovsky is glad to have Fabiana Sullo on his side.

"I've had the fortune of coaching a lot of athletes," said Montini's coach, "football players, wrestlers and now softball players. She's one of the toughest kids I've ever coached, bar none. The backbone and rock of this team."

Sullo delivered in the clutch Wednesday, doubling in courtesy runner Dana Rutkowski with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Broncos beat St. Francis 1-0, handing the Spartans their first Suburban Catholic Conference loss.

Sullo had popped out with the bases loaded and two out in the first inning off St. Francis pitcher Taylor Ronchetto (19-3). She didn't miss her second chance.

Lara Mangialardi singled with one out in the sixth, and an out later Ashley Turacek reached on an error. Sullo worked the count to 3-1, then turned on an inside pitch for a double into the left-field corner.

"Definitely looking inside," Sullo said, "and when I saw it I just drove it. I was thinking about that first at bat a little, but I just had to calm down and do what I had to do."

In the seventh Montini (19-6, 11-2) made a pair of sparkling defensive plays to preserve Mangialardi's shutout. Turacek made a diving stop at third to throw out Laura Behnke, and second baseman Kaitlin Maggiore leaped to snare a liner up the middle.

"Our team has come a long way this season," Mangialardi said. Montini lost to St. Francis 2-0 in the teams' first meeting. "We've been working so much harder this season, been bonding and coming together. Coach really pushes us."

Mangialardi (18-5) struck out three batters to match zeroes with Ronchetto, who fanned nine. St. Francis stranded a runner at third in the second inning and a runner at second in the third and fifth innings. The Spartans (22-5, 12-1), shut out for the first time this season, also couldn't capitalize on a Montini error to lead off the top half of the sixth.

"We didn't get the hit when we needed it," St. Francis coach Ralph Remus said. "Give the pitcher credit. They got the hit when they needed it and we came up short."

"Her inside pitches were working," Sullo said. "Last game they were driving that inside pitch. This game she really brought it."

Brie Pasquale and Behnke had singles for St. Francis, which can clinch the outright conference championship against Aurora Central in the resumption of a previous game.

"It was a good game - I told the girls to not hang their heads," Remus said. "Let it go."