WARMINSTER, PA – On her very first start on the mound for the Archbishop Wood softball team, freshman Gianna Lancellotti led the Vikings to a heavy league win last Wednesday against West Catholic.
In a game so one-sided that the mercy rule had to be implemented in the bottom of the second inning, the Vikings put another tally in the win column. Although Lancellotti only had to record 6 outs over the course of the two innings, she pitched quite well for her first ever performance in the spotlight.
Four of the outs came through strikeouts, and the other two were the result of a double play. The runner that was onboard to begin the double play had reached on a walk: Lancellotti had given up zero hits that afternoon.
Offensively, she was on fire as well. On her first at bat, she knocked in a two-run inside the park homer, and later grabbed a double and a base hit, making her a triple short of the cycle. In her fourth at-bat, Lancellotti could only coast out a walk, a beneficial trip to the plate for her team, nonetheless.
"I wanted the triple really bad," said Lancellotti, all smiles, post-game. "It feels good, but it's nerve wracking. I plan to keep playing in high school and hopefully play in college too."
Wood softball coach, Kevin Rosini, commented on Lancellotti’s growth as an apparent under-classman leader.
"She's developing just fine," said Rosini. "She's a freshman and she's on varsity, she's contributed a lot at the plate, and she's been a big help to us so far. Right now we're pretty set, we have our number one pitcher, but she's developing, and in due time, she'll get her shake."
And when she gets that “shake” we will be ready, as Lancellotti will surely be a standout player to watch for seasons to come.
Looking Ahead: Archbishop Wood’s next league match-up will occur this Thursday at home vs. St. Hubert’s (3:45PM).