Monsignor Martin Association
Comisso overcomes nerves, leads Sharks softball to third straight All-Catholic title
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Caitlin Scheneck, far left, and Erica Comisso celebrate after the Sharks defeated Holy Angels, 2-1, for their third straight Monsignor Martin Association title last Wednesday at Walden Pond in Lancaster. Comisso, a Cheektowaga resident, threw a one-hitter. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Sacred Heart's Erica Comisso admits she was nervous prior to her team's 2-1 Monsignor Martin Association All-Catholic final win over Holy Angels at Walden Pond in Lancaster last Wednesday but that was nothing new for the freshman pitcher.

Coming into the season, Comisso, a resident of Cheektowaga, didn't even know if she would make the roster, let alone pitch. Then early in the season, she was thrust into the starting pitching role after senior Mallory Pemberton, the team's ace for the last three years, tore a muscle in her right arm.

Despite being thrown into the fire, Comisso shined, finishing MMA league play with an 8-0 record, winning all three playoff games, throwing 120 strikeouts, and having an ERA under 1.

Sacred Heart's Brieanna Brink leaps to make a catch at first base. Pictured far right is Holy Angels' Ellen Adams. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Stats are nice but what had made Comisso a star is her ability to get herself out of pitching jams. Against Holy Angels, Comisso had runners on second and third base in the second and sixth innings and she caught a short pop-up along the first base line to end the threat in the second and recorded one of her nine groundouts in the game to first for the third out of the sixth.

Comisso finished with a one-hitter and two strikeouts to give the Sharks' their third straight MMA title. Holy Angels' only run came unearned in the third when Marissa Pullo scored on a Katie Salisbury error.

"I was so nervous," said Comisso. "We had some errors but we came through in the end."

"When she had to really make the pitches she did," added Sacred Heart coach Mike Injaychock. "She really shouldn't have been in any trouble but there were some errors in the field. Other than that, I really thought she dominated the game and threw real well."

Cheektowaga resident Alison Pyszczynski (batted .435 during season, named league MVP, will attend Cornell University) singled in Bradley in the bottom of the first to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead. In the third, Bradley scored from third on a wild pitch to break a 1-1 tie.

Angels senior pitcher Erica Raepple threw a three-hitter.

The win improves Sacred Heart's record over the past four years in league play to 46-1, its only loss coming in the 2004 title game against Mount Mercy.

The Sharks, 13-1 overall this year, have beaten Holy Angels for the crown the past three years.

"We just couldn't get a big hit when we needed it," said Holy Angels coach Fran Snyder, whose team lost to Sacred Heart in the finals, 4-3 and 4-0 in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

In another MMA matter, New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association President Sister Maria Pares said the Monsignor Martin Association will be sending a team to the New York State Catholic softball championships next year.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com