Renegades Keep Rolling

Stuyvesant’s softball team, the Renegades, brought home another victory against Beacon High School in what now seems to be a well-established season tradition of double-digit scoring complemented by outstanding pitching by senior and co-captain Frankie Michielli. This formula has led to an unblemished 4-0 record thus far.

Despite giving up her first two earned runs this season against Beacon, Michielli has remained dominant. After her first shutout of the year the day prior against Hunter College High School, she pitched five innings of one-hit ball with a mere 55 pitches.

Coach Vincent Miller offered some insight into how she got on such a hot start. “She throws a lot more strikes. She’s throwing a changeup now and keeping the ball low to the big hitters,” Miller said. The team also relies on Michielli’s ability to pitch multiple games in a row. “Her stamina is pretty good, and I’m confident she will make it through the week,” senior and co-captain Charlotte Ruhl said. Last season, Michielli threw 79 innings in a mere 14 games.

However, the team is more than just Michielli’s arm. They also owe their undefeated start to their strong offense with a team batting average of .571 in the game against Lehman Campus High School. “Our offense has been very good,” Miller said. “They also walked a lot of batters, and we took advantage of that.”

Michelli not only showcased strong pitching, but also contributed to the Renegades’ offensive success, as she batted two for two with a double and three RBIs. Junior shortstop Lili Boenigk also had an impressive performance at the plate, batting two for four with a double and five RBIs.

Despite dominating the first three league games, the Renegades recently suffered a loss, as junior left fielder Julianna Fabrizio broke her finger. This is the second major injury to Fabrizio’s career, as an arm injury sidelined her previously.

The Renegades do have a temporary solution, however. “Julianna’s hurt for, I think two or three weeks, so we’re probably going to insert [sophomore] Eve [Wening] into that spot,” Miller said. Despite Eve Wening’s initial bench role, she is the team’s sixth man (or in this case, 10th man) and is always ready to contribute. Her two RBIs against Hunter and her .389 batting average in 18 at-bats last season show her potential to pick up right where Fabrizio left off.

However, the loss of Fabrizio hurts the team’s outfield depth. “We’re going to miss [Fabrizio]. She’s been a really good fielder. She probably made the biggest play for us last year in the playoffs,” Miller said. Fabrizio’s over the shoulder catch, which led to a clutch double play, helped secure the Renegades’ first round win against Curtis High School and reach the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Last season, the Renegades struggled to split the two-game series against Beacon, but this Renegades team has proven their doubters wrong and shown that offseason work truly pays dividends. With the entire team returning this year, the players all came back focused and more experienced, allowing them to compete with more difficult competition. “We have three tough games this week,” Ruhl said. “But, I think if we come out strong, [don’t] underestimate our opponents, reduce errors, and put a lot of runs on the board early, then we should come out on top.”