The St. Edmund’s Prep, Sheepshead Bay, varsity softball team earned an exciting 5-4 walk-off victory May 21 over Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, in the Brooklyn/Queens GCHSAA ‘A’ Championship.

The Eagles led by two runs heading into the top of the seventh inning, but the Tigers rallied to plate two runs to tie the game.

St. Edmund’s had the top of its batting order scheduled to hit in the bottom of the seventh to try to start a rally of their own, and they did just that.

Sophomore shortstop Kellie O’Neill and sophomore left fielder Stephanie Samir each recorded hits to start the inning. Senior center fielder Alex Samousiuk patiently worked out a walk to load the bases with nobody out.

At that point, Kearney head coach Nick Trani called a full team meeting at the mound, including his outfielders, to go over strategy. Sophomore third baseman Nicole Quintana was due up for the Eagles.

Back in 1999, New York Mets’ third baseman Robin Ventura hit the famous “gran slam single” to give the Mets a playoff victory in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. He hit the ball over the wall, but he was mobbed by his teammates between first and second base, thus never even reaching home.

Quintana needed only one pitch to do her best Robin Ventura impersonation, as she crushed the ball deep over the left fielder’s head. She wound up rounding the bases for a walk-off grand slam, but once the the go-ahead run scored, that signaled the end of the game. It was Quintana’s own version of the “grand slam single.”

Congratulations to the Eagles for a terrific season!