Persechino had big night for St. Paul softball

St. Paul softball wouldn’t be playing for a state championship without the effort of sophomore shortstop Jess Persechino.
Persechino was 4-for-4 with four RBI, and her sixth inning single gave the Falcons a 9-8 lead over Coventry in their Class S semifinal Wednesday. St. Paul wound up winning 9-8 after a great catch by Abby Poirot completed the final out. The ninth-seeded Falcons face second-seeded Holy Cross for the title on Friday at 7 p.m. at Frank Biondi Softball Field in West Haven.
Persechino was there for St. Paul when it trailed 3-0 in the first. Her RBI single helped get the Falcons to within 3-2 in the bottom of the first. Persechino’s two-run single in the fifth cut a six-run deficit to 8-4.
St. Paul completed its remarkable comeback in the sixth. The Falcons got a run, then Lindsey O’Bright blasted a bases-clearing double to tie the game at 8-8, setting up Persechino’s chance to play hero. Persechino hit another single, and O’Bright came in to give St. Paul an improbable lead.