Branford Girls Come Full Circle On 2022 ALL-SCC Team

Submitted news release by Thomas Cofrancesco:

Congratulations to Jillian Cofrancesco and Marzia Johnson on their selection to the 2022 ALL-SCC Team. We would be remiss if we didn’t give a shout out and congratulate another Branford softball player on her selection to the ALL-SCC Team, Isabella Saracco who is an amazing softball player, she played alongside Jillian on the Sacred Heart Academy Softball Team.

As it relates to Jillian and Marzia, these two Started playing Branford Rec Softball together when they were 8 years old. They epitomize the hard work, long hours and dedication to the game that has allowed them to be successful in the sport of softball.

Their story starts at Foote Park where the Born-In-America Rec Softball Team evolved, Marzia and Jillian were 10 years old at the time and their team was playing-up at the 14u level. That first year was rough as their team lost most of their regular season games. However, that did not deter them from practicing even more, most times practicing away from their team at Foote Park or in their backyard with their dads sitting on a bucket as they honed their pitching craft. Toward the end of the regular season their team had won their last two games and were feeling pretty good about themselves as their team was about to play their first playoff game together. They pitched against the best team in the league that year winning that game by one run and then went on to win the championship that year, the following year and the year after that.

In 2013 they started playing Fall-Ball together in the Shoreline Sting League and in 6 years pitching for their Branford Hornets Fall Team they earned back-to-back championships and 3 second place finishes in the championship games. Over the course of their 6 years playing together, both Jillian and Marzia would also take-home multiple awards for MVP in the playoffs to MVP in a championship game and MVP for the regular season. They both were consistent leaders at the plate as well always in the top 3 for batting AVG, OBP, steals and having the least number of strikeouts and when they weren’t pitching, their glove work in the infield was always the best on their team at their respective positions.

After Fall-Ball ended, Marzia and Jillian went their separate ways as Marzia played for Branford High School and Jillian for Sacred Heart Academy. Both would also go on to play travel softball, Marzia for the CT Hornets and Jillian for the Sting and both would go on to do some great things for their schools and travel teams. Fun fact, they would face each other their freshman year during high school play, Marzia would win the first meeting striking out Jillian twice at BHS, Jillian would win the next battle as she had a hit, an RBI and scored once while playing the second regular season match-up at the Sports-Plex.

Freshman year Jillian would step aside from pitching and focus on 3rd base, a position she would end up staring on the Varsity squad and get the “Rookie of the Year” award. There was no softball sophomore year due to covid however Jillian’s junior year she would be selected to play in the “Coaches Select Junior All-Star Game” and would be awarded by her coaches’ “Defensive Player of the Season”.

Marzia would be the backbone of the BHS Varsity Team all three years, her leadership and play on the field would be second to none. She would play any position that her coach asked and always gave 110%. Marzia is and has always been a difference maker, improving the odds of success on any team she plays for.

Their senior year would also be very good for both players, Jillian would end the regular season batting .432 while being very flexible playing 3rd base, 2nd base and outfield for her SHA team.
Marzia would end her regular season with a .408 batting avg and on Senior night she pitched a perfect game. She would end her senior year at BHS with 129 strikeouts and opponents would have a paltry .229 OBA and .351 OBP.

On May 25, 2022, Marzia and Jillian would both meet-up at Biondi Field during the All-SCC Team recognition and photoshoot event, not knowing the other would be there. It was a reunion that was unexpected but warm, with plenty of hugs to go around. As the picture was being taken, a lot of those softball memories came back seeing them together again. Happy, yet sad at the same time, to see these two together doing great things once again but at the same time realizing that it has all come to an end, at least for Branford and Sacred Heart Academy.

Marzia has committed to UHN and will be majoring in forensics while Jillian will attend Marywood University where she has been accepted into the Art Therapy Program. Both will continue to play softball at the college level so perhaps we have not heard the last of Marzia and Jillian.
All the best girls, we know you will continue to do great things in the classroom and on the softball field.