Five years have passed since the Cicero-North Syracuse softball team won its last Section III title.
That's an unremarkable length of time for almost every other team in the section.
For the Northstars, it's an eternity.
On Friday night, CNS's veterans made sure the program's eight seniors exited with an appropriate parting gift.
Senior Mia Farone crashed a two-run homer that sparked a blaze of runs and senior Kiyara Bembry closed the game with three innings of shutout ball to push CNS past defending champ Rome Free Academy, 7-1, in the Class AAA title game at Carrier Park.
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The banner is the first for the program since 2021, the year before current Northstars coach Morgan Nandin took over.
"Yes, we talk about it all the time. We knew this team, this year was so much different than the other teams that we've been on," Bembry said. "We connect so well. Everybody gets along so well and we all love each other so much and we have so many inside jokes this year. We all grew up together and there's no conflict on this team."
Cicero-North Syracuse (16-5) advances to take on the Section II champ at 5 p.m. on June 5 at Carrier Park. RFA finishes at 11-11.
The Northstars' program has been around for 42 years, and 23 of those seasons produced a Section III banner. Nandin, one of the program's all-time greats, helped hang two of them herself. But until Friday night, she had yet to break through as a coach.
"This is just how high school sports are. And the sport of softball in general has just grown so much that the talent in this area is tremendous. And every year it's anyone's game. Obviously, we would love to win it every single year, as anyone would. So we just kind of focus on ourselves, what we need to do to improve. And we really work on the mental game a lot to get it done."
Farone stepped on the gas in the bottom of the third. With the score tied at 1-1, she lofted a two-run shot deep over the left-field fence. It was Farone's second homer in as many games and her third of the season.
"I just think that anyone can cook at any time. Anyone can be that spark," Farone said. "Sometimes it's not going to be me, but these two games, it was. And I just feel very grateful that I was put in that position and that my team trusted me to do that for them."
CNS put the game away with four runs in the fourth. Senior Shelby Kippen slapped an RBI single, senior Sydney Rockwell brought in another with a double, Farone plated her third RBI of the game with a single and then Mila Owens finished the flurry with a double that brought in Farone.
Owens, a sophomore, also pulled her weight on the mound. She limited the Black Knights to one run through four innings.
"I think our thought process coming into the game, it wasn't too cocky. It wasn't like we were coming in knowing we were going to win," Owens said. "We were just coming in wanting it that bad that I think that's why we got the outcome that we wanted."
Nandin swapped out Owens for Bembry in the top of the fourth. It's a pattern Nandin has used throughout the past three seasons. Owens throws with a little more zip while Bembry is craftier with her movement.
"We're really lucky in this program to have so much depth," Nandin said. "So those two tag team games for the past three years and they're very comfortable with it. And what I love with our pitching staff in the past and this year, they are each other's biggest cheerleader. Whoever's on that mound, they will back them 100% and they're ready when their name is called. So it helps us a ton because it keeps them [foes] off balance."
After the game, Black Knights coach Emily Cowell lingered in the outfield for an emotional goodbye to her eight seniors.
"They're a special group. They were the group that really led us into our sectional championship last year and they left a huge impact on this program," Cowell said. "They're phenomenal kids. Not only phenomenal softball players, but phenomenal people. They do things the right way. And I can't wait to see what is in store for their future going forward."
Nandin, meanwhile, marinated in a newfound emotion that matched the championship fun she enjoyed as a player — helping her current group experience the same joy.
"It's funny, I was talking to my assistant," Nandin said. "I said it almost feels better winning it as a coach because it's nice to just sit back and watch them celebrate, watch them reap the benefits of their hard work. This is an amazing group, and I'm just so happy for them."
