Softball Notebook

Lakeland Strikes First, Last in 3-2 Win vs. Brewster

By Tony Pinciaro

Lakeland was facing a grueling week with six consecutive games, including matchups against rivals, Yorktown and Brewster.

Four wins would have been ideal, however, Lakeland exceeded that. The Hornets were a perfect 5-0 as their sixth game, against Our Lady of Lourdes, was rained out. Lakeland ran its winning streak to 10 and is now 13-1 this season.

Lakeland shut out John Jay and Albertus Magnus, doubled up intra-district rival Panas, 10-5, and the Hornets’ highlight victories were a 4-3 walk-off win in the eighth inning against Yorktown, capped off with a 3-2 triumph over Brewster last Thursday. Earlier this season Brewster handed Lakeland its only loss, 5-1.

“The first game against Brewster was one where we had some nerves, we were still starting to gel and we made a few errors both mentally and physically,” said Lakeland all-state pitcher Colleen Walsh, who will attend Sacred Heart in the fall and play softball. “We worked on what we needed to work on and we knew we would get stronger as a team as the season progressed.”

Lakeland led 1-0 after five innings, but Brewster scored twice in the top of the sixth for a 2-1 lead. It was short-lived as Lakeland wielded the aluminum in the bottom of the inning.

With one out, Olivia Knopf launched a solo homer to even the score. Before Lakeland its fans had a chance to settle back in, Krista Verrino smashed a home run to give Lakeland 3-2 lead. Leadoff hitter Cameron Lischinsky homered in the first inning for Lakeland.

“We know we’re a really good hitting team so it was nothing new for us put a few runs together,” said Walsh, who allowed two hits and struck out eight. “We all came together and said we can do this.

“After Olivia’s home run, we were just looking to put together a few hits. It was definitely exciting. It was a really important game and one that we were waiting for and anxious to play.”

After Claire Fon tossed a one-hit blanking of John Jay to open the week, Lakeland walked off, in the eighth inning, to victory over Yorktown as Krystal Badillo singled in Jess Ascencao with the decisive run.

Badillo finished with two hits and two RBI and Verrino also had two hits and drove in one. Walsh fanned six.

Lakeland rapped out 14 hits against Panas, led by Fon, who had three hits and two RBI. Amber Badillo finished with two hits, an RBI and scored four runs and Knopf added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored.

Fon registered her second shutout of the week – 4-0 against Albertus Magnus. Fon allowed two hits and struck out eight. Fon aided her own cause with two RBI. Amber Lopez also had two hits and drove in a run.

BREWSTER opened with a walk-off 3-2 win over MAHOPAC and then blanked R.C. Ketcham, 10-0, before suffering a 3-2 loss to Lakeland.

Brewster and Mahopac were all even at 1-1 going to the seventh inning when Mahopac scored for a 2-1 lead.

The Bears answered right back in the bottom of the inning as Francesca Cioffi went yard to tie the score at 2-2. Camryn Gannon walked and Kelly Dovi laced a triple sending Gannon home with the winning run.

“What a great comeback for the girls,” Brewster coach Lisa Delzio said. “They really hung in there together and didn’t get down at all. It was a great emotional team effort to come back and beat a very talented, well coached team in Mahopac.”

Delzio credited Mahopac pitcher Shannon Becker, an eighth-grader, with pitching an excellent game. According to Examiner Sports Editor Ray Gallagher, Becker is the next big thing at Mahopac, “the real deal”, he states.

Nicole Rosner tossed the shutout of Ketcham, allowing four hits and striking out 13. She also helped herself with two hits and three RBI.

Caroline Cherubini went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs and Dovi added two RBI.

In the loss to Lakeland, Lindsay McLaughlin hit a solo home run in the six and Rosner scored the second run on an error.

SOMERS continued its crushing ways at the plate as the Tuskers pounded out 54 hits, winning three of four games.

Gabby Mazzotta powered Somers to a 9-8 win over Byram Hills as she homered, doubled and drove in three. Jill Carlisto also collected three hits while Karly Moscarello and Amanda Polito finished with two hits and an RBI apiece.

Somers outslugged John Jay-Cross River, 19-15, and finished with 23 hits.

Tori Pagliaro and Mazzotta each smacked home runs. Mazzotta finished with four hits and three RBI and Pagliaro had three hits and three RBI.

Julia Sciacca had three hits and two RBI, Kelsey Lavin recorded three hits and an RBI and Carlisto singled three times and drove in four runs.

Jazmyn Colon shut out Sleepy Hollow, 18-0, as Mazzotta homered for the third consecutive game.

Moscarello and Mazzotta each had three hits and Moscarello had two RBI. Carlisto chipped in with two hits and three RBI and Pagliaro doubled twice. Colon also had two hits.

Walter Panas held Somers’ offense in check in a 7-2 win as Mazzotta had two hits and an RBI.

PUTNAM VALLEY entered the week on a two-game skid, but that was quickly forgotten as the Tigers went 3 for 3.

The Tigers mercied Edgemont, 16-1, outhit Irvington, 13-1, and defeated the other Tigers, North Salem, 9-5.

Jessica Pierce and Emily McKenna spearheaded the offense against Edgemont, each collecting three hits and four RBI. Allie Dick doubled twice and also drove in four.

Allie Dick doubled among her three hits and had two RBI against Irvington. Susanna Granieri and Alex Waters each had two hits. Waters collected three RBI and Granieri added two.

Putnam Valley completed the perfect week against North Salem by scoring five runs in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead.

Meghan O’Leary delivered her first career home run among her three hits. She also scored three runs and knocked in two. Granieri added two hits, two RBI and two runs score and Waters doubled and drove in two.

MAHOPAC lost a heartbreaker to Brewster, 3-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Indians followed with losses to John Jay-East Fishkill and Ketcham.

“Although these were two tough losses, the girls are ready and excited to take on the teams this week,” Mahopac coach Amanda Gambacorta said. “Unlike last week, this past game against Brewster we were mentally tough, defensively solid, and offensively aggressive. The girls came together as a team and fed off each other’s energy. Our goal was to come out strong and to score in the first inning and we did.”

Shannon Becker had two hits and an RBI. She also struck out four. Kim Astrologo doubled and scored.