Storm suspends Nassau softball championships
Emily Balducci #5 of Massapequa makes a sacrifice bunt in the top of the first inning in Game 2 of the best-of-three Nassau County softball Class AA final against East Meadow at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Credit: James Escher
A fast moving storm caused all three Nassau softball championship games at Mitchel Athletic Complex Saturday to be suspended until 11 a.m. Sunday.
Game 2 of each of the best-of-three series in Class AA, A and B began at 12:30 p.m. but play was suspended just after 1:30 p.m.
“At first it was just the thunder and lightning,” Nassau softball coordinator Chris Ceruti said. “But when the skies opened up and it poured, the fields were completely underwater.”
If any series were to need a deciding third game it would be played Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., also at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
In Class AA, Massapequa leads East Meadow, 5-4, after four innings.
Massapequa (15-7) opened the scoring in the top of the first after Mary Stork doubled to drive in Ryan Starr. East Meadow (9-9) answered back with four runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Madison Lehmann.
Massapequa retook the lead with four runs in the third, capped by a three-run homer by Kim Westenberg.
Westenberg also was a big reason why Massapequa took Game 1, 12-1. She threw a three-hitter and struck out six and also had a home run.
In Class A Mepham (17-4) leads 6-0 over Calhoun (16-7) after three innings.
The Pirates got off to a quick start, scoring six runs in the top of the first, highlighted by RBI singles from Gia Micchio and Giselle DeLutri and a two-run double by catcher Sara Moyo.
DeLutri also tossed three shutout innings with five strikeouts. Mepham won Game 1, 11-10, in eight innings on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Allana Morse. Morse also hit a grand slam and a two-run homer earlier in the game. Hailey Guerrero also had a home run for Mepham in Game 1 and Kyle Persampire went 3-for-4, including an RBI triple that tied the score in the seventh.
East Rockaway holds a 4-0 lead over Oyster Bay (11-5) in Class B. The Rocks were looking to add to their lead with runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the fourth when play was halted.
East Rockaway (12-4) put forth a dominating effort in Game 1, winning, 13-1, on Friday. If East Rockaway is able to close out Game 2 Sunday they will play Carle Place in the Nassau small school championship on Tuesday, according to Ceruti.
Carle Place, which will be the Nassau Class C representative, advanced by default after Friends Academy was unable to field a full team before Game 1 of their series was set to begin.
The Rocks will then play Suffolk champion Babylon in the Long Island championship on Thursday at the Moriches Athletic Complex.
The winners in Class AA and A will move on to play the Suffolk champions at the Moriches Athletic Complex on Saturday.
Gene Morris joined Newsday's sports department in September 2012 and covers high school sports. He earned a journalism degree from Stony Brook University in 2010.
