Lové Drumgole shows 10 tools in Mount Sinai win over East Meadow

Calling Mount Sinai shortstop Lové Drumgole a five-tool player may actually be shortchanging her.

The two-time Newsday All-Long Island selection displayed the five tools (speed, arm strength, fielding ability, hitting for power and hitting for average) in a 6-5 non-conference softball victory for Mt. Sinai over East Meadow — the defending state Class AA champions — at the Middle Country Recreational Park in Selden Thursday. But factor in her softball IQ, awareness, aggressiveness, toughness and leadership, Drumgole’s more of a 10-tool athlete.

“You can’t teach her instincts, you can’t coach her instincts,” coach Jason Surdi said. “She has an innate ability and she just creates havoc on the basepaths.”

Drumgole, who went 3-for-4, with three runs and three stolen bases — including stealing home off a throw back to the pitcher in the second — finished just a home run shy of the cycle. After her fourth-inning single, Drumgole stole second on the next pitch then third as the ball was thrown back to the pitcher. She then scored on an infield single to tie the score at 3.

In the fifth inning, Drumgole hit an RBI double to give the Mustangs a 5-4 lead. She rolled her ankle diving back into second, but remained in the game and scored off an infield single by the following batter for the eventual winning run.

“That’s my favorite part of the game,” Drumgole said about running the bases. “I like — not torturing them — but antagonizing them to make them think they’re going to get me. But in my head, I’m just like ‘Nope, nope, nope.’ ”

Mount Sinai (3-0), the defending Suffolk Class A champions, entered the game with a “nothing to lose attitude,” Drumgole said, against the defending state titleholders.

SEE PHOTOSEast Meadow vs. Mt. Sinai softball

“It’s a really reassuring win,” said first baseman Emma Wimmer, who went 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI. “Going past this, we’ll know that we beat them and it’s a real confidence booster.”

East Meadow (2-1) jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning before Mt. Sinai’s Julia Golino settled in, tossing a seven-hitter, allowing three earned runs and two walks with five strikeouts. Molly Birnstill added two hits, two runs and two RBIs and Ilexa Skulnick went 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI in the win.

Even after the Jets’ strong first inning, Mt. Sinai remained loud with their player-specific chants to encourage each other, giving Golino added confidence.

“We were cheering our heads off and we got some hits so it brought our spirits up,” Golino said. “I was mad at myself that I let up three [runs], but you can’t be down, you have to come back.”

Birnstill’s single to drive in Drumgole tied the score at 3 and Wimmer’s single to drive in Birnstill gave Mt. Sinai a 4-3 lead after the fourth inning. After Jenna Laird scored on a groundout to tie the score at 4 in the top of the fifth inning, Drumgole drove in Samantha Valenti to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom half of the inning.

Laird went 3-for-4 with two triples and three runs and Julianna Sanzone went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run for East Meadow.

“We knew that everyone expected them to win, they’re the state champions,” Drumgole said. “We didn’t even make it to [the state semifinals last season] so I knew that no one expected anything from us so we’re on cloud nine.”