Finnen's hit helps Plainedge ties series
Plainedge shortstop Kaitlyn Finnen drives in a run with a single to extend her team's lead over Seaford to 3-1 in the seventh inning during Game 2 of the Nassau Class A finals. (May 24, 2011) Credit: James Escher
Plainedge suffered only its second loss of the season on Monday and Kaitlyn Finnen was intent on making sure there wouldn't be a third.
"It shows that Kaitlyn can handle the pressure of the county playoffs," Plainedge coach Melissa Amitrano said. "She can step up when it's needed.''
Finnen stepped up in the top of the fifth inning when her team needed it most. The freshman shortstop singled to drive in Kimberly Nowak and Michele Daubman for the go-ahead runs to propel No. 1 Plainedge to a 5-1 win over No. 3 Seaford Tuesday at Mitchel Athletic Complex, evening the best-of-three Nassau Class A softball finals.
"We started off slow but we needed to get those hits and that's what we did,'' Finnen said. "I knew I had to get the ball in play because we had runners in scoring position . . . Now we just have to keep moving forward.''
Finnen added to the lead in the seventh with a single up the middle, scoring Daubman to make it 3-1. Finnen scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Curran. Jacklyn Oleksak scored to give Plainedge (19-2) a 5-1 lead after a misplay at third base on a ground ball by Megan Andrews.
Lindsay Montemarano put Seaford (12-6) three innings away from a county title when she hit an RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the fourth to break a scoreless tie.
But that would be the only run allowed by Daubman, who tossed seven innings, allowing four hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Game 3 will be played 4 p.m. Thursday at Mitchel.
"We were definitely out for blood,'' Daubman said. "We wanted to take it one game at a time and come back and win this. I think we are going to carry this with us, hopefully get our bats going a little bit earlier next game and pull it out.''
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
