Floral Park's Giovaniello full of confidence

Along with the looping curveball and the slow motion changeup, there's a sanguine swagger.

In a video interview with Newsday in March, Floral Park starter Samantha Giovaniello said matter-of-factly that she could strike out the baseball team.

"It would be tough and I was only kidding when I said that," she paused. "But I think I could do it."

Giovaniello's only a sophomore. She stands but 5-3. It doesn't matter. She has reason to be confident and, perhaps, her confidence is the reason for her results.

On April 24, she took a no-hitter into the seventh against Clarke, but it was broken up on a hard one-out single. Immediately, coach Dan Sackman made a visit to the circle.

"She looks at me like, 'Huh? Why are you out here?' " the coach said. "I explained to her after the game and she shook her head and said that stuff doesn't bother her."

In the next game, a 1-0 win over Sewanhaka last Wednesday, she threw a 10-inning no-hitter with a career-high 20 strikeouts. Giovaniello's curveball was breaking late and, according to Sackman, the windy conditions helped increase the movement on her screwball in what was the pitcher's most dominant performance to date.

"I was only concerned about getting the win," she said. "But the no-hitter was nice, too."

She has an unflappability that belies her age. But then, so does her resume. Replacing her All-Long Island sister, Jackie, she led the Knights to the state Class A championship last year. Along the way, the freshman pitched to a 0.90 ERA, struck out 243 and batted .451 with 35 RBIs.

Complacency? Surely, you jest.

"What I've done so far is satisfying," she said, "but I want to keep going. I want more of everything."