Giovaniello's hit gives Floral Park 'A' softball title
Floral Park High School pitcher Samantha Giovaniello gets mobbed by teammates after their 1-0 victory over Plainedge to win the Nassau County softball Class 'A' county final, Thursday. (May 27, 2010) Credit: James A. Escher
Samantha Giovaniello knew it would play out like this, that this epic series was almost destined to be decided by one big at-bat.
And with two runners on and one out, the sophomore, in her slightly crouched lefthanded stance, slapped a 3-and-1 offering from Michelle Daubman over short and into centerfield. The hit drove in Kristina Santoro and sent the Floral Park fans into a tizzy at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
This was in the third inning.
Those fans knew, too. One spectator had jokingly (but prophetically) said before Game 1 that the team to score two runs in the series would claim the Nassau Class A softball title.
With an overpowering riser, Giovaniello made her run hold up, striking out 12 in a two-hitter to lead top-seeded Floral Park over Plainedge, 1-0, Thursday in the deciding third game.
"It was definitely going to be like this," said Giovaniello, whose team won the 2009 state championship. "They're too good a team, with great pitching and defense, so I expected intense, close games."
Were they ever. The matchup pitted last season's Nassau co-Players of the Year, and the teams exchanged 1-0 wins in the first two contests.
This one came down to an error and one bad pitch, "a curveball," Daubman said. "It got too much of the plate."
Floral Park had the ideal mind-set to handle the pressure, coach Dan Sackman said. "If I try to give a motivational speech, it's almost laughable," he said. "They're always so focused and even-keeled."
Despite the overcast conditions, the Knights (20-4) took the field with eye black smeared on their cheeks like rouge. "It's for our intensity," Giovaniello said, laughing.
And when it was over, there wasn't much of a celebration. Just a few hugs and, probably, sighs of relief.
Each game was a who-blinks-first contest, and No. 3 Plainedge (17-7) squinted in the third - just barely, but enough. Santoro reached first on an error and Lindsay Epstein was hit by a pitch, setting up Giovaniello.
"Give Michelle a lot of credit. She was outstanding," Sackman said. "But Sam was just . . . Sam."
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