Klarman carries Longwood to playoff win

Longwood standout pitcher Andrea Klarman put her team on her back for seven innings yesterday, allowing just three infield hits and no runs. Simultaneously, she helped end the playoff drought for a softball program that hadn't seen a playoff win since 1986.

"The work that Andrea has put in to being a student of the game and being a smart pitcher is incredible," coach Alicia Smith said.

On the strength of Klarman's first shutout of the season and some aggressive play from the offense, No. 5 Longwood beat No. 12 Eastport-South Manor, 2-0, in the first round of the Suffolk playoffs.

Longwood hosts No. 13 Smithtown East Friday at 4 p.m.

The last time Longwood won a playoff game a gallon of gas was about 93 cents, Oprah Winfrey's show debuted and the Mets won the World Series.

But the pressure of a quarter century never showed in a determined team that fought a hard battle with Commack and Sachem East for the League I title. All three eventually tied for the honor, going 14-5 in a tough schedule (1986 also was the last time Longwood won a league title, according to athletic director Kevin McCarthy).

In the bottom of the first, Longwood loaded the bases with nobody out on a single, infield hit and walk, and took a 1-0 lead on Alex Russo's sacrifice fly. But ESM pitcher Catherine Havens stranded the remaining runners.

SEE PHOTOSLongwood 2, Eastport-South Manor 0

In the fourth, Leah Mele crushed a one-out triple to left-center and scored on Sierra Noud's suicide squeeze to make it 2-0.

"All I was getting was curveballs, so I moved in a little closer to the plate," Mele said. "The umpire told me to back up. I backed up a tiny bit, but I was able to hit the curveball the next time she threw it."

After taking the 2-0 lead, Klarman gave up a two-out infield hit in the fifth but then retired the final seven batters to seal it.

For the C.W. Post-bound Havens, the loss was the end of a brilliant career at ESM (11-8). The calm, gutsy hurler won a Suffolk Class A title last season and emerged as one of the top pitchers in the county.

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"Obviously, I would have liked it to end a little better today," Havens said. "But last year couldn't have ended any better, and I have no regrets in my high school career."