Montemarano, Seaford win Nassau A title
Seaford High School pitcher #25 Lindsay Montemarano delivers to the plate in the bottom 2nd inning. (May 26, 2011) Credit: James Escher
After pulling even at a game apiece in the Nassau Class A finals on Tuesday, Plainedge ace Michele Daubman commented on the hard-fought victory, saying that her team was "out for blood." A few towns over, the Seaford pitcher who beat Daubman in Game 1 and would be opposing her in the deciding Game 3 read those words and bristled.
"We read how they were 'out for blood,' and that's great. I guess Michele was trying to pump her team up," Lindsay Montemarano said. "She's a great player. But we saw that and really built off it. Those are fighting words."
And Seaford fought, back from an early one-run deficit and for a late lead as the No. 3 Vikings toppled No. 1 Plainedge, 4-2, Thursday for the Nassau Class A title at Mitchel Athletic Complex.
"I said, 'OK, the challenge has been laid down. Are you going to take the challenge?' coach Rob Perpall said. "I went right down the line with every kid. 'Now, are we going to step up or step back?' "
Facing a one-run deficit in the top of the sixth, Valerie Insardi and Montemarano drew back-to-back walks with none out, bringing up Victoria Wink, one of just three seniors on Seaford (13-6).
"My first two at-bats were a little shaky, but I knew runners were on and this was big time," she said. "We needed to get those runs."
Wink hit a two-run triple to center, and scored on Alex Palazzolo's sacrifice fly. Another run scored as Caitlin Hewitt bunted with one out, with Courtney Carbone breaking from third after the ball had been thrown to first.
"We've come back so many other times this year," Montemarano said. "And they were Goliath, we were David. Today David got Goliath with his sling."
Plainedge (19-3) plated its first run after Daubman reached second on a two-base error, stole third and scored in on a sacrifice fly. Megan Andrews knocked in a two-out run in the bottom of the seventh to draw Plainedge closer, but Dolores Diemicke's drive to rightfield was caught by Sera Kolat to end it.
"We worked so hard and we were too good to not be remembered," Montemarano said. "This team needed to be remembered."
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.
