Newsday's All-Long Island softball team 2014

KERRI SHAPIRO
Player of the Year
East Meadow, P, Sr.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the greatest of them all? This year, it was Kerri Shapiro. It's been well documented that, at the beginning of the season, Shapiro wrote the goals she wanted to accomplish on the mirror in her bedroom as motivation and checked them off as she reached them. She accomplished everything on that list, which culminated with leading East Meadow to its first state championship in program history. Now she can add another accomplishment: being named Newsday's Player of the Year. With an arsenal that goes six pitches deep, and velocity of up to 63 mph, Shapiro went 19-2 with a 1.12 ERA and struck out 186 batters in 156 innings while playing in Nassau county's top ability based conference. She also hit .455 with four home runs and 23 RBIs. Bound for Lynn University, the two-time All-Long Island selection tossed a shutout in the state semifinals and then allowed just one run on three hits and also homered in the state final later that afternoon. "What has she meant to us?" East Meadow coach Stew Fritz asked. "I use one word to describe her: comfort. When I penciled her in, I knew good things will happen. She strikes fear in opponents. She is the player of the year!

FRANCESCA CASALINO
Suffolk Player of the Year
Half Hollow Hills West, P, Sr.
Was so spectacular this season that a fan club was created called, “The Fran Club.’’ The Yale-bound pitcher went 20-4 with a 0.65 ERA and 318 strikeouts in 161 innings. She also hit .439 with seven homers and 24 RBIs to lead Half Hollow Hills West to its first county championship in program history. She tossed four shutouts in the postseason, one of which was a perfect game, and another that came in a thrilling 1-0, 10-inning semifinal victory. Casalino concluded her three-year career with a 50-11 record, 714 strikeouts in 426 innings, and a .471 batting average.

PAIGE JULICH
Kings Park, Pitcher, Sr.
The third and final Julich sister to come through the Kings Park softball program. The University of Rhode Island-bound shortstop hit .432, blasted seven home runs with an .824 slugging percentage, and demonstrated tremendous range in the field.

CATHERINE VAUGHAN
Hauppauge, CF, So.
A versatile talent who combined power with speed. At the plate she hit .415 with six home runs, 29 RBIs, and two winning hits. On the base paths, she swiped nine bases. In the outfield, she covered plenty of ground, including a game-ending leaping grab to send Hauppauge to the county final.

STEFANIE APLIN
Smithtown East, C, Sr.
A leadoff hitter who could go the opposite way and find the gaps, the Georgian Court-bound catcher recorded a .609 average with two home runs and 28 RBIs. Proved to be one of the best defensive catchers in the county with her blocking ability.

SAMANTHA MARRONE
Sachem East, CF, Sr.
The LIU Post-bound outfielder was a threat at the plate where she slapped, bunted and hit to the gaps to finish with a .577 average with 32 runs atop the lineup. In the outfield, she showed tremendous range and a powerful arm, throwing out four baserunners at the plate.

TONIMARIE VALERIANO
Mepham, P, Sr.
Armed with a devastating screwball, the two-time All-Long Island selection went 12-6 with a 1.69 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 125 innings. Bound for Queens College, she also hit .492 with two home runs and 20 RBIs, including a go-ahead three-run home run in a win over state champion East Meadow.

SARAH CORNELL
Clarke, P, Soph.
She may be only a sophomore, but she has already struck out 732 batters. This season, with an overpowering fastball, she went 12-6 with a 1.18 ERA and 234 strikeouts in 133 innings. She tossed five shutouts, including two no-hitters, and struck out 20 batters in a win over county champion Carey.

ASHLEY MELENDEZ
Island Trees, 1B/P, Jr.
A versatile player who helped guide the Bulldogs back to the county championship series by hitting .434 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs. Great at stretch plays and picking balls out of the dirt at first base. She also took the ball when needed, going 4-1 with two saves and a 1.08 ERA.

CLAIRE TRAVIS
East Meadow, SS, Sr.
Emerged as one of the best power hitters on Long Island this season with a county-high eight home runs, including a towering solo blast off Francesca Casalino that proved to be the difference in the Long Island championship. Bound for LIU-Post, she hit .487 with 25 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

CLAIRE MCNAMARA
Oceanside, SS, Jr.
Hit .444 with two home runs and 19 RBIs while leading Oceanside to the county championship series. Struck out just once and made only two errors in 97 attempts this season. Went 4-for-4 in Game 1 of the semifinals and scored the go-ahead run on an RBI double by her twin sister, Megan.

KRISTEN ARBITER
MacArthur, C, Sr.
Became a focal point of the offense for the Generals, and she thrived. A line-drive hitter with power to all fields, she hit .529 with three home runs and 32 RBIs. Behind the plate, she didn't allow a passed ball all season.

KRISTA KING
Kellenberg, 2B, Sr.
The only member of all three of Kellenberg’s state championship teams. The Adelphi-bound leadoff hitter was the catalyst atop the lineup once again this season, hitting .509 with 32 runs. She didn’t strike out once, and finished her career with just three strikeouts in 306 at-bats.

AILEEN REILLY
St. Anthony’s, P, Sr.
The CHSAA pitcher of the year, bound for Gettysburg College, guided the Friars to the top seed and the league championship game. A power pitcher with great command, she went 17-3 with a 1.45 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 147 innings. Also a solid contact hitter with extra-base power, she batted .362.

ANTHONY TURCO
Nassau Coach of the Year
Carey
Inspired the Seahawks with the motto “Good to Great.” With the help of players like Jenna Turato and Brianna Pinto, he guided Carey to a 21-3 record an the Nassau Class A championship.

TIFFANY ROWAN
Suffolk Coach of the Year
Sayville
The two-time coach of the year led the Golden Flashes to a third straight Long Island championship and within one victory of a state Class A championship.

Front row, from left: Sarah Cornell, Clarke; Krista King, Kellenberg; Claire Travis, East Meadow; Samantha Marrone, Sachem East. Middle row, from left: Catherine Vaughn, Hauppauge; Claire McNamara, Oceanside; Kristen Arbiter, MacArthur; Kerri Shapiro, East Meadow. Back row, from left: Anthony Turco, Carey; Aileen Reilly, St. Anthony's; ToniMarie Valeriano, Mepham; Stefanie Alpin, Smithtown East; Ashley Melendez, Island Trees.

ALL-SECOND TEAM
Alexis Alvino, Division, C/2B, Jr.; Kristina Balsano, Connetquot, 3B, Sr.; Taylor Curran, Plainedge, C, Sr.; Sophie Dandola, Seaford, P/3B, Fr.; Sofia Evangelista, St. John the Baptist, P, Sr.; Kate Finnen, Plainedge, SS, Sr.; Vanessa Juengerkes, Islip, P. Sr.; Olivia Kaczmarek, Sayville, C, Jr.; Annie Kennedy, Rocky Point, P, Sr.; Kelsey Larson, Long Beach, SS, Jr.; Jessica Lodato, Commack, 2B, Sr.; Megan McNamara, Oceanside, OF, Jr.; Alyssa Monteverde, West Islip, P, Sr.; Bernadette Mullane, Holy Trinity, Sr. 1B; Katherine Piorkowski, Kellenberg, P, Jr.; Marissa Rizzi, Eastport-South Manor, P, Soph.; Marisa San Antonio, East Meadow, OF, Sr.; Rachel Sieber, Massapequa, SS, Sr.; Jenna Turato, Carey, P, Jr.; Dom Zummo; St. Anthony's