Sayville downs Islip to claim Suffolk Class A softball title
Sayville starting pitcher Maddie Recker delivers a pitch to Islip in the Suffolk Class A finals on Saturday at Eastport Sports Complex. Credit: George A. Faella
The Sayville softball team suffered its first loss of the season Friday and was in an early hole, trailing by two runs in Saturday’s winner-take-all Suffolk Class A county final.
But in the fifth inning, the Golden Flashes busted out the bats.
Top-seeded Sayville sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run fifth inning and went on to defeat third-seeded Islip, 12-2, at Eastport Athletic Complex to claim the county title.
Islip’s Sarah Penny led off the top of the fifth inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gianna Edwards. Edwards was safe at first on a fielding error. Following a strikeout, Keren Hodulick drew a walk to load the bases. Kaeli McAnally, who had an RBI double in the first inning, followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Penny and put Islip (18-5) ahead 2-0.
But Mallory Kinahan led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to deep center. Elizabeth Yoskowitz's hit scored Kinahan and brought Sayville (23-1) to within a run. Later in the inning, Yoskowitz attempted a delay steal of third base and the ball was thrown into leftfield. She scored to tie the game at 2-2.
Brooke Scheibe and Kylie Buck had back-to-back two-out singles to extend the inning, and following a wild pitch, Julia Kaczmarek looped a single to short leftfield to drive in Scheibe and give Sayville a 3-2 lead. Another fielding error allowed Buck to race home from third for the Golden Flashes’ fourth run.
Scheibe added a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to drive in Yoskowitz and Dominique Rinaldi and give Sayville a 7-2 lead. Sarah Blaskiewicz provided the exclamation point with a two-run home run to deep leftfield later in the inning. The first eight batters in the inning reached base and scored.
After allowing a run in the fifth, Marissa Dionisio settled down and pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh to earn the win.
Sayville will face Mepham in the Long Island Class A Championship Friday at 4 p.m. at Eastport Athletic Complex.
The Golden Flashes will meet Mepham for the Long Island championship Friday.
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