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.
No new drums at Bethpage Park ... Urologist convicted of sexual abuse ... Guilty plea in fatal crash ... Knicks win Game 2
No new drums at Bethpage Park ... Urologist convicted of sexual abuse ... Guilty plea in fatal crash ... Knicks win Game 2
