Taylor leads Kings Park to LI A title

Within the Kings Park community, Lindsay Taylor seems to have reached celebrity status. But before going Hollywood, she has to make a stop upstate for the state tournament.

Standing in the very circle where she carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and led Kings Park to its first Long Island championship, Taylor was surrounded by the U10 Kings Park Lady Knights travel team and signed everything from jerseys to softballs to sneakers.

After Tuesday's 4-2 win over Seaford in the Long Island Class A softball championship at Martha Avenue Field in Bellport, Taylor hinted this is only the beginning for the senior pitcher and her Kings Park entourage.

"We're not done," she said. "We're going to go upstate and we're going to get it done."

Kings Park could have booked the trip after the first inning, thanks in part to Reina Torlincasi, who ripped a three-run double to rightfield in the bottom of the first to give Taylor all the support she needed.

When Paige Julich hit a grounder to third to drive in another run in the bottom of the fifth, Taylor hadn't allowed a baserunner. The bid for a perfect game ended in the top of the sixth when Caitlin Hewitt led off with a double to leftfield and later came around to score on a single by Hannah Spinola.

Lindsay Montemarano led off the top of the seventh with a home run to the left-centerfield gap to cut the lead to 4-2. But Seaford's third hit was the last Taylor allowed in what wasn't a typical overpowering outing by her standards. With Seaford making contact, Taylor -- who finished with just four strikeouts -- got some help from her defense.

SEE PHOTOSClass A final: Kings Park 4, Seaford 2

"The perfect game going was a credit to them," Taylor said of her defense. "We're been working really hard at perfecting everything and we have. That's why we did so good today."

The loss brought an end to a brilliant postseason run for Seaford (13-7), which rebounded from a 2-4 start to the season to make the playoffs and knock off top-seeded Plainedge for the county championship.

"We are proud of all that we did," Montemarano said. "We came from losing in the beginning and still came this far. We really wanted this but we have to keep our heads up. It was a successful season that came up short in the end."

Kings Park (23-2) advances to play in the state semifinals at 9 a.m. Saturday at Adirondack Sports Complex in Queensbury.

SEE PHOTOSNewsday's best high school photos

"It's just amazing that we are going to states," Torlincasi said. "We want to win it all, that's our main goal. We have the team to do it and I think we're going to do it."