Taylor, LoBianco lead Kings Park victory

Luckily for the Kings Park softball team, Lindsay Taylor and Jessica LoBianco's senior prom isn't until the end of June.

Flashback to last season: After a win in Game 1 of the county final series over Eastport-South Manor put Kings Park a win away from its first title, Game 2 was played the morning of prom night. The focus of some wasn't on balls and strikes but on dresses and makeup, and Kings Park dropped the final two games.

"It definitely didn't help at all," Taylor said of the prom. "I'm very happy that there is no distraction this year. Everyone is really focused. Everyone wants it."

Everyone on No. 1 Kings Park is now one win away from getting what they want after Wednesday's 6-2 win over No. 2 Sayville in Game 1 of the best-of-three Suffolk Class A final.

Taylor tossed a three-hitter, walked two and struck out 10 and also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and LoBianco went 3-for-3 with three runs.

"After last year when we lost counties, it crushed us," LoBianco said. "But now coming back and being one win away, it feels great."

Kings Park (21-2) took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning when LoBianco scored on Taylor's long single to center to make it 2-1. Fellow senior Nicole Brieva then came around to score on wild pickoff attempt.

SEE PHOTOSKings Park 6, Sayville 2

With the outfield playing deep in the fifth, Taylor blooped an RBI double into left and later came around to score on a double by Reina Torlincasi. Brieva drove in Cheyenne Giarraputo in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-2 lead.

After Paige Julich gave Kings Park a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Olivia Kaczmarek singled to score Cindy Griffin to tie it for Sayville (16-7) in the second.

Taylor and Kings Park will look to clinch the program's first county title at 4 p.m. today in Game 2 at Sayville.

"We can't take it for granted," Taylor said. "I think that's what kind of happened to us last year. We thought we had it and let it slip. We need to stay focused like we've been."