Carle Place softball uses 7-run first inning to win Nassau Class B final opener vs. Oyster Bay
The Carle Place infield celebrates a win over Oyster Bay during Game 1 of the Nassau Class B softball finals on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Farmingdale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Carle Place trailed by three runs before it took an at-bat, but the defending county champions wasted no time grabbing the lead and creating some distance.
Top-seeded Carle Place scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning as it defeated third-seeded Oyster Bay, 16-6, in Game 1 of the softball Nassau Class B championship series at Farmingdale State on Monday.
Nicole Karalis singled to drive in Madison Loayza for the game’s first run and Ellia Stuart followed with a two-run triple for Oyster Bay (14-7).
“After that first inning, we knew we had to come together as a team,” junior Isabella Roman said. “They were loud in their dugout and maybe that got in our head. Once we got over that, we were able to lock in.”
Carle Place (10-13) had a swift response, drawing three straight walks and scoring a run on a wild pitch. Roman followed with an RBI single and Victoria Pierce drove in two more with a single to put Carle Place ahead 4-3.
With two outs, Isabella DeGroot, Olivia Abbatiello and Alexa Mifsud each drew their second walks of the inning. Each drove in a run to put Carle Place ahead 7-3.
“We were definitely trying to uplift each other and just thinking about trying to win our half of the inning,” Abbatiello said. “We put a lot of effort and time into our hitting and we just played how we practice.”
Roman drove in two more runs with a single in the third, making the score 10-3. In the fifth, she tripled and scored on Pillar Ferrandina’s single, increasing the lead to 11-3.
Oyster Bay's Ellie Mazur walked and scored on Loayza’s inside-the-park home run in the sixth. Chrysta Thomas followed with a triple and scored on Karalis’ groundout to cut Carle Place's lead to 11-6.
Abbatiello cleared the bases with a triple in the sixth, giving the Frogs a 14-6 lead. Mifsud added an RBI single and scored on a passed ball to go ahead 16-6.
“We want to keep the energy up coming into the next game,” Abbatiello said. “We aren’t taking anything for granted. Every game is a fresh start.”
Carle Place will look to lock up its third consecutive county title in Game 2 of the best-of-three series at Farmingdale State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Next game, we’re hoping for the same outcome,” Roman said. “Each game is just one step closer to where we want to be.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
