Alyssa Weinberg's pitching, hitting do the job for Division softball
Alyssa Weinberg #8, Division pitcher, reacts after connecting for a two-run double to left field in the top of the fifth inning of a Nassau County Conference I softball game against host Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Credit: James Escher
Calling Alyssa Weinberg “dominant” might be an understatement.
The senior pitcher did it all in Division’s 2-0 win at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK in Nassau Conference I softball Wednesday night. Weinberg pitched a complete game shutout with 13 strikeouts and helped herself out by driving in the only two runs of the game.
“She threw strikes, got ahead of hitters and kept the ball down in the zone,” head coach Dave Radtke said. “When she’s on, she’s basically unhittable.”
Weinberg found her groove early with two strikeouts in the first inning and never found herself in much trouble. She allowed just two hits and no walks, and the Hawks never had a runner on second or third base.
“I was throwing mostly curveballs and working them inside and outside, but I finished a lot of hitters with my riser,” Weinberg said. “I was just trying to throw it past them.”
Weinberg found herself in a pitcher’s duel with junior Alexa Hospodar, who kept Division’s lineup in check and struck out seven batters in the first four innings.
Then Division’s bats woke up.
Michaela Bridgwood worked a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single up the middle by Jordyn Pasqueralli in the top of the fifth. Pasqueralli stole second with Weinberg at the plate.
Weinberg made it count by launching a ground rule double down the left field line to bring Bridgwood and Pasqueralli home and give Division the lead.
“I’ve been getting walked a lot the last few games, so I was looking to drive the outside pitch just so I could put the ball in play,” Weinberg said.
With her more aggressive approach, Weinberg went 2-for-2 with two walks. Freshman Emma Robins added two hits for Division.
Hospodar pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks.
Division improves to 3-2 in Nassau I and 4-3 overall, but the Blue Dragons are still finding their way at the plate, scoring 14 total runs while allowing 20 in seven games.
After a 15-2 campaign last season, Division will have to continue to win tight games to repeat last year’s success.
“We’ve been struggling offensively and we’re probably going to find ourselves in a bunch of close games all year,” Radtke said. “But with [Weinberg] pitching, if we put up two or three runs, we’re going to win a lot of those games.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
