Emma Powell fans 10, drives in winning run for Center Moriches
Center Moriches Emma Powell connects for the game winning walk off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning against Islip in a Suffolk non league softball game, Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at Center Moriches. Credit: George A Faella
While the Center Moriches High School softball field was constantly hit by frigid gusts of wind under a cloudy sky, Emma Powell shined brightly on Tuesday.
Powell allowed two earned runs and struck out 10 in a complete game and delivered a walk-off single in the seventh inning of Center Moriches’ 3-2 win over Islip in a non-league game.
“I watch Emma every day, so I know what she’s capable of,” coach Rich Roberts said. “What she did today doesn’t surprise me, but it’s impressive how she constantly guts out every pitch.”
With the game tied at 2, Brianna Bonaventure walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh and advanced to second on a single by Kaylie Roberts. With one out, Powell laced a line drive to left that drove in Bonaventure with the winning run.
“I honestly didn’t know it was a walk-off until I got to first base, but it felt great to see the ball get over [the leftfielder's] head,” Powell said.
Islip took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Amber Danz hit a leatdoff triple and scored on an error.
Powell dueled in the circle with Lauren McSweeney, who shut Center Moriches’ bats down until the fourth, when eighth-grader Lilah Eten singled to drive in Leah Franchi and Grace Waller for a 2-1 lead.
“I think it made everyone else a little more confident to see us get ahead,” said Eten, who went 2-for-3. “It definitely made me more confident in myself and in my teammates.”
Islip answered right back in the fifth, with Danz hitting a leadoff single and scoring the tying run on a triple by Ashley Toro.
Although Center Moriches (5-1) didn’t score off of McSweeney in the next two innings, its hitters started putting together better at-bats, leading to success when it mattered in the final frame.
“Our game plan is always to be selectively aggressive,” Roberts said. “[McSweeney] was throwing some really good pitches earlier in the game, but I thought we did a better job of laying off her good pitches towards the end of the game.”
Powell, a sophomore, earned her fifth win and will be leaned on in Center Moriches’ attempt to repeat as Long Island Class B champions.
