Hicksville softball tops Island Trees as Mane and Luna homer in Leung's return
Samantha Leung #2, Hicksville pitcher, delivers to the plate during the top of the fourth inning of a Nassau County Conference IV softball game against Island Trees at Hicksville High School on Saturday, May 3, 2025. She allowed no runs in Hicksville's five-inning win. Credit: James Escher
Hicksville wasn’t sure what it would get from starting pitcher Samantha Leung in her return from an illness, but the freshman powered through a brilliant start.
Leung struck out five and allowed three hits as Hicksville defeated visiting Island Trees, 12-0, in five innings in Nassau IV softball on Saturday. Heather Mane and Alyssa Luna each hit two-run home runs. Angelina Avila went 3-for-3 with three runs scored.
“I just pushed my hardest to get the job done,” Leung said. “My team can score a lot of runs and that takes pressure off me and gives us momentum.”
Mane homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the second inning, driving in Avila to give Hicksville a 2-0 lead.
“I talked to them about laying off high pitches and jumping on the first one you like,” Hicksville coach Rich Hinnerschietz said. “That’s what Heather did. The first pitch was at her thigh, she jumped on it and sent it out. After the inning, I used that at-bat as an example of what we should be doing all game.”
Danielle Donahue and Brook Waiting hit back-to-back one-out singles for Island Trees (5-9) in the top of the fourth. Leung induced a grounder for a fielder’s choice and picked up a strikeout to end the threat.
“Sam has been sick and we were glad to get her back today,” Hicksville senior captain Madison Tarra said. “She did a great job out there, just like we knew she would.”
Hicksville loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth after Avila’s double, an error and Luna’s walk. Ansley Fox delivered a two-out single to drive in two runs and put the Comets ahead 4-0.
“I was just thinking about hitting the ball,” Fox said. “I knew that would lead to us scoring even more.”
Luna hit a two-run home run, driving in Mane to give Hicksville a 9-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Fox singled to drive in Kylie Berg and Tarra drove in two more runs with a single.
“Ansley was batting eighth or ninth earlier in the year and we moved her up to the leadoff spot,” Hinnerschietz said. “She doesn’t get afraid with two strikes, she sits back and waits. She’s a line drive hitter and does a good job getting on base.”
Hicksville (7-10) snapped a four-game losing streak and is tied for first place in Conference IV with a 6-7 record.
“We had to focus coming into today,” Tarra said. “This was an important matchup we knew we needed to win and all the games down the stretch are just as important.”
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.
