Oceanside softball tops Massapequa in rematch of last two Nassau championships
Joanna Byrne of Oceanside crosses home plate in the bottom of the second inning during a softball game against Massapequa on Saturday in Oceanside. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The Oceanside and Massapequa softball teams have met eight times over the past two seasons. The Sailors won four games, including the county final series in 2024, while Massapequa won four games and last year’s county title.
The teams’ meeting on Saturday showcased why neither has created much separation from each other as Oceanside picked up a 5-4 victory over visiting Massapequa in a Conference I matchup.
Alexa Conte doubled with two outs for Oceanside in the fourth. Liana Horan and Karley Handleman hit back-to-back singles to score Conte and then executed a first and third double steal, allowing Horan to cross the plate and give Oceanside a 5-2 lead.
“We’ve been working really hard to be better than we were last year,” Oceanside catcher Joanna Byrne said. “It’s not just one person. We’re all putting it together and things seem to have clicked.”
Sienna Erker led off the sixth with a double for Massapequa and scored on Ava Victor’s two-out single. Avery Pilla singled to drive in Victor and cut Oceanside’s lead to 5-4.
Pinch hitter Alexandra Dodick singled with one out in the seventh for Massapequa. Caroline Ferchland induced a fielder’s choice and a flyout to secure the win for Oceanside.
“We’ve faced them in the last two county finals. Now we have expectations of ourselves to get wins against them,” Oceanside coach Carlo Quagliata said. “This is a step forward, but they’re still the champs. We know the playoffs are where it really matters.”
Massapequa (4-2) scored a run in the first inning when Pilla's two-out single drove in Samantha Dolan. An error gave Massapequa another run in the second as it took a 2-0 lead.
“The game’s not over after two innings,” Ferchland said. “You’ve got to keep fighting and keep putting together good at-bats.”
Byrne tripled to lead off the second for Oceanside (6-2) and scored on Ferchland’s single. A two-out error allowed Oceanside to tie it at 2.
“We’re just going to build off this,” Byrne said. “Beating them doesn’t accomplish our goal. We want to get better throughout the season and keep this going for as long as we can.”
Maggie Nesturrick’s single drove in Handleman in the third to give Oceanside a 3-2 lead. Ferchland allowed the first two runners to reach base in the third and fourth innings but escaped the jams without allowing a run.
“I trust the girls behind me to make the plays,” Ferchland said. “Sometimes you hit your spots and they still get hits. You just control what you’re able to.”
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.
