Autumn Malone's walk-off single keeps Mineola afloat
Mineola celebrates a ninth-inning walk-off single in Game 2 of the best-of-three Nassau Class A softball championship series against Seaford on Friday. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Autumn Malone’s pitching kept Mineola in the game, but the sophomore’s bat was what extended the Mustangs’ season.
Malone hit a walk-off single in the ninth inning of Mineola’s 2-1 win over Seaford in Game 2 of the best-of-three Nassau Class A softball finals on Friday night at Farmingdale State.
Julianna Plunkett led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and Malone attempted to bunt her over in the following at-bat but fouled off two attempts. Plunkett stole second on the next pitch and Malone hit a single just out of reach of the diving centerfielder to bring home the winning run.
“I knew I needed to do something once Plunkett got on, but I couldn’t lay the bunt down,” Malone said. “With two strikes, I knew I had to do something to bring her in. I saw the pitch and went with it.”
Mineola intentionally walked Skyler Secondino with two outs and runners on first and second to load the bases in the top of the ninth. Shortstop Cassidy Fitzgerald fielded a grounder and made the throw to first to get out of the inning. Fitzgerald also made a diving catch going to her right to end the eighth inning.
“I made a decision not to walk a player in our last series and we paid for it,” Mineola coach Monique Wink said. “So I told myself we have a game plan and we’re sticking to it. There were no second thoughts about walking her."
Seaford made a pitching change in the top of the fifth after freshman Rylie Betz had kept Mineola hitless over four innings.
Malone drew a walk to lead off the fifth on four pitches and courtesy runner Hailey Diaz entered for Mineola (7-17). Ava Lopez’s sacrifice bunt moved Diaz to second and Amanda Baker hit a single to tie the game at 1.
“We saw the pitcher that came in yesterday, so we knew the adjustments we had to make against her,” Plunkett said. “We knew what needed to be done and we executed.”
Seaford (15-8) put runners on first and third with no outs in the fifth. Malone induced two pop-ups and a grounder to third to escape the jam.
“I needed to hit my spots and when I did that, I got weak contact,” Malone said. “Our defense is strong and we wanted this game badly.”
Betz hit a one-out triple in the fourth inning and came around to score the game’s first run on Alyssa Rodriguez’s single.
Mineola will try to deny Seaford a third consecutive county title when the teams meet for a series-deciding Game 3 at 1:30 p.m. on Monday at Farmingdale State.
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.
