Calhoun powers way to top

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After a fast start to the season that saw the Lady Colts win their first three softball games by a combined score of 32-4, coach Jason Boland knew his team faced its first major challenge in the second week of April, when, over a five-day span, his squad would play three games against opponents in the superior Conference AA-I.

In the first of those matchups, at home against Oceanside on April 10, Calhoun immediately went down two runs in the first inning. The slow start prompted Boland to gather his players together for an impromptu meeting right there in the dugout. 

“We spoke after that first inning and said how are we going to answer back,” he said.

And answer back they did. They put up four runs the next inning, and followed with a pair of two-run homers in the fourth off the bats of their pitcher, Lindsay Roman, and shortstop Heather Berberich, to take firm control of the game. Calhoun won 12-4.

“And that’s the strength of character on this team,” said Boland, “to get punched in the face in your park and end up winning by eight runs.”

The team followed that effort with a 16-7 thrashing of Long Beach on the road, and a 9-0 shutout victory over Baldwin to sweep the AA-I games. Sandwiched between on April 13, the Lady Colts defeated division rival Hicksville, 6-3. “That was a pretty good week for us.” Boland said.

At 8-1 in Conference AA-II, Calhoun sits in first place, one game above Farmingdale. Their formula has been simple: power pitching and power hitting. Their youthful duo of Roman, a sophomore, and Meghan Vecchione, a freshman, have combined for 112 strikeouts over 60 innings. “It’s our pitching that has propelled us to where we are right now,” said Boland. “Those pitchers, no matter who we’re facing, give us a chance to win every day.”

Last Saturday, Calhoun faced its biggest test yet, on the road against first-place Massapequa (9-1, Conference AA-I). Tied heading into extra innings, Massapequa scored a walk-off win in the bottom of the eighth, 3-2, handing Calhoun their first loss of the season.

While Boland was proud his team stuck with arguably the top team in the county, he said a sloppy defensive game highlighted by four errors helped contribute to the loss. “That was a great game to push Massapequa to extra innings,” he said. “It was a tough loss, but they are a world class program.”

Calhoun’s high-powered offense has been led by Berberich, who is hitting .524 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. Second baseman Keri McLaughlin has also been a threat, posting a .333 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBIs. Their third-place hitter, right fielder Jennifer Imhof, is hitting a cool .517.

With several tough games to play, including against East Meadow on Tuesday after the Herald went to press, and against the second -and third-place teams in their own division, Farmingdale and Port Washington, Boland knows his team still has plenty to prove.

But with the wins stocking up, so do the expectations, and Boland said he is hopeful for a deep playoff run. “I’m happy for the seniors,” he said. “They’re seeing this for their last ride, and it’s good for the younger kids to learn that if you work hard, sometimes it pays off.”