East Meadow has picked up exactly where it left off on the softball diamond last season. The defending Nassau Class AA champions have run out of the gates to a 6-1 start and own a five-game winning streak after last Monday’s 8-6 Conference AA-I victory over Mepham.
Senior first baseman Jamie Laird, an All-State and All-County honoree a season ago, has taken her game to an even higher level so far. Through the first six games, Laird, who batted .440 as a junior, racked up nine hits in her first 11 official at-bats and also had four walks. Included among the hits were a staggering four home runs and 13 RBI. “She’s always been a great hitter and had a great year last year,” coach Cindy McCarthy said. “But she knew she’d have to step up.”
Laird has moved to the No. 3 spot in the lineup from cleanup and become the driving force on an offense that also features a new leadoff hitter, senior centerfielder Samantha Miller, and freshman Marisa San Antonio in the No. 2 slot. The two table-setters have provided instant spark and offer East Meadow a variety of options at the top of the lineup, while sophomore designated hitter Emma McKillop generates runs as the new cleanup hitter. San Antonio, in particular, has been a difficult matchup for every pitcher and not just because she’s a switch hitter. “She’s been doing a good job moving people over and also getting on base,” McCarthy said. “She can keep a defense on its toes, she’s quick, she can bunt or slap [hit].”
Junior Amanda Carlin has taken over the reins in the pitching circle and received plenty of support from the Lady Jets lineup. While Laird was the hitting hero in a 10-9 victory over MacArthur on April 7, freshman catcher Madison West generated a run with a solo homer in a 5-2 win over Farmingdale the previous day, while sophomore third baseman Taylor Conti drove in a pair as part of a 3-for-5 day in a 9-0 win over Long Beach on April 5. Junior left fielder Becky Syers kicked off the winning streak by driving in two runs to help push the Lady Jets past Carey, 7-2, on April 4.