Lynbrook wins conference crown

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Propelled by a nine-game winning streak from April 15-May 5, Lynbrook captured the Nassau Conference ABC-IV softball championship and finished with an overall record of 14-4.

The Lady Owls clinched the title May 5 with a 4-1 victory at Locust Valley, which entered the game with a chance to vault into first place thanks to a win in the first meeting between the teams. Senior Katherine Cusack drove in two runs, while senior catcher Elisabeth DiCarmine and sophomore pitcher Julianne Graepel both added RBIs to lead the offense. Freshman Jessica Graepel, who led the team with a .638 batting average, scored twice.

“The girls were super excited,” coach Pete Toscano said. “It was what they worked for all year. It was their World Series. Everyone swarmed Julianne at the mound after the last out.”

Lynbrook’s second conference crown in as many seasons — it shared the ABC-V title with Malverne in 2015 — also led to its first appearance in the Nassau Class A playoffs in five years. Toscano said its 12-0 season-ending defeat at defending county and Long Island champion Clarke, the No. 2 seed, on May 11 was a great learning experience for all wearing the green and gold.

“It was eye-opening,” Toscano said of the Lady Owls facing pitcher Sarah Cornell, the Hofstra-bound all-time strikeout leader in L.I. softball history. “We’ve never seen anything close to that level of pitching.” 

The playoff game marked the finale for a strong class of eight seniors, including three-year shortstop and captain Kacie Curran. “She was our best defensive player and our No. 2 hitter in the order,” Toscano said. “She’s a tremendous athlete and someone you want on your side.”

Last spring, Curran was the only Lynbrook infielder to make it through the season without a serious injury. This year, the Lady Owls stayed healthy all the way around. “That’s really a big reason why we won the conference,” Toscano said. “Nobody was injured.” Cusack, who plays third base, batted .429 with a team-leading 18 RBIs after breaking her hand in 2015. Senior Georgia Krendel (first base) and sophomore Lindsay Ostroff (second base) also thrived after being hit by the injury bug a year ago.

Ostroff drove in Cusack with the winning (walk-off) run in the bottom of the eighth to beat Cold Spring Harbor on April 21, completing a tough three-day stretch of games with another positive result.

Lynbrook managed four one-run conference wins, including a pair against West Hempstead. Ostroff threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh to secure a 5-4 decision in the first meeting on April 1, and Julianne Graepel hit a walk-off homer two weeks later for a 4-3 home triumph.

“The games are always more fun when they’re close,” Toscano said.

The Lady Owls will bring back four starters next spring, including their All-County pitcher. “Juilanne always throws strikes and trusts the defense,” Toscano said. “There was only one game out of 18 we let her down.”