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Fog/Mist Locals key to Sacred Heart title
South Shore residents played a key role in a historic softball championship for Hempstead’s Sacred Heart Academy.
Sacred Heart (17-3) captured its first Long Island Catholic League title in program history with a 4-2 win against Kellenberg on May 26 at Hofstra University’s Bill Edwards Softball Stadium. Junior pitcher Claire O’Brien of Rockville Centre tossed a complete-game six-hitter and earned MVP honors. The Spartans got key contributions in the championship run from cleanup hitter Michaela Ernst of West Hempstead along with Rockville Centre resident Anna Shamroth.
The championship had extra special meaning to Sacred Heart’s 10th-year head coach Theresa Logenecker, a Lynbrook native who played at the all-girls school near the Hempstead-West Hempstead border from 2000-03.
“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work,” said Logenecker of the breakthrough championship.
Sacred Heart had a chance to clinch the CHSAA title the previous day before Kellenberg pulled out a 5-1 extra-inning win to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament. The Spartans next vie for a state Catholic title starting with a semifinal game at Preller Field in Queens on Tuesday at 2 p.m., after presstime.
Junior outfielder Anna Shamroth of Rockville Centre played a pivotal role in the championship. With the Spartans trailing 2-1 in the fourth, Shamroth doubled and scored the tying run on an RBI single by Emma Nidermaier. Sacred Heart then took the lead for good when Marissa Braito slapped a pitch up the middle.
“All season she has come through for us,” said Logenecker of Shamroth.
After Sacred Heart rallied for the lead, O’Brien made sure it stood up. The junior finished the afternoon with two strikeouts and no walks and recorded her 12th win of the season.
“She is one of the best pitchers in the league,” said Logenecker of the Rockville Centre ace. “She was throwing the ball well.”
Ernst has led Sacred Heart this season as a captain and one of only three seniors on the roster. The outfielder smacked a home run in a 10-0 win against St. Dominic on April 22. She also drove in the winning run in a 3-2 regular season win against Kellenberg on April 14. “She almost wills things to happen,” said Logenecker of the West Hempstead resident. “She has a great heart.”
Senior Sara Hughes and freshman Kate Karamouzis of Rockville Centre also hoisted championship plaques during the celebration at Hofstra. Both Hughes and Karamouzis served as backup catchers.
Sacred Heart plays its home games at Kennedy Park in Hempstead, and Logenecker said the team gets decent crowds with the local community getting behind the Spartans. “A lot of the community comes out to support us,” she said.
The championship culminates a four-year progression that saw Sacred Heart improve from a 4-10 2013 season to 8-8 and 14-4 the next two years. The Spartans fell to Kellenberg in last year’s semifinals.
“The girls weren’t ready for the season to be over,” said Logenecker. “It’s been a long journey to get the program to where it is today.”
