East Meadow thrives in busy week

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For some, Spring Break is a time to relax and gear up for the final push of the school year, but don’t tell that to the East Meadow softball team. The Lady Jets had no time to relax, as they were making a push of their own in Conference I (10-2), playing four games in five days and coming out with a 3-1 mark and a three-game winning streak. The latest hot streak keeps them in contention for the Conference I regular season title with the Class AA playoffs also on the horizon.

The final game in the schedule was a 6-5 win over Syosset last Friday that came down to the final out of the game. The Lady Braves stranded the tying run at third on a flyout to the wall. “Syosset gave us quite a battle,” East Meadow coach Stew Fritz said. “It was neck-and-neck and back-and-forth. It was a fun game.”

Senior Gianna Azzato put the Lady Jets up for good with a two-out, two-strike grand slam in the top of the seventh, the fourth lead change of the game. After a leadoff hit by sophomore Sam Reyes, who finished 3-for-3 with two runs, and bunt singles by junior Jessica Marsala and senior Jess Laird, Azzato blasted her fifth home run of the season. “We have some bangers and they’re putting up power numbers.”

Azzato’s homer tied her for the team lead with sophomore Christina Loeffler, while sophomore Emily Shurina — who recently had a run of four home runs in five games — and Reyes are just one off the pace. Despite all of the trotting, the Lady Jets (12-3 overall) have done more than sit back and wait for the home runs. The lineup is also well-stocked with speed and high-average hitters. Senior Crista San Antonio is batting a robust .675, sophomore catcher Sara Polansky, in her first season as the starting catcher, is batting .500, Azzata is at .472 and Loeffler is hitting .400. “We have a very good combination of power and speed,” Fritz said.

Shurina had a grand slam of her own one day earlier, driving in a total of six runs to help push East Meadow past Plainedge, 14-1, in a non-league battle. San Antonio drove in three runs and Laird scored three times with Loeffler getting the win in the circle. “Everyone has had their moment,” Fritz said of his well-balanced team.

The most recent winning streak — the Lady Jets had earlier streaks of four wins and five wins — started on April 27, with a 3-2 non-league win over New Hyde Park. Leonard, who has alternated starts at pitcher all season with Loeffler, picked up the victory and allowed just a pair of unearned runs. “They’re both doing a great job,” Fritz said, noting both pitchers have five wins in Conference I play and have earned run averages less than 3.00.

The Lady Jets close the regular season with a road game at MacArthur at 4:45 p.m.