Balanced MacArthur stays hot

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After opening the season with a pair of one-run losses to Massapequa and East Meadow, two of the Nassau Class AA’s elite programs, MacArthur, the defending Long Island Class AA champion now part of Class A, has been on quite a roll. The Lady Generals have won 10 of their past 11 games and sit alone atop Conference ABC-1 with an 8-0 record.

MacArthur passed its latest test when it went on the road and humbled Carey 11-1, last Friday afternoon. Junior pitcher Jess Budrewicz went the distance, scattering four hits while striking out 11 batters. Senior leadoff hitter Shannon Myles was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and three runs scored to lead the offensive attack. Carey dropped to 6-3 in league play.

The victory capped off a week that saw MacArthur beat Seaford 11-2 and Clarke 4-3. In the victory over Seaford, Budrewicz fanned a season-high 15 batters. The offense was led by senior Kristen DiCicco, who hit a home run and knocked in four runs, and Lisa Fabig, who went 2-for-3 with a double.

Head coach Bobby Fehrenbach likes the way his team is approaching the game. “Right now, things are about as good as they can be,” Fehrenbach said. “The girls come out and work hard every day. They don’t get ahead of themselves. They take one day at a time, one game at a time. They just want to get better.”

The Lady Generals came out hitting against a Carey team that has been to the county finals in each of the past three seasons. First-inning doubles by Myles, DiCicco, and Deanna Barrera gave the visitors a quick 3-0 lead.

Carey answered with a run of its own when Brianna Pinto walked to lead off the bottom of the first and scored on a double by Jaclyn Rodriguez. But it would be the only run Budrewicz would surrender.

“Jess has a presence in the circle,” Fehrenbach said. “Giving up a run doesn’t faze her at all. That’s one of the keys to not allowing opponents to have big innings. She doesn’t walk many batters, and we play great defense behind her. Carey has girls that can hammer the ball. It was important to limit their opportunities.”

While Budrewicz has been stellar in the circle, MacArthur is far from a one-dimensional team. In the victory over Clarke, Fabig carried the offense. The sophomore third baseman was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the first inning and a pair of doubles. Fabig finished the day with three RBI and a run scored.   

“It seems like it’s a different kid every day who is getting it done at the plate,” Fehrenbach said. “We’re getting contributions from everyone in the lineup, and we have a deep bench. Some of the girls on the bench could step in at any time to be a starter. They’re just a great group to be around. The girls are very supportive of one another”

MacArthur welcomes in Island Trees this Friday for a 4:30 p.m. start.