Baldwin gets best of Hicksville

Baldwin defeated Hicksville three times during the regular season on the way to capturing the Nassau Conference AA-II softball title with a 10-5 record, defying an old sports adage.

On May 10, the Lady Bruins made it 4-for-4 against the Lady Comets in 2017 with the season on the line in the opening round of the Nassau Class AA playoffs. Junior pitcher Yaya Spencer took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and struck out 10, and offensive table-setters Katelyn Borello (2-for-2, three runs, sacrifice fly) and Montia Moon (3-for-3, two-run homer, two runs) had a perfect day at the plate to lead sixth-seeded Baldwin to a 10-1 home victory.

“I’ve been telling the girls for days how difficult it was going to be trying to beat Hicksville a fourth time,” Lady Bruins coach Tom Llewellyn said. “The last time we played it was the closest of the three games, 6-3, so it was really important to come out as strong as we did today.”

Spencer, who allowed just a triple to counterpart Ireland Normile and worked out of several jams as a result of an uncharacteristic 10 walks, helped her own cause in a big way in the bottom of the first to help Baldwin set the tone with a crooked number.

Borello, a sophomore shortstop, drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third when Moon reached on a bunt single. With runners on the corners, Spencer crushed a long triple to left to make it 2-0. Sophomore catcher Juliet Bernstein’s sac fly scored pinch-runner Anna Vera for a 3-0 lead.

Borello and Moon were back at it again in the bottom of the third. Borello led off with a single and Moon followed with a two-run homer to make it 5-0. “When Katelyn’s getting on base from the leadoff spot, with three All-County players behind her, we’re dangerous,” Llewellyn said.

Though Spencer’s shutout bid ended in the fourth when she walked in a run, she escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded. Baldwin got the run back in the home half of the fourth when Borello singled, stole second again and scored on a double by Moon.

In the fifth, a nifty unassisted double play by senior Nicole Danyi at first base allowed Spencer to face just four batters. A three-run outburst in the bottom of the inning pushed the margin on the brink of the mercy rule. Pinch-hitter Isabella Diaz, sophomore Brianna Salvatore and Borello had RBIs as the Lady Bruins stretched their lead to 9-1.

Junior Alex Burns put the icing on the cake in the sixth when she blasted her fifth home run of the year. Moon made a highlight-reel diving catch in right in the seventh for the exclamation point. 

“We hit well and played sound defense,” said Llewellyn, who noted the Lady Bruins avenged two losses to Port Washington with an 8-5 victory in the May 6 regular-season finale that ultimately led to the conference crown. “If you’re going to win tough games, you’ve got to bring the defense,” he added.