Bats lead Wantagh over VSN

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An explosive Wantagh lineup was on full display in the first inning of last Saturday’s Conference ABC-III softball game at Valley Stream North.

The Lady Warriors scored seven runs in their first at bats on eight hits en route to a commanding 13-3 win. Wantagh (9-3) entered the week scoring double digits in eight games a season removed from never scoring more than eight runs.

“We have strong bats this year,” Wantagh head coach Christine Moran said. “The players definitely put in work during the offseason.”

First baseman Jaclyn Ludwikowski sparked the offensive fireworks with three hits and four RBIs. Pitcher Emily Van O’Linda, who started just her second game in the circle, also produced three hits and helped generate a lead to work with after driving in two runs during the big first inning.

 “It was nice to give her a cushion like that,” said Moran of the early support for O’Linda, who tossed three strikeouts in four innings to earn the win.

 North rallied for three runs in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 8-3 sparked by a leadoff double from Victoria Rossetti, who eventually scored on a passed ball. Emily Saracino drove in Kayla Santo with a groundout to first base and Ashley Toma scored on a wild pitch with two outs to cut the lead to five.

Wantagh answered the Lady Spartans rally with five runs over the last two innings. The Warriors’ ace Shayna DeRosa relieved O’Linda in the fifth and kept the Spartan bats in check the rest of the way.

“It was a rough first inning and we very easily could have just mailed it in after that, but we kept fighting,” first-year North head coach Dan Tronolone said. “There was a couple tough errors, but we never put our head down and never gave up.”

The Wantagh loss was the start of a busy Saturday for the Lady Spartans, who later fell to Garden City 11-10 in their second game of the day. North entered the week at 4-8 in Conference ABC-III with three games remaining to make a push for one of the league’s four playoff spots. The Lady Spartans entered the week two games behind Locust Valley, who they host on Friday for the regular season finale at 4:30 p.m.

“The top of the order is going to have to start hitting again,” Tronolone said. “We hit in the beginning, but have gotten a little cold of late.”

After a game against first-place South Side after press time that could decide who takes the conference crown, Wantagh finishes with road games Wednesday at Locust Valley and Friday at East Rockaway. 

Moran said the Lady Warriors are capable of an extended playoff push with their combination of a balanced lineup and spin from DeRosa on the mound that keeps opposing hitters off balance.

“She doesn’t have a lot of pitches, but her pitches have a lot of spin and a lot of placement,” Moran said of DeRosa. “I think we can make a run as long as our bats stay hot.”