Fast start for South Side

With a freshman pitcher baffling the competition and a steady lineup from top to bottom, South Side has already surpassed last year’s win total on the softball diamond and could be the favorite to win Nassau Conference A-IV.

Senior Lauren Lopresti had three hits, two runs scored and two driven in, and ninth-grade pitcher Samantha Maselli allowed only two hits and struck out 13 to lead the Lady Cyclones to their fifth win in six games — 14-1 — at Lawrence on April 7.

“Samantha’s pitching awesome,” South Side coach Shannon McEntee said of Maselli, who has made a smooth jump to varsity from the middle school level. “She plays on a travel team and is used to competition. She mixes pitches well and has very good control.”

Lawrence was the first opponent in three games to manage a hit off Maselli, who had back-to-back no-hitters at home against Great Neck North (7-0 win March 31) and Roosevelt (14-0 win April 6.) Each game lasted five innings, the former due to rain and the latter because of the mercy rule. She helped her own cause against Great Neck North, going 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, while senior Antonia Modica starred offensive against Roosevelt with a triple, two singles, two RBI and two runs scored.

Junior Lauren Joyce, the team’s starting catcher last spring, will contribute as a pitcher again and struck out seven in a win over Westbury on March 29. Junior Jane Dragovich, who played third base in 2010, has taken over behind the plate.

Each of the six teams in the conference face each other twice. Lawrence, Westbury and Roosevelt entered this week’s action still seeking their first wins, while South Side (4-0) and Garden City were undefeated. The Lady Cyclones, who also beat Hewlett and West Hempstead in non-league and lost to Manhasset, bring a good mix of senior leadership and underclassmen.

“Only the champion of our conference makes the playoffs,” McEntee said. “It could come down to us and Garden City. They beat us in playoffs in soccer and basketball, so we don’t want to let them get the best of us for a third season.”