North Shore eyes top spot

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Within the confines of the Conference ABC-V softball, North Shore is pushing for the top spot as the season enters the final stretch.

Fighting with tough competitors, such as Malverne and Roslyn, the Lady Vikings continue to work hard and find their stride. The push for the top conference spot was only bolstered by the colossal 29-19 victory over conference rival Roslyn on April 20.

“We were down, actually, early in the game after allowing (Roslyn) to score. Then, our offense really clicked and we brought across a lot of runs from there,” North Shore head coach Toni Papetti said. 

In the circle for the Lady Vikings (6-2 overall) was senior pitcher Alexandra Johanson, who has started every game thus far. Although she has been the looked-to ace, Papetti stressed that in a shootout like this, it was integral that North Shore throw different looks at their foes, using three pitchers in total. Lindsay Bonn pitched three full innings, accumulating five strikeouts and earned a victory for her efforts.

“Johanson started for us, as she has for every game, but in a game like this I wanted to throw different looks at them, so we used three different pitchers to keep them from getting comfortable,” Papetti said. “We know Roslyn is good and we wanted to make sure we took this game from them.”

The game progressed, as offensive prowess began to trump defensive measures, making for the high-scoring game that ensued.

Up by three on the scoreboards, Amber Diaz unleashed a game-sealing grand slam in the sixth inning to put the Vikings up by seven. That round-tripper was Diaz’s third home run of the season.

Shortly thereafter, the teams were lined up, shaking hands in a collaborative effort to put 48 runs across the plate in a truly unbelievable game.

When asked about who may have been an unsung hero in a game where statistics could so easily be inflated, Papetti mentioned Jade Diaz, amongst others. “(Jade) Diaz is still working on getting her hitting to where she wants it to be, but she has been big for us in the field, now working at shortstop after our starter went down with an injury,” she said.

The starting shortstop Papetti was alluding to is senior Julianna Broccolo, a 

co-captain recently forced out of action due to a finger injury. When asked about the timetable for Broccolo’s return, Papetti wasn’t certain she would be cleared to return for the remainder of the season.

Nonetheless, North Shore continues to look for added traction as it takes the momentum from its massive victory over Roslyn into a four-game week. The Lady Vikings match up with Malverne, Roosevelt, and twice with Elmont this week.

“(Having) a week like this, where we have four games, we have to stay focused and make sure to execute,” said Papetti. “We’re pushing for the number-one seed in the conference, so all of these games are of importance for us.”