Season ends for Lady Cyclones

A disappointing season on the softball field for South Side came to a close May 5 with a 10-4 loss at home to Conference ABC-III rival Garden City.

The Lady Cyclones gave up eight unanswered runs after taking a 4-2 lead in the third inning. Though she took the loss, pitcher Sam Koukoulas, a four-year varsity player and the team’s only senior, went 4-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored in her final game. “Sam almost hit for the cycle,” coach Shannon McEntee said. “Too bad she didn’t get the home run in there. She had a triple, a double and two singles.”

The home runs came from Garden City. Cat Dorn hit two, including a two-run shot in the fifth to give it a 6-4 lead. Dorn and Gabrielle Zafonte went back-to-back in a three-run seventh that created the final margin. South Side (2-14) won the first meeting between the teams. 

“I definitely saw the season going differently, but we grew as a team and played better in the second half,” McEntee said. “We were inexperienced compared to every other team.”

Next year’s roster will be stocked with juniors, McEntee said, and an influx of players from the middle school will hopefully allow for the return of the JV program after a one-year absence. “From what I’m hearing we have a lot of girls at the middle school level,” she said. “It’s important for the sake of the whole program that we get the JV up and running again.”

A couple of sophomores who made their presence felt this spring were Jane Dragovich, who was the lone freshman on the varsity roster in 2009, and Lauren Joyce. Dragovich flashed a solid glove at third base and Joyce served as the starting catcher and backup pitcher.

The junior class was led by shortstop Lauren Lopresti and center fielder Antonia Modica. Lopresti made a smooth transition from behind the plate to the most important spot in the infield, while Modica’s speed and reliable glove helped turn some sure home runs into outs. They were also two of the team’s top hitters according to McEntee. 

According to the coach, the highlight of the season came April 19 when the Lady Cyclones went to Hewlett and knocked off McEntee’s alma mater, 7-4. Modica homered the back the pitching of Koukoulas. “It was an enjoyable win,” McEntee said. “The girls were excited about it because they knew I played for Hewlett.”

South Side also received contributions from Katie Spadaro, Lauren Maietti, Kasey Ng, Kelly Dolin, Haley Cohen, Alexandra Garibaldi, Jessica Heckman, Lauren Jansen, Bridget Kiernan, Marina Kotzavekiaris and Alli Leonard.