Sewanhaka takes positive step

Patience, positive thinking, and perseverance. After enduring winless 2014 and 2015 seasons, those are just a few of the virtues embraced by the Sewanhaka girls and softball coach Deirdre Kelly. 

The Indians responded by winning four games in 2016, and came into this season feeling confident that they could take another step toward respectability. Mission accomplished. After a come-from-behind 7-6 home win against Wheatley on April 29, Sewanhaka improved to 5-6 in Nassau Conference AB-III and had a good chance to finish at .500 with three games remaining.

Rachel Medina scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth when a hard hit ball by Brianna Batista turned into a throwing error. Freshman pitcher Megan Bleeker earned her second victory in the circle.

Kelly is impressed with her team’s ability to overcome adversity. “We make errors, things don’t go our way, but we put it behind us,” Kelly said. “We can work on things like improving our defense and cutting down on walks, but you really can’t teach heart. These girls have a lot of it. Every day there’s another pleasant surprise. They take losses hard, but their response is to figure it out; to find ways to get better.”

While the Indians got off to an impressive 3-0 start in league play, the game that best epitomized their character and fortitude came after the team had lost four straight. They traveled to play a Manhasset team that was playing its best softball.

Sewanhaka came back from a large deficit to take the lead, and then hung on for an 11-9 win. Catcher Julia Kurzrock, an eighth-grader, knocked in five runs with a double, triple, and home run to lead the offensive attack. Freshman Marisa Ogden, who also homered, struck out nine batters for a complete-game win. Kurzrock leads the team with four home runs.

“The Manhasset game is the one that we look back at as a turning point,” Kelly said. “We started off poorly, but once we got things going we weren’t going to be stopped. And then we held the lead, too. That showed me a lot. A few girls got big hits and it seemed like they just fed off one another.” 

Kelly lauds her team’s grip-and-rip approach in the batter’s box, but as usual it’s pitching that keeps softball teams afloat. The Indians don’t have a girls who blows opponents away, but having three unflappable pitchers has been invaluable. 

While Ogden, who is averaging 11 strikeouts per game, has been the ace, Bleeker and junior Lauren Murphy give Kelly a luxury that most teams don’t have. Sewanhaka is getting timely hitting from Kurzrock, Ogden, Christina Chodkowski, and Kayla Khanat. Versatile senior Jill Bailey has been a key contributor.

“I feel real good about the present and the future,” Kelly said. “Losing seniors is always tough, but we’ll have a lot of experience next year, and the junior varsity is playing well. I’m excited about the future.”